Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP)

MitoCure Lab

MitoCure Lab

Exploring and mitigating the effects of cellular aging.

Our Mission

MitoCure Lab aims to identify and ameliorate the effects of aging through research on cell biology and targeted therapies. By deepening our understanding of how the breakdown of mitochondrial and other organelle functions leads to inflammation and affects the health of the entire human organism, MitoCure aspires to mitigate the aging process and extend the human health span.

About Us

Established in 2018, MitoCure is led by Leena Bharath, the Pasini Professor in Health Sciences at Merrimack College. The lab expands on Bharath’s research on “inflammaging,” the chronic state of inflammation that occurs when we age, which leads to conditions such as diabetes, obesity and immune cell aging.

Recent News

MitoCure was the recipient of a three-year NIH grant that will support the training of undergraduates in hands-on laboratory science. “The R15 grant is very special because it is specifically for training undergraduate students,” Bharath said. “The overarching goal of the grant is to encourage smaller colleges like ours to get access to more NIH funding and have greater opportunities to train students at the undergraduate level.”