May 1, 2025
New Study Confirms Oxytosis/Ferroptosis Signatures in Human Alzheimer's Brain
A new paper from the Maher Lab published in BMC Biology reports transcriptomic evidence of oxytosis/ferroptosis activati…
Cellular Neurobiology · Salk Institute
Maher
Laboratory
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Uncovering the molecular basis of brain aging to develop treatments for Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration
30+Years Active
2Clinical Trials
100+Publications
4Drug Candidates
Science
Our Research
Interconnected programs targeting the molecular roots of neurodegeneration and brain aging.
Oxytosis / Ferroptosis
Studying the cell death pathway first described by this lab and its role in aging and neurodegeneration.
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Alzheimer's Disease Drug Discovery
Developing small molecule drug candidates from natural products for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Geroneuroprotectors and Brain Aging
Identifying compounds that slow biological aging in the brain and other organs.
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Natural Products as Drug Scaffolds
Mining plants and natural product libraries for neuroprotective compounds.
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Selected Publications
2026
Sustained dysregulation of iron and glutathione homeostasis induces chronoferroptosis, a persistent ferroptotic adaptation in neuronal cells
Dar N.J., Soriano-Castell D., Maher P.
Cell Death Discovery
Oxytosis / Ferroptosis
2026
Acid ceramidase modulates the lipid profile and exacerbates sensitivity to ferroptosis in WI-38 replicative senescent cells
Soriano-Castell D., Goujon M., Dar N.J., …, Maher P.
Cell Death & Disease
Aging & GeroneuroprotectionOxytosis / Ferroptosis
2025
Transcriptomic signatures of oxytosis/ferroptosis are enriched in Alzheimer's disease
Currais A., Sanchez K., Soriano-Castell D., …, Maher P.
BMC Biology, 23, 132
Drug DiscoveryOxytosis / Ferroptosis
2025
Cannabinol (CBN) alleviates age-related cognitive decline by improving synaptic and mitochondrial health
Dar N.J., Currais A., Taguchi T., …, Maher P.
Redox Biology, 84, 103692
Drug DiscoveryNatural Products
2022
Cannabinol inhibits oxytosis/ferroptosis by directly targeting mitochondria independently of cannabinoid receptors
Liang Z., Soriano-Castell D., Kepchia D., …, Maher P.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine
Drug DiscoveryNatural ProductsOxytosis / Ferroptosis
2020
Using the Oxytosis/Ferroptosis Pathway to Understand and Treat Age-Associated Neurodegenerative Diseases
Maher P., Currais A., Schubert D.
Cell Chemical Biology
Aging & GeroneuroprotectionOxytosis / Ferroptosis
2018
The mitochondrial ATP synthase is a shared drug target for aging and dementia
Goldberg J., Currais A., Prior M., …, Maher P.
Aging Cell, 17
Aging & Geroneuroprotection
People
The Team
Principal Investigator
Pamela Maher, PhD
Research Professor
Dr. Pamela Maher is a Research Professor in the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Her laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that connect aging to neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease.
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Education
- ◆BSc, Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- ◆PhD, Biochemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- ◆Postdoctoral Fellow, Cell Biology, University of California, San Diego
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Selected Honors
- ◆Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation Award in Alzheimer's Disease Drug Discovery(2015)
- ◆Michael J. Fox Foundation Award for Novel Approaches to Drug Discovery for Parkinson's Disease(2007)
- ◆NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship(1982)
- ◆Anna Fuller Postdoctoral Fellowship(1980)
Lab Updates
News
May 1, 2025
Cannabinol Shown to Improve Cognitive Function in Aging Mouse Model
A study from the Maher Lab published in Redox Biology demonstrates that cannabinol (CBN) significantly improves spatial …
September 1, 2024
CMS121 Advances in Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease
CMS121, a drug candidate developed in the Maher Laboratory as a derivative of the flavonol fisetin, continues to advance…
Support
Funding & Support
The Maher Laboratory is grateful for support from the following organizations.
Careers
Open Positions
There are no open positions in the lab at this time.
If you hold your own funding and are interested in contributing to our research on oxytosis, ferroptosis, and Alzheimer's disease drug discovery, we would still like to hear from you. Please write directly to Dr. Pamela Maher with a short note about your background and research interests.
Email pmaher@salk.edu →