Modeling Pathological Aging: The Role of Genetic and Induced Risk Factors in Translational Research
Aging is the primary risk factor for most neurodegenerative diseases and presents a critical biological dimension in CNS drug discovery. As discovery programs increasingly seek to capture the complexity of human disease earlier in development, there is growing demand for translational models that reflect the interplay of genetic and metabolic drivers of aging.
Join Dr. Aaron Fantina-Woblistin, R&D Officer for In Vivo Discovery, and Dr. Lone Bruhn Madsen, Chief Scientific Officer, Discovery at Scantox Group, for "Modeling Pathological Aging: The Role of Genetic and Induced Risk Factors in Translational Research" recorded on June 11, 2025. Registrants will receive access to the on-demand recording and slides.
This webinar explores how combining genetic and induced risk factors in in vivo models—such as SAMP8 senescence-accelerated mice and aged wild-type controls—can enhance translational relevance in CNS research. Dr. Bruhn Madsen will also highlight how metabolic dysregulation, a pivotal but often underutilized hallmark of aging, can be modeled to investigate mechanisms of neurodegeneration and support early pharmacological evaluation.
Attendees will gain practical guidance on model selection and application to inform go/no-go decisions, reduce risk, and strengthen the predictive value of discovery-phase CNS programs.
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the rationale for incorporating aging biology into CNS therapeutic discovery.
- Learn how genetic models like SAMP8 compare to naturally aged mice for studying cognitive and motor decline.
- Explore metabolic dysfunction in an aging context.
- Discover practical considerations for integrating these models into discovery and early development pipelines.
Meet The Presenters
Dr. Aaron Fantina-Woblistin is R&D Officer for In Vivo Discovery at Scantox Neuro, where he plays a leading role in the development and application of advanced in vivo models to support translational CNS drug discovery. His work focuses on the establishment and refinement of novel methodologies, the introduction of new research topics, and the creation of in vivo models that enable mechanistic exploration and efficacy testing for emerging therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Fantina-Woblistin brings deep technical expertise to model development, with a particular emphasis on functional and behavioral endpoints in neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disease research. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dalhousie University, along with advanced degrees from Technische Universität Graz and Universität Innsbruck.
In this session, Dr. Fantina-Woblistin will present key scientific advancements from Scantox Neuro’s in vivo research programs and share practical insights on applying these models to guide discovery-stage decision-making in CNS pipelines.
Dr. Lone Bruhn Madsen is Chief Scientific Officer for Discovery at Scantox Group, where she leads the scientific direction of a multidisciplinary team spanning neuropharmacology, in vivo models, and discovery services. She is responsible for advancing Scantox’s Discovery platform—guiding the development of robust, decision-enabling models that accelerate the path from target validation to early efficacy. Her leadership ensures scientific rigor and strategic alignment across discovery programs, supporting pharmaceutical innovators in navigating complex early-stage development with confidence.
Dr. Bruhn Madsen holds a Master’s in Biotechnology Engineering from Aalborg University and a PhD in Medicine from Aarhus University, with research and industry experience in neuroscience, genetics, and preclinical model development.