The SenNet Consortium Working Groups have a wide range of focus, each addressing specific areas of Consortium administration. Each Working Group provides opportunities for members to collaborate with other each other, while allowing them to inform and influence Consortium decisions.

Charter | SOP

The SenNet Steering Committee was established to provide a governance mechanism for the entire SenNet Consortium. Among other things, this body is charged with articulating, implementing, and navigating the policies that will allow for the efficient collection and dissemination of the data that will be generated by the constituent TMCs (Tissue Mapping Centers) and Technology Development and Application Projects (TDAs).

The co-Chairs are Hemali Phatnani and Laura Niedernhofer. Steering Committee meetings began in December 2021 and have been scheduled for the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

The Benchmarking Working Group ensures consortium-wide research integrity through consistent standards of technologies and assays, as well as computational and analysis methods. This WG is developing best practices and metrics to guarantee consistent, unbiased results from the Consortium’s research sites. 

Projects include: 

  • -Creation and distribution of surveys to all TMCs/TDAs on current benchmarking activities. 
  • -Creation of a Consortium-wide guideline paper for best benchmarking practices.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Identified intrinsic, empirical, and consensus-based benchmarking metrics for evaluation of experimental and computational methods. Findings presented at SenNet Spatial Technologies Workshop. 
  • -Assigned point persons for development of benchmarking metrics for comparative methods.

The Benchmarking WG meets on the second Thursday of each month at 4:00-5:00PM EST. The WG Chair is Vilas Menon and the Project Manager is Jesse Helfer. 

The Data Coordination Working Group is responsible for specifying, formatting, and collecting data in a Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) compliant manner. This WG sets data submission, ingestion, processing, and publication standards.

Projects include:

  • -Ingesting existing datasets from SenNet data providers and maintaining regular office hours to assist with data curation. 
  • -Publishing and visualizing full datasets for Consortium and public consumption. 
  • -Conducting data tours of CODCC PIs to meet with data providers and provide assistance

Accomplishments include:

  • -Identified and managed the first round of Consortium data to be submitted and ingested. 
  • -Alongside HuBMAP HIVE, established the use of CEDAR templates for metadata, the standards for data ingestion by entity type, and data ingestion documentation. 
  • -Established a cloud-based platform for data, metadata, and for the directory structures in which to submit data.

The Data Coordination WG meets every Friday at 1:00-1:30PM EST. The WG Chair is Jonathan Silverstein and the Project Manager is Jesse Helfer. 

The Human Reference Atlas Working Group aims to address cross-consortium needs for unified terminology and ontology references for all facets of senescence biology. 

Projects include:

  • -Developing and annotating 3D reference organs in support of spatial and semantic tissue registration, mapping, and exploration.  
  • -Developing consensus master anatomical structures, cell types, and biomarkers tables as a reference for healthy human adults.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Numerous submissions and publications in reputable journals like Nature Reviews Molecular Cell, Nat Methods, Frontiers in Bioinformatics, Communications Biology, Scientific Data, and Nature Aging. 
  • -Presentations on the use of VR in data exploration, ASCT+B tables, and onboarding new Tissue Mapping Centers (TMCs). 
  • -SenNet-branded Atlas User Interfaces developed: Registration User Interface integrated in May 2023 and Exploration User Interface integrated by Dec. 2023. 
  • -Developed training materials and videos focused on tissue data acquisition, single-cell analysis and mapping techniques, and data ingestion. 

The Human Reference Atlas WG meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00AM-12:00PM EST. The WG Chair is Katie Börner and the Project Manager is Nancy Ruschman. 

The Imaging-Mapping Working Group is responsible for establishing protocols on how to preserve tissue for transfer to tissue mapping centers. It sets standards for senescence imaging and develops approaches for spatial registration, allowing for different datasets to be entered into a single system.

Projects include:

  • -Compiling a comprehensive list of imaging platforms, methodologies, and tissues of interest to ongoing senescence studies.  
  • -Organizing talks from speakers within the Consortium, covering topics like imaging technologies and methods for cell and nuclear segmentation. 

Accomplishments include:

  • -Notable publication in Nature Aging called “Spatial mapping of cellular senescence: emerging challenges and opportunities.” This publication comprehensively reviewed SenNet’s spatial imaging methods and their relevance in mapping senescent cells.  
  • -Proposed and was awarded a supplement from the NIH to support the SenNet Consortium benchmarking project. This project’s objective is to compare spatial transcriptomics and proteomics techniques on the same tissue and assess how well the same technique could identify senescent cells in different tissues.

