Virginia Commonwealth University · BiologyAging and Cytosolic DNA Research Lab
Colleen K Jackson-Cook · Richmond, Virginia
Research Focus
Dr. Colleen K. Jackson-Cook's lab at Virginia Commonwealth University focuses on understanding how aging affects our cells at a genetic level. They conduct a long-term study on twins to explore how genetics and environment influence the presence of cytosolic DNA, which may play a role in age-related health issues. By analyzing how this DNA interacts with other biological markers of aging, the lab aims to uncover potential treatments for age-related diseases.
cytosolic DNAtelomeresaginggenetic predispositiontwin studiesepigeneticsbiomarkers
Research Aims
5AIM 01Assess the role of genetics and environment on cytosolic DNA frequencies in twins.
AIM 02Determine the relationship between cytosolic DNA and aging markers.
AIM 03Characterize the genetic content of cytosolic DNA across different ages.
AIM 04Evaluate the stability of cyDNA levels and telomere lengths over time.
AIM 05Identify therapeutic targets for age-related health conditions.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPRDNA methylation analysisquantitative genetics methodsspectral karyotypingfluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)microscopylongitudinal study designgenome sequencingdata modelingbioinformatics
Output against the department
Publications141top 49% of dept.500th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.9kbottom 30% of dept.727th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.