UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute

What UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute does

The UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI) is an academic research institute within the University of California, San Francisco that brings together scientists and clinicians from across all UCSF campuses to address the biology of aging and translate discoveries into diagnostics and therapeutics for age-related disease. Its membership spans the Memory and Aging Center, the Hillblom Center for the Biology of Aging, the Division of Geriatrics (which houses the Claude D. Pepper Center), the Institute for Health and Aging, and the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, drawing more than 80 faculty members plus a Nobel Laureate (Elizabeth H. Blackburn). The institute is led by Director Leanne Jones, PhD, and Associate Director Saul Villeda, PhD, and pursues three primary goals: uncovering molecular and cellular underpinnings of aging, developing cutting-edge therapeutic approaches, and establishing best practices for equitable care for older adults.

BARI's 'products' are research programs rather than commercial offerings. They include investigator awards (Collaborative Projects Awards up to $150,000 and Transgenic Mouse Aging Support Awards), the Hillblom/BARI Graduate Student Fellowships (6 per year), postdoctoral fellowships, a Career Development Award in Quantitative Sciences (up to $200,000/year for 2 years, with UC Berkeley co-mentorship), shared resources (an aging mouse colony and three naked mole rat colonies totaling ~45 animals), the UCSF Small Molecule Discovery Center for translational drug discovery, a new Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Aging graduate program, and recurring monthly member meetings plus an annual BARI Symposium. Recent high-impact research outputs include the most comprehensive single-cell atlas of human and mouse aging ovaries published in Science, a Transcriptional Rejuvenation Discovery Platform (TRDP) identifying four transcription factors capable of reverting aged liver transcriptional programs, a CRISPRi screen for tauopathy modifiers in iPSC-derived neurons, an FTL1 protein cognitive decline study, a senolytic (XL888) lung cancer study, and a Klotho/α-synuclein Parkinson's study.

BARI operates as a non-commercial academic entity and does not sell products or services; revenue is not publicly disclosed and there are no pricing tiers. Funding flows from UCSF institutional support, philanthropic donations (including the Bakar name sponsorship), and competitive research grants from sources such as the W. M. Keck Foundation, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, and federal agencies. Distribution of research outputs occurs through peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, conference presentations, open science, and collaborative projects with external institutions including the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Wayne State University, and the San Francisco CZ Biohub.

Name

UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute

Legal name

UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute

Website

https://geroscience.ucsf.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute is an academic research institute within UCSF that unites 80+ scientists and clinicians across campuses to study the biology of aging, develop therapeutics for age-related diseases, and train the next generation of aging researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Aging Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

Keywords

• Aging research
• Geroscience studies
• Biological aging
• Age-related disease research
• Academic research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI) is an academic research institute that brings together scientists and clinicians from all UCSF campuses to address questions related to the Science of Aging. It provides research funding awards, fellowships, shared research resources (aged mouse and naked mole rat colonies), a graduate-level educational emphasis in the biology of aging, monthly member meetings, and an annual symposium to support collaborative geroscience research.

