Impact
Nathan LeBrasseur studies the biological processes that drive ageing with the aim of developing interventions that delay age-related conditions, with a recent focus on cellular senescence and its effects on physical function, metabolism and resilience. He was a co-author of the 2011 Nature study showing that clearing p16Ink4a-positive senescent cells delays ageing-associated disorders in mice, and of the 2018 Nature Medicine study reporting that senolytic drugs improve physical function and increase lifespan in old mice. His laboratory works on mechanisms of skeletal muscle ageing, blood-based measures of biological age for use in clinical care and research, and how lifestyle factors such as exercise influence age-related damage and repair. Trained in physical therapy and applied physiology at Boston University, he is Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic, directs the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging (since 2022), co-directs the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, and chairs an NIH study section on cellular mechanisms in ageing. He received AFAR's Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in 2019.
Metrics
- h-index 89 · google scholar as of 2026-09-23 source ↗
Research output
428 works · 36,758 citations · h-index 83 OpenAlex ↗
Selected publications
- Clearance of p16Ink4a-positive senescent cells delays ageing-associated disorders ↗ 2011 · 3,748 citations
- The Achilles’ heel of senescent cells: from transcriptome to senolytic drugs ↗ 2015 · 2,545 citations
- Senolytics improve physical function and increase lifespan in old age ↗ 2018 · 2,360 citations
- Cellular senescence mediates fibrotic pulmonary disease ↗ 2017 · 1,652 citations
- Adverse Events Associated with Testosterone Administration ↗ 2010 · 1,499 citations
Research funding
44 NIH awards · USD 35M total NIH RePORTER ↗
- Targeting Cellular Senescence to Extend Healthspan National Institute on Aging · 2024 · USD 4M
- Targeting Cellular Senescence to Extend Healthspan National Institute on Aging · 2026 · USD 4M
- Targeting Cellular Senescence to Extend Healthspan National Institute on Aging · 2025 · USD 3M
- Targeting Cellular Senescence to Extend Healthspan National Institute on Aging · 2022 · USD 3M
- Targeting Cellular Senescence to Extend Healthspan National Institute on Aging · 2023 · USD 3M