Prof. Sivan Henis-Korenblit is a Senior Lecturer in the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences. She came to Bar-Ilan University from the University of California, San Francisco, as part of the 2009 cohort of returning scientists, a special program within Bar-Ilan University to recruit young Israeli scientists to return to work in Israel. Henis-Korenblit’s main research interest is in identifying the molecular mechanisms of aging using the model organism C. elegans. In particular, her lab focuses on the link between aging, age-related disease and protein quality control. Henis-Korenblit’s research has specific applications in a variety of maladies such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, all of which are closely associated with aging. Henis-Korenblit and her team use the roundworm C. elegans to explore which genes and pathways control the rate of aging. At the molecular level, C. elegans and humans share the same universal mechanisms of life. By editing the genetic code, Henis-Korenblit and her researchers make use of this model organism to identify conserved genes and pathways that slow down aging. This is the first step towards understanding how to actively gain control over the rate of aging. Knowledge gained in Henis-Korenblit’s lab about the conserved molecular genetics underlying cellular and organism aging in C. elegans can potentially be applicable to humans. In the long term, their aim is to develop tools to improve the quality of life of older individuals and to delay and prevent age-related disease.