Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (MIBAM), University of Minnesota
Academic
About
The Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (MIBAM) is a trans-departmental institute of the University of Minnesota Medical School, created alongside the Medical Discovery Team on the Biology of Aging when Laura Niedernhofer and Paul Robbins moved to Minnesota in 2018; it took the Masonic name in 2024 after a $15 million gift from Minnesota Masonic Charities. Its work centres on cellular senescence and DNA damage as drivers of ageing, using mouse models to discover and test senotherapeutics (senolytics and senomorphics) before human trials. MIBAM hosts two NIH SenNet tissue mapping efforts building single-cell atlases of senescent cells in human and mouse tissues, and the Minnesota Nathan Shock Center of Excellence on Genome Integrity and Aging (NIH P30, from 2025). The university also sponsors senolytic trials such as STOP-Sepsis. MIBAM is supported by the state of Minnesota.
Rating breakdown
Aggregate 62/100 · rank #10 in the academic & non-profit table full ratings →
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Publications73
- Laura Niedernhofer — h-index 89 source ↗
- Ming Xu — h-index 31 source ↗
- Senolytics reduce coronavirus-related mortality in old mice (Camell et al., Science 2021) ↗
- An aged immune system drives senescence and ageing of solid organs (Yousefzadeh et al., Nature 2021) ↗
- Tissue specificity of senescent cell accumulation during physiologic and accelerated aging of mice (Yousefzadeh et al., Aging Cell 2020) ↗
- Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan (Yousefzadeh et al., EBioMedicine; senolytic work by MIBAM leadership Xu, Robbins and Niedernhofer) ↗
- A new progeroid syndrome reveals that genotoxic stress suppresses the somatotroph axis (Niedernhofer et al., Nature; foundational DNA-damage/progeroid landmark by MIBAM's director, pre-dating the Minnesota institute) ↗
Discovery57
Trials from ClinicalTrials.gov (this org as lead sponsor), matched to aging by their condition or intervention.
Fundraising96
Grants of the organisation's listed people, name-matched via NIH RePORTER ↗.
- Laura Niedernhofer: Minnesota Nathan Shock Center of Excellence on Genome Integrity and Aging · USD 1M · National Institute on Aging 5P30AG092751-02
- Laura Niedernhofer: Identification of senescent cell types · USD 554K · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 5P01AI172501-03
- Ming Xu: Targeting p21-Highly Expressing Cells to Increase Lifespan and Healthspan in Old Age · USD 451K · National Institute on Aging 5R01AG076642-05
- Paul Robbins: Genetic variant-based drug discovery targeting conserved pathways of aging · USD 403K · National Institute on Aging 3U19AG056278-10S1
- Ming Xu: Novel Wearable Electrode Array Stimulation Technology for Post-Stroke Drop-Foot Assistance · USD 400K · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 1R41HD122577-01
- Paul Robbins: Administrative/Program Enrichment Core · USD 214K · National Institute on Aging 5P30AG092751-02
Education16
- Laura Niedernhofer ARDD speaker 2024;2025 source ↗
- Paul Robbins ARDD speaker source ↗
- In Hwa Jang ARDD speaker 2025 source ↗
Key outputs
- publication Senolytics reduce coronavirus-related mortality in old mice (Camell et al., Science 2021) ↗ 2021
- publication An aged immune system drives senescence and ageing of solid organs (Yousefzadeh et al., Nature 2021) ↗ 2021
- publication Tissue specificity of senescent cell accumulation during physiologic and accelerated aging of mice (Yousefzadeh et al., Aging Cell 2020) ↗ 2020
- dataset or tool Minnesota Tissue Mapping Center for Senescent Cells (NIH SenNet, U54AG076041): single-cell senescent-cell atlases of human liver and adipose tissue ↗ 2021
- clinical trial Senolytics To slOw Progression of Sepsis (STOP-Sepsis) trial, sponsored by the University of Minnesota ↗ 2023
- publication Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan (Yousefzadeh et al., EBioMedicine; senolytic work by MIBAM leadership Xu, Robbins and Niedernhofer) ↗ 2018
- publication A new progeroid syndrome reveals that genotoxic stress suppresses the somatotroph axis (Niedernhofer et al., Nature; foundational DNA-damage/progeroid landmark by MIBAM's director, pre-dating the Minnesota institute) ↗ 2006
Investment & funding
| Date | Type | Amount | Detail | Counterparties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | philanthropic gift | USD 15M | University of Minnesota publicly disclosed a $15 million gift from Minnesota Masonic Charities to the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (2024; part of a $35 million gift to the university) | Minnesota Masonic Charities |
| 2025 | grant | USD 1M | NIH RePORTER publicly disclosed the FY2025 award for P30AG092751, Minnesota Nathan Shock Center of Excellence on Genome Integrity and Aging (PIs Niedernhofer and Robbins) | National Institute on Aging (NIH) |
Key people
Laura NiedernhoferDirector, MIBAM and Medical Discovery Team on the Biology of Aging (UMN Discovery magazine also calls her co-director); Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and BiophysicsPaul RobbinsAssociate Director, MIBAM (co-leads the institute with Niedernhofer); Director, Minnesota Nathan Shock Center of Excellence on Genome Integrity and AgingMing XuAssociate Professor, MIBAM and Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and BiophysicsDouglas G. MashekAssociate Director, MIBAM; Distinguished McKnight University Professor; lipid metabolism and agingChristina D. CamellMIBAM faculty; Associate Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics; immunometabolism and senescence in aging adipose tissueXiao DongMIBAM faculty and Bioinformatics Core Director; Assistant Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development; somatic mutation and single-cell genomics of aging
Research fields
Links
Sources
- https://med.umn.edu/aging
- https://med.umn.edu/aging/about
- https://med.umn.edu/aging/our-team
- https://cancer.umn.edu/news/minnesota-masonic-charities-extends-u-m-investments-include-healthy-aging
- https://med.umn.edu/aging/news/ibam-receives-15m-investment-minnesota-masonic-charities
- https://discoverymag.umn.edu/stories/targeting-the-cells-that-accelerate-aging
- https://med.umn.edu/dm_profile/1296
- https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11117546
- https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11167823
- https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05758246
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe4832
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03547-7
- https://med.umn.edu/bio/douglas-mashek
- https://med.umn.edu/bio/christina-camell
- https://experts.umn.edu/en/persons/xiao-dong/
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.09.015
- https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05456