Congratulations to Esther Dupont-Versteegden, Ph.D. who received NIH National Institute on Aging (NIH-NIA) grant funding. Dupont-Versteegden (Principal Investigator) will collaborate with Francisco Andrade, Ph.D. (Co-Investigator, College of Medicine) on the two-year project, entitled “Effect of satellite cell ablation on the aging diaphragm.” This project extends Dupont-Versteegden’s existing line of aging/muscle research by aiming to understand the aging diaphragm – a muscle that is constantly active for such behaviors as breathing, coughing, sneezing, and speaking. Dupont-Versteegden currently has another NIH funded project underway with Tim Butterfield, Ph.D., ATC investigating the effects of massage on muscle during aging.