Castilho Lab
Principal Investigator: Jessica L Castilho
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN)
Primary Subfield: Genetics/Genomics
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Project Summary / Abstract With effects on multiple cellular mechanisms of aging – including systemic inflammation, cellular senescence, and DNA damage – HIV infection is a recognized biological model of age acceleration. Indeed, people living with HIV (PWH) experience higher risk and earlier onset of a number of aging-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease, frailty, and cognitive and physical function decline. Addressing the excess burden of comorbidities, including geriatric syndromes, experienced by PWH is an NIH and public health priority. Objective measures of accelerated aging are urgently needed for mechanistic, clinical, and interventional investigations to improve aging-related outcomes of PWH. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) has been proposed as one such measure, which is based on calculating differences between chronological age versus biological age predicted from DNA methylation patterns. Previous studies have shown, using whole-blood samples, that the epigenomes of PWH on antiretroviral therapy look 5 years older than expected based on their chronological age. Expansion of the use of EAA into studies of aging biology and interventions has been limited…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R21AG099768-01: Epigenetic age acceleration and differences among immune cell populations in people with and without HIV (2026)
- 3U01AI069923-22S2: Caribbean, Central, and South America network for HIV Epidemiology (CCASAnet) (2026)
- 3U01AI069923-22S7: Caribbean, Central, and South America network for HIV Epidemiology (CCASAnet) (2026)
- 3U01AI069923-22S3: Caribbean, Central, and South America network for HIV Epidemiology (CCASAnet) (2026)
- 3U01AI069923-22S4: Caribbean, Central, and South America network for HIV Epidemiology (CCASAnet) (2026)
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