Product overview

The UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI) is a research institute that brings together scientists and clinicians from all UCSF campuses to address questions related to the Science of Aging. BARI is not a single product but rather an ecosystem of interconnected research programs, funding mechanisms, shared resources, and educational offerings. The institute operates through: Investigator Awards and Fellowship Programs (supporting graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and career development in quantitative sciences), core Research Resources (Aging Mouse Colony and Naked Mole Rat Colony), the Small Molecule Discovery Center for drug development, monthly Member Meetings and annual Symposia for collaboration, and a new Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Aging for graduate education. The institute draws from multiple UCSF centers including the Memory and Aging Center, Hillblom Center for the Biology of Aging, Division of Geriatrics, and others to pursue three primary goals: uncovering molecular and cellular underpinnings of aging, developing cutting-edge technologies and therapeutic approaches, and establishing best practices for equitable care for older adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BARI Investigator Awards Funding awards supporting collaborative aging research projects by BARI members, including Collaborative Projects Awards (up to $150,000) and Transgenic Mouse Aging Support Awards.
• Hillblom/BARI Graduate Student Fellowships Joint fellowship program supporting 6 graduate students annually entering their third year or beyond, with mentorship and research funding for aging-related projects.
• BARI Postdoctoral Fellowships One-year awards supporting postdoctoral fellows interested in studying biology of aging, with expectation to present at BARI symposium.
• BARI Career Development Award (Quantitative Sciences) Up to $200,000/year for 2 years supporting biomedical scientists obtaining training in quantitative disciplines and engineering, with co-mentors at UCSF and UC Berkeley.
• Aging Mouse Colony Quarterly supply of aged mice provided to BARI members for pilot studies on aging research, supporting researchers who may not have NIA funding.
• Naked Mole Rat Colony Three colonies totaling 45 naked mole rats maintained as a resource for studying this long-lived mammal's unique aging characteristics.
• Small Molecule Discovery Center UCSF core facility fostering collaborative translational research, bridging academic innovation with practical drug development for undruggable proteins and age-related diseases.
• Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Aging Graduate-level academic program open to UCSF PhD students featuring foundational course 'Mechanisms of the Biology of Aging' with faculty lecturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Genetic enhancement of autophagy in follicle cells nearly doubled egg-laying rates in aged Drosophila, restoring fertility to levels statistically indistinguishable from young controls
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Pankaj Kapahi Lab (Buck Institute for Research on Aging)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026A new collaboration with Pankaj Kapahi's lab at the Buck Institute will support investigation into whether genetic manipulation of Drosophila ovarian somatic cells will influence overall organism healthspan and lifespan.
• Alyson Sujkowski Lab (Wayne State University)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Collaboration with Alyson Sujkowski's lab at Wayne State University will test whether Drosophila ovarian aging can be modified by exercise.
• San Francisco CZ BiohubsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026The Laird team collaborated with the San Francisco CZ Biohub to capture and sequence single-cell transcriptomes of oocytes, which are too large for microfluidics devices.
• Wendell Lim (UCSF Cell Design Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Dr. Wendell Lim, Byers Distinguished Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Director of the UCSF Cell Design Institute, serves as collaborator on Kamber's Keck-funded CAR-X platform project, bringing expertise in synthetic receptor engineering.
• Michael McManus (UCSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Dr. Michael McManus, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UCSF, collaborates on the CAR-X platform bringing functional genomics expertise to the cancer therapy project.
• Holger Willenbring (UCSF Liver Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Dr. Holger Willenbring, Professor of Surgery and Director of the UCSF Liver Center, provides in vivo gene delivery expertise as collaborator on the CAR-X platform for cancer therapy.
• Saul Villeda (BARI Associate Director)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Dr. Saul Villeda, Associate Professor of Anatomy and BARI Associate Director, brings expertise in biology of aging and regeneration to the CAR-X platform collaboration.
• UCSF Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2026The Barber lab worked with the UCSF Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC) to develop a pHLARE pH biosensor screen and identify small molecules that lower lysosome pH as potential FTD therapeutics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Glenn Foundation for Medical Research: Major private funder of aging research, including the Paul F. Glenn Centers for Biology of Aging Research at multiple universities. Functions as a peer ecosystem player and potential funder for BARI investigators.
• AFAR (American Federation for Aging Research): National nonprofit supporting aging research through grants, training, and policy. Operates overlapping funding channels for BARI-affiliated junior investigators and is a peer organization in the aging-research ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine Institute for Aging Research: One of the original NIH-funded Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the biology of aging, with deep expertise in longevity genetics and geroscience—directly comparable to BARI's translational aging mission.
• Buck Institute for Research on Aging: The largest independent U.S. research institute solely focused on aging and age-related disease. BARI is already collaborating with Buck's Pankaj Kapahi lab on Drosophila healthspan work, making this the closest direct peer in mission and scientific focus.
• Mayo Clinic Kogod Center on Aging: Mayo Clinic's flagship aging research center pursuing translational geroscience across cell senescence, metabolism, and age-related disease. Comparable to BARI in mission and clinical-translational orientation.
• Columbia University Center for Aging Research: Columbia hosts a BARI External Advisory Board member and runs competing programs in neurodegeneration, cellular senescence, and reproductive aging—directly comparable academic geroscience hub.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Medical School Department of Cell Biology and HSCI: Harvard Stem Cell Institute and broader Harvard aging biology community compete for the same principal investigators and NIH aging portfolios; serves on BARI's External Advisory Board, signaling bidirectional peer relationship.
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Major basic-science institute with a long-standing geroscience and gene-expression program (Belmonte, Gage labs). A BARI External Advisory Board member, signaling recognized peer status in aging biology.
• Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging: Federally funded network of aging-biology centers that BARI effectively competes with for NIH program project grants, predoctoral training slots, and core resource funding.

Emerging players

• Calico Life Sciences: Alphabet-backed geroscience R&D company pursuing fundamental biology of aging and translating it into therapeutics. Operates at greater scale with private capital but pursues the same biological questions BARI's faculty investigate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UCSFAging
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61579077013173
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bakar-aging-research-institute-bari-university-of-california-san-francisco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute