Dr. Vera Gorbunova and naked mole-rats
While most aging researchers study mice or human cells, Dr. Vera Gorbunova and her husband Dr. Andrei Seluanov built their careers studying – and mixing – the genes of whales, beavers, and perhaps the strangest animal in biology – the naked mole-rat. The naked mole-rat is a heavily wrinkled rodent that can barely see and lives in dark, underground tunnels. The most spectacular thing about these animals is that they can live for around 40 years and almost never get cancer.
This lifespan for such a small rodent is truly extraordinary. To give you…
