Dena Dubal
@denadubal.bsky.social
Neuroscientist, Neurologist, and Aging Researcher at UCSF
Pinned
Dena Dubal
@denadubal.bsky.social
· Mar 6
Aging activates escape of the silent X chromosome in the female mouse hippocampus
Aging activates the silent X chromosome, increasing escape expression, and potentially cognitive resilience, in the female mouse.
www.science.org
"We could all use a little more X!" Thrilled our new study is out. Aging "wakes up" the silent X chromosome in the female brain - and this contributes cognitive resilience. Spearheaded by @margaretgadek.bsky.social in Science Advances. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Five years ago Sam Dubal ascended - into the arms of the Mother Mountain. So blessed to have been the sister of this surgeon-anthropologist with a gentle heart and fierce mind. He was shifting paradigms toward a better world - with that unassuming smile.
October 13, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Five years ago Sam Dubal ascended - into the arms of the Mother Mountain. So blessed to have been the sister of this surgeon-anthropologist with a gentle heart and fierce mind. He was shifting paradigms toward a better world - with that unassuming smile.
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Today, I had an amazing, unexpected surprise. My big sister came to UC Irvine and sat in on my lecture! It was an amazing, memorable moment. I’ll never forget it. 😭❤️ love you @denadubal.bsky.social
September 16, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Today, I had an amazing, unexpected surprise. My big sister came to UC Irvine and sat in on my lecture! It was an amazing, memorable moment. I’ll never forget it. 😭❤️ love you @denadubal.bsky.social
Reposted by Dena Dubal
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted AFAR grantees @denadubal.bsky.social, @jennifergarrison.bsky.social and @jamienjustice.bsky.social in a feature on pioneering women advancing aging research.
Read the full article here: www.wsj.com/health/welln...
Read the full article here: www.wsj.com/health/welln...
August 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted AFAR grantees @denadubal.bsky.social, @jennifergarrison.bsky.social and @jamienjustice.bsky.social in a feature on pioneering women advancing aging research.
Read the full article here: www.wsj.com/health/welln...
Read the full article here: www.wsj.com/health/welln...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
📣 We are thrilled to announce @denadubal.bsky.social is joining our Executive Committee! Dr. Dubal's research investigates the molecular mechanisms of #aging, #resilience, and #neurodegenerative_disease. #SciSky #GeroSky
June 13, 2025 at 10:24 PM
📣 We are thrilled to announce @denadubal.bsky.social is joining our Executive Committee! Dr. Dubal's research investigates the molecular mechanisms of #aging, #resilience, and #neurodegenerative_disease. #SciSky #GeroSky
We celebrated with chocolate, stories and tacos! Congrats Samira @jusabdulsam.bsky.social on starting the next chapter of your scientific journey as you set up your own lab at @templeuniversity.bsky.social @ucsfhealth.bsky.social @simonsfoundation.org
May 25, 2025 at 3:30 PM
We celebrated with chocolate, stories and tacos! Congrats Samira @jusabdulsam.bsky.social on starting the next chapter of your scientific journey as you set up your own lab at @templeuniversity.bsky.social @ucsfhealth.bsky.social @simonsfoundation.org
With gratitude for the Pignolo Prize in Aging Research from UPENN @upenn.bsky.social . Thanks David Wok, Edward Lee, John Pignolo, Virginia Lee - and others. Wonderful occasion!
April 23, 2025 at 9:31 PM
With gratitude for the Pignolo Prize in Aging Research from UPENN @upenn.bsky.social . Thanks David Wok, Edward Lee, John Pignolo, Virginia Lee - and others. Wonderful occasion!
"We have far to go and more to do" - thanks Katherine Bourzac @bourzac.bsky.social at @nature.com for including me in this thoughtful piece and highlighting our work on the X chromosome. Why women experience #Alzheimer’s disease differently from men www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Why women experience Alzheimer’s disease differently from men
Sex and gender research could lead to better, more equitable treatments — if it is allowed to continue without political interference.
www.nature.com
April 17, 2025 at 4:18 AM
"We have far to go and more to do" - thanks Katherine Bourzac @bourzac.bsky.social at @nature.com for including me in this thoughtful piece and highlighting our work on the X chromosome. Why women experience #Alzheimer’s disease differently from men www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Congratulations @margaretgadek.bsky.social on a wildly successful PhD! On to the MD!
April 12, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Congratulations @margaretgadek.bsky.social on a wildly successful PhD! On to the MD!
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Could a reawakening of the silenced X chromosome in females help slow aging-induced cognitive decline? Check out the work by @denadubal.bsky.social along with colleagues Kaitlin Casaletto, Bérénice Benayoun, and Vijay Ramani in Science Advances: bit.ly/3FlN3hj #GeroSky #SciSky
Aging activates escape of the silent X chromosome in the female mouse hippocampus
Aging activates the silent X chromosome, increasing escape expression, and potentially cognitive resilience, in the female mouse.
www.science.org
March 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Could a reawakening of the silenced X chromosome in females help slow aging-induced cognitive decline? Check out the work by @denadubal.bsky.social along with colleagues Kaitlin Casaletto, Bérénice Benayoun, and Vijay Ramani in Science Advances: bit.ly/3FlN3hj #GeroSky #SciSky
"A little boost went a long way". Increasing an X factor from the silent X improved cognition in aging male and female mice. Privileged to have our discovery reported in @nytimes.com, alongside findings from Kaitlin Casaletto and Rachel Buckley @bucklr01.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/h...
