Rate My Professor Coleen Murphy

Murphy's research specializes in the molecular mechanisms governing aging, longevity pathways, cognitive decline, reproductive aging, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Her lab explores insulin/IGF signaling, TGF-β pathways, bacterial RNA sensing for pathogen avoidance, and neuronal epigenetics in memory. Key publications include “Genes that act downstream of DAF-16 to influence the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans” (Nature, 2003), “TGF-β Scleraxis and Insulin Signaling Regulate Reproductive Aging via Oocyte and Germline Quality Maintenance” (Cell, 2010), “PQM-1 Complements DAF-16 as a Key Transcriptional Regulator of DAF-2-Mediated Development and Longevity” (Cell, 2013), “C. elegans interpret bacterial non-coding RNA to learn pathogenic avoidance” (Nature, 2020), and her book How We Age: The Science of Longevity (Princeton University Press, 2023). Murphy has garnered major awards such as the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2015, 2021), NIH New Innovator Award (2008), Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences (2006), Sloan Research Fellowship (2006), American Society for Cell Biology Women in Cell Biology Early Career Award (2008) and Mid-Career Award (2019), HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholar (2016), and election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2024). She chairs the Scientific Advisory Board of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and delivers invited lectures including the Nansen Neuroscience Lecture (2018).