Tobi Oni has been working with the SENSFAI since 2009.  He's being recognized as our "Featured Student" for the month of April because of his dedication to aging research, and success in establishing a student research group at his home university SUNY Plattsburgh.

Tobi is in his third year at  SUNY Plattsburgh currently pursuing a BS in Biology.  His first work with SENSFAI was to create a student group for his university.  In the Fall of 2009 Tobi hosted the Conference on Aging at SUNY Plattsburgh.  

He's currently working with SENSFAI on a research project.  After graduation he plans to pursue an doctoral program and continue his work in biogerontology.

 "I believe that the SENS foundation presents so many opportunities to students, and there are definitely huge potentials that can be achieved if more students are reached and informed about these opportunities. Thanks for featuring me."

How did you become interested in biology and gerontology?

Science generally has always fascinated me, but of course I cannot do all the sciences at the same time. I had a special liking for biology because I could relate to it more than any other sciences. Also, It's extremely tough to not love the life sciences when your family consists of three medical practitioners and a biologist.

What led you to become involved in your current area of study?

The main reason I've gotten involved with biogerontology is that it's such an interesting and growing area of study, and that it has promise for applicable results with adequate scientific research.

What led you to become involved with SENS?

I became interested after I met the Academic Coordinator of SENSFAI. There were a lot of opportunities that could help me learn and foster my development as a young scientist and give me the opportunity to contribute to a growing field of research.  I thought these were definitely opportunities worth taking advantage of.

What motivates you to work with the SENSFAI?

There are many sources of motivation driving me to work with SENSFAI.  I believe one source of motivation would be the name of the organization itself -- it sounds sophisticated (laughs). More seriously, I believe a key factor has always been my personal passion for a holistic understanding of aging. As this could easily be my career path, I want to stay in connection with a driven, well organized, and, most importantly, reputable organization that is directly involved with aging research. In addition, the organization really appreciates the efforts of volunteers that are working hard to achieve their goals through the SENSFAI scholarships. I am a proud recepient of two SENSFAI scholarships, and I must say it has been really enormous for me because it not only boosts my drive to achieve more for this organization, it also encourages many other students to keep up the good work.

What is the most involved project you've worked on for SENSFAI?

The most involved project would be the research project that I am spear heading, Although the human aging conference in SUNY Plattsburgh was really involved, the research project has been more involved in many ways-- organizing and motivating students to be involved with this, refining the project every now and then as more information surface, reading so many journal articles, meeting till late nights, and the process continues.

Could you briefly describe your current research efforts for SENSFAI and how they support the core mission of the SENS Foundation?

My current research efforts is on the characterization of the roles of Nitric Oxide (NO) in apoptosis and apoptotic-like cell death pathways in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a green algae. We hope to be able to determine the levels of NO and mechanism of induction of cell death in this organism. There have been numerous characterized mechanisms of NO's mediation and also, interestingly, inhibition of apoptosis in animal cells, and our results could provide more insight into these emerging mechanisms such that at the long run, we would be able to understand how NO can be utilized therapeutically to enhance the quality of human life.

Do you think you involvement with SENSFAI will influence your future career?  How so?

Absolutely. My involvement with SENSFAI has led me into the path of pursuing an MD/PhD degree and thus perpetuating aging research.