Aging Women’s Brain Mysteries Are Tested in Trio of Studies (Gift Article)
Researchers identified a gene that seems to help slow brain aging in women, and studied links between hormone therapy, menopause and Alzheimer’s.
www.nytimes.com
March 7, 2025 at 1:30 AM
"A little boost went a long way". Increasing an X factor from the silent X improved cognition in aging male and female mice. Privileged to have our discovery reported in @nytimes.com, alongside findings from Kaitlin Casaletto and Rachel Buckley @bucklr01.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/h...
Thanks Katherine Bourzac @bourzac.bsky.social for this terrific article in @nature.com on our discovery that the "silent X awakens"!
“It’s a paradigm shift to know that the silent X doesn’t stay asleep,” says Dena Dubal, a neuroscientist and neurologist at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, who led the study.
https://go.nature.com/4ksThvP
https://go.nature.com/4ksThvP
Why women’s brains are more resilient: it could be their ‘silent’ X chromosome
Study in mice and human cadavers hints that a brain-protective gene in the chromosome becomes more active with age.
go.nature.com
March 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Thanks Katherine Bourzac @bourzac.bsky.social for this terrific article in @nature.com on our discovery that the "silent X awakens"!
"We could all use a little more X!" Thrilled our new study is out. Aging "wakes up" the silent X chromosome in the female brain - and this contributes cognitive resilience. Spearheaded by @margaretgadek.bsky.social in Science Advances. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Aging activates escape of the silent X chromosome in the female mouse hippocampus
Aging activates the silent X chromosome, increasing escape expression, and potentially cognitive resilience, in the female mouse.
www.science.org
March 6, 2025 at 5:24 AM
"We could all use a little more X!" Thrilled our new study is out. Aging "wakes up" the silent X chromosome in the female brain - and this contributes cognitive resilience. Spearheaded by @margaretgadek.bsky.social in Science Advances. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Thanks to @denadubal.bsky.social and @bucklr01.bsky.social for talking to me for this story about the fascinating X chromosome!
“It’s a paradigm shift to know that the silent X doesn’t stay asleep,” says Dena Dubal, a neuroscientist and neurologist at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, who led the study.
https://go.nature.com/4ksThvP
https://go.nature.com/4ksThvP
Why women’s brains are more resilient: it could be their ‘silent’ X chromosome
Study in mice and human cadavers hints that a brain-protective gene in the chromosome becomes more active with age.
go.nature.com
March 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Thanks to @denadubal.bsky.social and @bucklr01.bsky.social for talking to me for this story about the fascinating X chromosome!
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Our new Science Advances paper reveals activation of the silent X chromosome as a mechanism of female resilience in cognitive aging www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Many thanks to
@denadubal.bsky.social
for your mentorship on this project!!
Many thanks to
@denadubal.bsky.social
for your mentorship on this project!!
Aging activates escape of the silent X chromosome in the female mouse hippocampus
Aging activates the silent X chromosome, increasing escape expression, and potentially cognitive resilience, in the female mouse.
www.science.org
March 5, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Our new Science Advances paper reveals activation of the silent X chromosome as a mechanism of female resilience in cognitive aging www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Many thanks to
@denadubal.bsky.social
for your mentorship on this project!!
Many thanks to
@denadubal.bsky.social
for your mentorship on this project!!
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Excited to share our new review article in @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social together with the labs of @denadubal.bsky.social, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and #YousinSuh, spearheaded by trainees Victor Ansere, Seung-Soo Kim, Francesca Marino and Katherine Morillo! 🧪🧬🖥️
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
March 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Excited to share our new review article in @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social together with the labs of @denadubal.bsky.social, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and #YousinSuh, spearheaded by trainees Victor Ansere, Seung-Soo Kim, Francesca Marino and Katherine Morillo! 🧪🧬🖥️
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
More coverage of @denadubal.bsky.social Kaitlin Casaletto, @bucklr01.bsky.social et al: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/h...
Aging Women’s Brain Mysteries Are Tested in Trio of Studies
Researchers identified a gene that seems to help slow brain aging in women, and studied links between hormone therapy, menopause and Alzheimer’s.
www.nytimes.com
March 6, 2025 at 1:54 AM
More coverage of @denadubal.bsky.social Kaitlin Casaletto, @bucklr01.bsky.social et al: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/h...
