Professor Dr. Troy Harkness

Biography

Troy Harkness is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Alberta, where his research centers on understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms that regulate longevity using brewing yeast models. His work has uncovered crucial insights into the complexities of aging, genomic instability, and how nutritional stress impacts longevity through conserved evolutionary processes from yeast to humans. Harkness has identified the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) as a significant factor in chromatin assembly and has explored how the activation of APC can enhance lifespan and stress resistance in yeast models. His recent projects involve the expression of the mutant human Progerin gene in yeast to create a model of premature aging, providing insights that could potentially inform therapeutic strategies for achondroplasia and other age-related conditions. He is also investigating how APC activators may reverse drug resistance in cancer therapies. Harkness is passionate about training the next generation of scientists and is currently accepting students to join his innovative projects.

Research Interests

Experience