Professor awarded fellowship to map the biomarkers of ageing 

The world’s first multi-tissue, cell-type specific atlas of ageing biomarkers will be developed by ​​Professor Nir Eynon, head of the ageing biology research laboratory at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, following his receipt of a Rebecca L Cooper Fellowship. 

​​​The $1.5 million competitive fellowship, announced today by the ​​Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation, will advance how age-related decline in humans is detected, tracked and treated, enabling Australians to live healthier, more independent lives for longer. 

​​​Professor Eynon said the five-year research program would deliver the first comprehensive molecular atlas of ageing.  

“Despite ageing being the primary risk factor in Australia for chronic conditions, there are currently no precise molecular tools to track biological ageing in the tissues vital for independence, such as human muscle, cardiac tissue and blood,” Professor Eynon said.  

“Without these tools, we cannot effectively monitor ageing trajectories, personalise interventions or evaluate emerging therapies.” 

Over the next five years Professor Eynon’s research program will deliver three interconnected projects: 

• Developing the world’s largest atlas of biomarkers that drive ageing, derived from more than 90,000 human samples. 

• Mapping how biological ageing differs between men and women 

• Using gene-editing tool such as CRISPR to identify which biomarkers actively drive ageing. 

“With the support of the Rebecca L Cooper Foundation my program has the potential to enable early detection of biological ageing changes,” Professor Eynon said. “The identification of biomarkers that drive ageing will facilitate timely clinical interventions to preserve muscle function, prevent frailty and reduce hospitalisation risk. This directly supports healthier ageing population, reduces healthcare burdens and significantly improves quality of life.” 

This fellowship builds on Professor Eynon’s​ ​recognised international leadership in ageing biology. His major contributions include a tissue-specific epigenetic clock for human muscle and developing open-access tools that assist clinicians and researchers in benchmarking biological age. 

The Rebecca L. Cooper Foundation-supported program will also have impact beyond the lab. It will train emerging researchers, strengthen international and industry partnerships, and deliver open-access resources to inform future clinical trials, public health policy, and diagnostic development. 

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