Kelly Rich

Kelly received her master’s degree and board certification in Genetic Counseling from The Ohio State University, where she studied the genetic and clinical spectrum of inherited mutations in titinopathies. Immediately thereafter she pursued a PhD in Neuroscience also from The Ohio State University, where she studied molecular mechanisms of motor neuron diseases and developed viral-mediated gene therapies for them. Kelly then became interested in studying aging as a modifiable biomarker and therapeutic target, and received a 6-year training grant from the National Institute on Aging to support a transition to studying aging.

She brought that grant to the Sinclair lab, where today Kelly’s work spans the context of both disease and chronological age. Her projects include translating small molecules for modification of the aging process in living systems as well as manipulating existing reprogramming factors to create novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Ultimately her work asks how epigenetic reprogramming shapes vulnerability and resilience. She has trained high school, undergraduate students, graduate students, and technicians during her time in the Sinclair Lab.