Ellen Quillen is an Assistant Professor in Molecular Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She was trained as a statistical and population geneticist receiving her BS from the University of Kansas and PhD from Penn State. She completed her postdoctoral training at Texas Biomedical Research Institute and the Southwest National Primate Center in San Antonio focusing on statistical genomics and gene expression in extended pedigrees of humans and non-human primates. Dr. Quillen’s research applies integrated omic analyses to study the biology of aging with a particular emphasis on the musculoskeletal system.  Ongoing work includes studies of muscle and bone aging in baboons with detailed post-mortem characterizations of bone strength; longitudinal muscle biopsies in older vervets and humans undergoing weight-loss interventions; and an accelerated aging model in rhesus macaques with multiple morbidities. Ultimately, the goal of the Quillen Lab is to understand the molecular and physiological basis of aging as it manifests across tissues and species to identify global and disease-specific mechanisms for prevention and intervention that will enhance the healthspan.