In the E. Jane Albert Hubbard Lab at NYU Langone, we study how diet and aging affect stem cells in vivo using germline stem cells of the nematode worm C. elegans as a model. The germline stem cell pool is remarkably plastic and is responsive to multiple genetic and environmental cues.

Our work takes advantage of this system: we can easily manipulate the diet and genetics of the worm, and the worm’s lifespan is short. In the lab, the worms feed on and live in bacteria. We found that the quality and quantity of the bacterial dietary and sensory environment influences the stem cell pool via conserved signaling pathways such as insulin-IGF, TOR, and TGFß. We recently discovered a mechanism whereby bacterial abundance can directly modulate Notch pathway activity, a canonical developmental decision pathway. Our aging studies also implicate insulin-IGF signaling in regulation of the aging stem cell pool, but in a manner that is anatomically distinct from the effect of this pathway on organismal lifespan.

Basic Research, Aging Research and Cancer Biology

Jane’s postdoctoral research was funded by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, and she has since served on their fellowship review panels. Over the course of this 3.5 minute video recorded at the 2024 fellows retreat, she and two current Damon Runyon fellows discuss some of connections between basic and aging research and cancer research.

Inclusion Statement

The Hubbard Lab supports an inclusive environment. We recognize that a team that represents a variety of lived experiences promotes the kinds of creative thinking and innovation that are key to impactful research. We welcome motivated scientists regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and identity, disability, age, religion, country-of-origin, or socioeconomic background.

Meet the Hubbard Lab

Katherine Norton, a Society for Developmental Biology Choose Development! Fellow who did her summer research our lab, made a video that explains our research with C. elegans.

Contact Us

Jane Albert Hubbard, PhD
Principal Investigator
Professor, Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology
540 First Avenue, Second Floor
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-263-7154
Email: Jane.Hubbard@NYULangone.org

Disclaimer: NYU Langone’s programs do not include preferences, quotas, or set asides, or otherwise exclude anyone based on race, sex, or other protected categories.