Dr. Andrei Seluanov is a Professor of Biology and Medicine at the University of Rochester. His research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of longevity and genome stability and on the studies of exceptionally long-lived and cancer- resistant mammals. Dr. Seluanov applies comparative biology approach to study aging and identified rules that control evolution of tumor suppressor mechanisms depending on the species lifespan and body mass. One of the focuses of his research has been on the naked mole rats and the blind mole rat. Seluanov’s group identified high molecular weight hyaluronan as the key mediator of cancer-resistance in the naked mole rat. Dr. Seluanov also demonstrated that DNA double strand break repair becomes less efficient with aging and cellular senescence which leads to genomic instability and cancer, and this decline is rescued by Sirtuin 6. Seluanov’s work has been published in journals including Nature, Science, and Cell. He received awards from the Ellison Medical Foundation, Life Extension Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and was awarded the Cozzarelli Prize from PNAS for outstanding scientific excellence and originality, Prince Hitachi Prize in Comparative Oncology (Japan), and Davey Prize from the University of Rochester Wilmot Cancer Center.