Remembering Judy Campisi: Fearless scientist and pioneer in cellular senescence

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, CA, mourns the loss of Judy Campisi, who passed away on January 19, 2024, following a prolonged illness. Colleagues and friends from around the world gathered at the Institute for a Celebration of Life for Judy on February 16, where they shared heartfelt testimonials highlighting the profound impact she had on both individuals and the field of science.

Judith Campisi. Image credit: “The Buck Institute.”

Judy Campisi was widely respected as a dedicated scientist, known for her brilliance, courage, and collaborative spirit. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, she pursued her passion for science at the State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook, where she earned both her bachelor’s and PhD in biochemistry.

After completing her postdoctoral research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston with Arthur Pardee, Campisi joined the faculty at Boston University Medical School. It was during this time that she began to explore the relationship between aging and cancer, pioneering the study of cellular senescence and its role in both processes. Her groundbreaking work led to nearly 500 publications, more than 100,000 citations, and widespread recognition in the scientific community.

In 1991, Campisi established her lab at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, further advancing her research on aging and senescence. In 1999, Campisi and her colleagues identified the first marker for senescent cells in living tissue, senescence-associated β-gal, a key discovery in aging research (1). Campisi became a professor at the Buck Institute in 2002, where she pursued her work on aging until her death. In 2008, her laboratory reported a unique property of senescent cells: the SASP or Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (2). The identification of a group of proinflammatory molecules secreted by senescent cells provided mechanistic insight into how senescent cells contribute to the chronic inflammation associated with aging.

The breakthrough idea of the SASPs led to the concept that the elimination of senescent cells could represent a novel therapeutic target against the chronic diseases of aging and she coined the term “senolytics” to describe such agents. To test this hypothesis, Judy cofounded Unity Biotechnology, a pioneering company currently conducting clinical trials using senolytics for a number of medical indications linked to aging.

Another seminal contribution from the Campisi lab was the generation and characterization of the 3MR mouse reported in 2014 (3). Using this mouse model, Campisi and her colleagues showed that senescent cells play an essential role in optimal wound healing. Specific deletion of senescent cells in these mice demonstrated a direct pathogenic role of senescent cells in aging and its associated diseases.

Campisi’s impact extended beyond the laboratory, as she played a pivotal role in establishing the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) at the NIH. She also championed the Bay Area Aging Network and established a renowned T32 training grant for aging in the Bay Area including UCSF, Berkeley, Stanford, and the Buck. Through her leadership and advocacy, she helped secure funding for research aimed at identifying and targeting senescent cells for therapeutic purposes.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Campisi was a dedicated mentor and advocate for young scientists. She would encourage them to think big, push the bounds of creativity, and take risks. “I think the most important part of science is being prepared to be wrong,” she once explained. “You set up a hypothesis. I preach this constantly in my lab. If you prove your hypothesis is wrong, and you’re really good, that’s great, we learned something. Don’t worry and be prepared to see something that you were totally unprepared for. That’s fine. And then you scratch your head a little bit and come up with new ideas.” That quote, along with her photo, now hangs in the Judy Campisi Graduate Student and Postdoc Lounge, recently dedicated to her at the Buck Institute.

Throughout her career, Campisi received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to science, including election to the National Academy of Sciences, one of her proudest accomplishments. As it turned out, the occasion of her election also turned into one of the most fun telephone conversations I’ve ever had. I saw the notice that Judy had been elected to the Academy and called her at 7 am to congratulate her. Judy asked “Congratulations for what?” “For your election to the Academy,” I explained, to which she replied, “What Academy?” She was thrilled but, as I recall, had to hang up quickly to get ready to get to the lab. That reaction was quintessential Judy. She was known for her humility and commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, always putting the science ahead of personal honors or accolades. Her legacy lives on through the continued exploration of her ideas and the impact she had on generations of researchers. Though she will be deeply missed by her colleagues and friends, Judy Campisi’s legacy endures as a beacon of inspiration for future scientists.