The Imaging-Mapping WG meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 4:00-5:00PM EST. The WG is chaired by Joao Passos and the Project Manager is Jesse Helfer. 

The Junior Investigator Working Group promotes engagement of junior investigators in SenNet and provides opportunities to further their scientific and career development. Junior investigators include students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career researchers and faculty.

Projects include:

  • -Leading scientific and career development workshops at biannual SenNet meetings.   
  • -Organizing a quarterly webinar series to allow for discussion between established panelists and junior investigators. Topics include academic writing, effective communication around senescent science, and connecting with mentors. 
  • -Establishing poster sessions for young scientists to share their findings at biannual SenNet meetings.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Collaborated with yICSA (Young Investigators in the International Cell Senescence Association) to hold a joint social event during the SenNet and ICSA meetings in Fall 2023.  
  • -Worked with Christy Carter at NIA, who presented a guide to funding opportunities for young researchers at the Fall 2023 SenNet conference.

The Junior Investigator WG meets bimonthly. The WG Chair is Lexi Rindone and the Faculty Advisor is Birgit Schilling.

The Omics and Mapping Working Group generates lists of tissues and technologies for each SenNet research site. 

Projects include:

  • -A seminar series focusing on spatial omics platforms, computational omics, and senescence signature detection. 
  • -Providing guidelines for leveraging the latest omics technology to detect novel senescent cell signatures.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Collaborated with Akoya to ensure consistent antibody reagents.  
  • -Coordinated with CODCC and other WGs to benchmark sub-cellular spatial transcriptome and proteome platforms.

The Omics and Mapping WG meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 11:00AM-12:00PM EST. The WG Co-Chairs are Rong Fan and Sheng Li, and the Project Manager is Jesse Helfer.

The Outreach Working Group develops outfacing resources to educate the wider public and scientific community on senescence biology. It also details SenNet’s progress to other NIH Consortiums. 

Projects include: 

  • -Consistent website development to best feature the Consortium’s discoveries, ongoing initiatives, and information on meetings, policies, and publications.  
  • -Using visuals to represent various stages of senescence biology to educate the public and stakeholders in it. 
  • -A regular video interview series featuring scientists from across the Consortium to discuss their latest findings, challenges, and hypotheses for the future of SenNet’s work.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Establishing SenNet helpdesk (help@sennetconsortium.org) to allow for primary contact for Consortium-wide requests for support or information. 
  • -Starting the SenNet Science Talks, a monthly lecture series from members across the Consortium to share their findings and invite discussion and feedback.  
  • -Expanding the SenNet Members Portal, a centralized repository of SenNet-related information and resources.

The Outreach WG meets on the third Thursday of each month at 2:00-3:00PM EST. The WG Chair is Kay Metis and the Project Manager is Joe Bisciotti.

The Policies Working Group develops and promotes policies and guidelines that ensure transparent, fair, collegial, and rigorous scientific conduct toward the goals of the SenNet Consortium.

Policies include:

The Policy WG meets on the third Monday of each month at 3:00-4:00PM EST. The WG Chair is Nicholas Musi. 

The Publications Working Group establishes guidelines on authorship, publication expectations, acknowledgements, peer review, and collaboration with authors both inside and outside of the Consortium.

Projects include:

  • Tracking publications by SenNet authors and citations while simultaneously populating the Consortium’s Google Scholar page.  
  • Building visualizations for co-author citations.   

The Publications WG has not yet started to meet routinely. The WG Co-Chairs are Rong Fan and Paul Robbins. 

The Senescence Biomarkers Working Group curates a list of senescence-associated biomarkers. Topics of discussion include the specificity and sensitivity of individual biomarkers, associated reagents and their compatibility with experimental methods.

Projects include:

  • -Creating an antibody database for senescence research with contributions expected from trainees and Consortium members for the duration of the project. This WG partners with the Organ Mapping Antibody panels to streamline data collection.  
  • -Generating a manuscript on senescence biomarkers and compiling a publicly available biomarkers database  
  • -Hosting regular science talks on using biomarkers for senescent cell identification and characterization.

Accomplishments include:

  • -Developed an interactive visualization of senescence biomarkers which is linked to the biomarkers database, allowing for automatic updates as the database is populated further. 
  • -Contributed significantly to the formation of the Consortium-wide benchmarking project. 
  • -Participation in the recently awarded Biomarker Partnership initiative, which includes components of several other NIH Common Fund consortia.

The Senescence Biomarkers WG meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 2:30-3:30PM EST. The WG Chair is Nicola Neretti and the Project Manager is Jesse Helfer.