Guest Editors:
Xiao Dong, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA
Weiqi Zhang, PhD, China National Center for Bioinformation, China
Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 26 November 2025
Call for papers - Genomic perspectives of aging
Meet the Guest Editors
Back to topXiao Dong, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA
Xiao Dong is an Assistant Professor in the Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism and the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His research focuses on developing novel sequencing technologies to analyze somatic mutations and epimutations in normal, noncancerous cells, and applying the technologies to quantitatively interrogate these events during aging. Dr Dong has continuously contributed to the development of experimental and computational methods in single-cell whole-genome sequencing and bisulfite sequencing. In collaboration with others, he has shown that somatic mutation rate is almost 2 orders of magnitudes higher than germline mutation rate in humans and mice; somatic mutations accumulate with age in humans; and mutation burden negatively associates with species-specific lifespan in rodents. Dr Dong’s research has been funded by the US National Institutes of Health since 2019. He has published over 60 scientific papers, 3 software tools, and 2 databases.
Weiqi Zhang, PhD, China National Center for Bioinformation, China
Weiqi Zhang is a Principal Investigator at the China National Center for Bioinformation, specializing in aging clocks and regenerative interventions. She integrates human stem cells, organoids, animal models, and human cohorts to identify biomarkers and targets for aging. She developed the Chinese Aging Score (iCAS) and aging databases like Aging Atlas. Her work focuses on cellular rejuvenation through epigenetic reshaping and natural compounds, and she has shown that metformin can decelerate aging in monkeys. Dr Zhang has published 84 papers in top journals like Nature and Cell, with multiple patents and awards, including the Zhong Nanshan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award. She also serves as a committee member of several important academic societies related to aging research.
About the Collection
This Collection will explore various aspects of aging biology, including the roles of cellular senescence, inflammation, and stress responses, as well as their implications for age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders.
We invite submissions that aim to improve our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to aging and its associated diseases. The scope of this collection is broad and we encourage submissions that explore macromolecular alterations, e.g., genome instability and epigenetic alterations, as well as cellular processes, e.g., inflammation and metabolism. We also welcome studies investigating the roles of these factors in age-related diseases, such as neurodegeneration and cancer.
All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.
Image credit: © evgenyatamanenko / Getty Images / iStock
There are currently no articles in this collection.
Submission Guidelines
Back to topThis Collection welcomes submission of original Research, Method, Short Report, Review, and Database article types. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Genomic perspectives of aging" from the dropdown menu.
All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.