Lab Members

kmills{at}wustl.edu

Kathy joined the lab in 2005 after receiving her Bachelor’s degree from Truman State University. Her research focus is with NAD⁺ precursors such as NMN, and she is a collaborator for clinical trials.

Kathy enjoys playing volleyball and camping.

c.brace{at}wustl.edu

Cindy joined the lab in 2006.  She is currently working on characterizing Prdm13-positive neuron in the DMH and is exploring the function of DMH Prdm13 neurons for metabolism and aging.

Cindy enjoys visiting parks with her kids, hiking, and drinking coffee.

k.tokizane{at}wustl.edu

Previous training: Ph.D., Nagoya University.

Kyohei joined the lab in July 2017. His research is focused on the role of a specific neuronal subpopulation in hypothalamus on aging.

Kyohei is awarded the 2020 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research.

He enjoys watching movies and playing with his cat.

bvlananna{at}wustl.edu

Brian joined the Imai lab in July of 2019. He earned his Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Washington University in St. Louis where he studied glial circadian clock regulation of neuroinflammation relevant to Alzheimer’s disease in the lab of Dr. Erik Musiek, MD, PhD. Brian is broadly interested in the mechanism by which the brain regulates aging and longevity. His project in the Imai lab focuses on the role of EV-contained eNAMPT in brain aging while simultaneously evaluating the utility of this EV-brain delivery system in the development of an anti-aging therapeutic.

Outside of lab Brian enjoys reading children’s books and trolling people, including his three kids.

kmori{at}wustl.edu

Kentaro joined the lab in July 2020. He earned his M.D. in Nagoya University and Ph.D. in University of Yamanashi. Through his clinical experience as an Endocrinologist, he has come to realize that establishment of effective way to prevent frailty due to sarcopenia or type 2 diabetes in elderly patients is urgently necessary in a “super-aging society”. His project in the Imai lab is focusing on the role of myokine sectreted from skeletal muscle in mammalian aging and longevity control.

Kentaro really likes visiting national parks in U.S.

cisse{at}wustl.edu

Ph.D. training: Tokushima University in Tokushima, Japan.

Postdoctoral training: at the laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université Laval, in Québec, Canada

Youssouf joined the lab in 2022. He is interested in studying NMN effects on brain activity at a single neuronal level in young and aged mice. Youssouf specializes in using EEG, EMG and single cell recordings combined with optogenetics.

leih{at}wustl.edu

Cecilia recently graduated from the lab with a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Genomics. She is staying in the lab as a postdoc to wrap up the project while looking for industry jobs. She joined the lab in September 2017 and has been working on a new project exploring age-associated changes in stress response by applying a social isolation paradigm in mice.

Cecilia received the LIFENAD fellowship in 2019.

When not in lab, Cecilia enjoys watching anime.

vhsu{at}wustl.edu

Virginia is an MD/PhD student in the Neurosciences program. She joined the lab in 2021 and is interested in brain metabolism and cognition during aging.

Outside of science, she likes coffee, tea, and hanging out with her cats.