Short Description USC Dean discovering mitochondria‑encoded peptides like MOTS‑c.
Description Endocrinologist Pinchas Cohen identified MOTS‑c, humanin, and SHLPs—short peptides encoded by mitochondrial DNA that modulate metabolism and aging. His group demonstrated that MOTS‑c injections improve insulin sensitivity and physical capacity in aged mice, spurring biotech efforts to translate these peptides. Cohen chairs the Davis School of Gerontology and co‑founded CohBar to commercialize mito‑peptide therapeutics.