Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, United States
Dr. Bumsoo Ahn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he holds multiple interdisciplinary appointments, including at the J. Paul Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Graduate School Faculty. With a dynamic career that spans rigorous academic training, collaborative research, and translational geroscience, Dr. Ahn has become a recognized contributor in aging research, skeletal muscle physiology, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. His work is marked by a focus on improving physical and cognitive resilience in aging populations, particularly those affected by chronic diseases such as cancer and sarcopenia. His unique blend of exercise physiology, cellular biology, and translational science makes him an outstanding nominee for awards in aging and biomedical research.
Profile
Orcid
Education
Dr. Ahn received his B.S. in Physical Education from Yonsei University in South Korea in 2004. He continued his graduate studies in the United States, earning an M.A. in Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011. He completed his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology in 2015 at the University of Florida under the guidance of Dr. Leonardo Ferreira, followed by postdoctoral fellowships under Dr. Scott Powers and Dr. Holly Van Remmen, where he developed deep expertise in mitochondrial function and aging-related muscular degeneration. These formative academic experiences laid the groundwork for his later translational research in human resilience and mitochondrial biology.
Experience
Dr. Ahn’s professional experience includes a tenure as Research Assistant Professor at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation from 2019 to 2021, where he contributed to the Aging & Metabolism Research Program. Since joining Wake Forest in 2022 as a tenure-track faculty member, he has established himself as a leader in geroscience, directing studies that span mechanistic cellular investigation to clinical resilience modeling in cancer and aging. He plays an active role in multiple institutional advisory committees and serves as co-organizer of the Sticht Center on Aging Biology Conference. His cross-functional engagement reflects his commitment to collaborative and impactful science.
Research Interests
Dr. Ahn’s research interests are primarily centered on aging biology, skeletal muscle function, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and resilience in the context of chronic disease and cancer. He has been especially interested in the role of unacylated ghrelin as a therapeutic strategy to combat muscle weakness and cachexia, a line of inquiry that has attracted major NIH and private funding. His research portfolio demonstrates a deep commitment to understanding how mitochondrial function influences aging and physical performance, with a long-term goal of identifying strategies to delay or reverse age-related decline.
Awards
Throughout his career, Dr. Ahn has received numerous prestigious awards. In 2024 alone, he earned the Rising Star Award at the NIA Stress Tests and Biomarkers of Resilience Conference and a Poster of Distinction at the Translational and LHS Scholar Showcase at Wake Forest. His earlier accolades include the William G. Thurman Award for Outstanding Research Assistant (2020), multiple travel awards from academic societies, and competitive pre-doctoral fellowships. These honors speak to his consistent scientific contributions and emerging leadership in the aging and metabolism research community.
Publications
Dr. Ahn has authored impactful peer-reviewed publications in high-quality journals. A recent 2025 paper in The Journal of Physiology, titled “Mitochondrial haplotype and sex modulate responses to endurance exercise training,” explores genetic and gender-specific responses to physical interventions. His 2024 Free Radical Biology and Medicine article, co-authored with Nguyen et al., examined mouse models for oxidative stress in aging. In Aging Cell (2024), he led a study showing unacylated ghrelin’s protective effects against muscle mass loss. A 2023 publication in Annals of Surgery highlighted his contributions to mitochondrial transplantation in kidney injury, reflecting the translational span of his expertise. These articles, collectively cited in dozens of subsequent studies, reinforce his role as a key voice in bioenergetics and geroscience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Dr. Bumsoo Ahn exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated and forward-thinking biomedical scientist. His strong foundation in exercise physiology, coupled with his advanced expertise in mitochondrial biology, positions him as a critical contributor to the field of aging research. His multidisciplinary approach, active leadership in collaborative projects, and recognition through national and institutional awards underscore his rising influence. Dr. Ahn continues to advance the science of resilience and aging through innovative research, mentorship, and service to the academic community.