The research interests of Darren J. Baker, M.S., Ph.D., are focused on the involvement of senescent cells in the processes of aging and cancer.

Cellular senescence, a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest that limits the ability of cells to divide, is a potent anti-tumor mechanism that is also a common feature of aged tissue. Instead of simply being resident cells within a tissue, senescent cells promote various age-related phenotypes due to components that they secrete. Studying the role of cellular senescence in vivo, however, has been difficult due to the lack of reliable markers and the inability to selectively manipulate these cells in animals.

Dr. Baker's research team has developed a transgenic mouse model, termed INK-ATTAC, in which p16-expressing senescent cells can be selectively eliminated in an inducible fashion. By using the INK-ATTAC model in combination with an accelerated aging model, Dr. Baker has demonstrated the ability to significantly delay age-related pathologies and phenotypes, including cataract formation, by removing senescent cells.