Wonderful talking with Mohana Ravindranath @ravindranize.bsky.social for her compelling article – Why do Women Live Longer than Men? Input from @bbparis1984.bsky.social and others @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/w...
www.nytimes.com
February 26, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Wonderful talking with Mohana Ravindranath @ravindranize.bsky.social for her compelling article – Why do Women Live Longer than Men? Input from @bbparis1984.bsky.social and others @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/w...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Why do women’s brains age better than men’s? A new Simons Foundation–funded @nature.com study from @denadubal.bsky.social identifies a key player: the X chromosome. Read more: www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/02/05/n... #science #neuroscience
New Research Identifies a Key Player in How Your Brain Ages: The X Chromosome
New Research Identifies a Key Player in How Your Brain Ages: The X Chromosome on Simons Foundation
www.simonsfoundation.org
February 6, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Why do women’s brains age better than men’s? A new Simons Foundation–funded @nature.com study from @denadubal.bsky.social identifies a key player: the X chromosome. Read more: www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/02/05/n... #science #neuroscience
Reposted by Dena Dubal
New research by AFAR Grantee @denadubal.bsky.social of @ucsfhealth.bsky.social recently published in @nature.com on the maternal X chromosome and cognition and brain aging in female mice.
The maternal X chromosome impairs cognition and speeds up brain aging. Check out our latest @nature.com @ucsfhealth.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice - Nature
The maternal X chromosome in female mice impairs cognition through the silencing of certain genes and accelerates ageing of the hippocampus.
www.nature.com
January 29, 2025 at 4:15 PM
New research by AFAR Grantee @denadubal.bsky.social of @ucsfhealth.bsky.social recently published in @nature.com on the maternal X chromosome and cognition and brain aging in female mice.
Reposted by Dena Dubal
👏 Don't miss Samira Abdulai-Saiku's manuscript published in @nature.com! Great work coming from @denadubal.bsky.social's lab, furthering our understanding of the relationship between the X chromosome and brain aging. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice - Nature
The maternal X chromosome in female mice impairs cognition through the silencing of certain genes and accelerates ageing of the hippocampus.
www.nature.com
February 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
👏 Don't miss Samira Abdulai-Saiku's manuscript published in @nature.com! Great work coming from @denadubal.bsky.social's lab, furthering our understanding of the relationship between the X chromosome and brain aging. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Older female mice show poor spatial memory when their paternal X chromosome is inactive and only the maternal copy is active @nature.com @denadubal.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Older female mice show poor spatial memory when their paternal X chromosome is inactive and only the maternal copy is active @nature.com @denadubal.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Beautiful study from @denadubal.bsky.social and #SamiraAbdulaiSaiku showing that the parent-of-origin of the active X in mice play a huge role in #brain aging!!!!
Congrats on this transformative work!
Congrats on this transformative work!
The maternal X chromosome impairs cognition and speeds up brain aging. Check out our latest @nature.com @ucsfhealth.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice - Nature
The maternal X chromosome in female mice impairs cognition through the silencing of certain genes and accelerates ageing of the hippocampus.
www.nature.com
January 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Beautiful study from @denadubal.bsky.social and #SamiraAbdulaiSaiku showing that the parent-of-origin of the active X in mice play a huge role in #brain aging!!!!
Congrats on this transformative work!
Congrats on this transformative work!
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Is brain aging mom's fault? When brain cells rely only on X chromosomes inherited from mom, they age more quickly, UCSF researchers led by @denadubal.bsky.social reported in @nature.com. Reversing the effect could help treat brain diseases or memory loss. www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/01...
Could Brain Aging Be Mom’s Fault?
Researchers found that female mice using only maternal X chromosomes showed faster cognitive decline, which could help explain the variation in brain aging between the sexes
www.ucsf.edu
January 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Is brain aging mom's fault? When brain cells rely only on X chromosomes inherited from mom, they age more quickly, UCSF researchers led by @denadubal.bsky.social reported in @nature.com. Reversing the effect could help treat brain diseases or memory loss. www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/01...
The maternal X chromosome impairs cognition and speeds up brain aging. Check out our latest @nature.com @ucsfhealth.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
The maternal X chromosome affects cognition and brain ageing in female mice - Nature
The maternal X chromosome in female mice impairs cognition through the silencing of certain genes and accelerates ageing of the hippocampus.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The maternal X chromosome impairs cognition and speeds up brain aging. Check out our latest @nature.com @ucsfhealth.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Dena Dubal
Biological sex is a key modifier of #aging phenotypes, including #Brain 🧠 aging.
See this piece out today in #Neuron, spearheaded by @denadubal.bsky.social, co-authored by #YousinSuh, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and myself on the topic:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#GeroSky #SexDifferences
See this piece out today in #Neuron, spearheaded by @denadubal.bsky.social, co-authored by #YousinSuh, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and myself on the topic:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#GeroSky #SexDifferences
January 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Biological sex is a key modifier of #aging phenotypes, including #Brain 🧠 aging.
See this piece out today in #Neuron, spearheaded by @denadubal.bsky.social, co-authored by #YousinSuh, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and myself on the topic:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#GeroSky #SexDifferences
See this piece out today in #Neuron, spearheaded by @denadubal.bsky.social, co-authored by #YousinSuh, @ctmurphy1.bsky.social and myself on the topic:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#GeroSky #SexDifferences