Dr. von Zglinicki is Professor of Cellular Gerontology at Newcastle University. His research focusses on the interconnection between malfunctioning telomeres and mitochondrial metabolism during cell senescence, and on suppressing cell senescence to extend healthy lifespan. He was the first to suggest that chronic oxidative stress accelerates telomere shortening and thus reduces the replicative lifespan of human cells. He is a founding member of Newcastle University’s Institute for Aging and has received the Lord Cohen of Birkenhead Medal for Services to Gerontology. He has published over 200 papers on cell and molecular biology of ageing.