Jonathan Wanagat, MD, PhD

Jonathan Wanagat, MD, PhD

Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics

Languages

English

Education

Fellowship

Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2007

Degrees

PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 2002
MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 2002
BS, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 1993

Residencies

Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2003
Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2005

Contact Information

Scientific Interests

Dr. Wanagat's cancer-relevant research focuses on the role of mitochondrial genetics and bioenergetics in aging, frailty, and tissue resilience, with direct implications for cancer risk, treatment tolerance, and survivorship. He investigates how mitochondrial DNA copy number, deletion burden, and transcriptional remodeling influence skeletal muscle function, systemic inflammation, and physiologic reserve, particularly in older adults. Using multi-omics approaches, long-read RNA sequencing, and translational human cohorts, Dr. Wanagat's work seeks to define mechanisms that underlie vulnerability to treatment-related toxicity and functional decline. By integrating molecular biomarkers with clinical phenotyping, he aims to develop strategies that improve resilience, recovery, and healthspan in cancer survivors.

Highlighted Publications

Vandiver AR, Hoang AN, Herbst A, Lee CC, Aiken JM, McKenzie D, Teitell MA, Timp W, Wanagat J. Nanopore sequencing identifies a higher frequency and expanded spectrum of mitochondrial DNA deletion mutations in human aging. Aging Cell. 2023 Jun;22(6):e13842. doi: 10.1111/acel.13842. Epub 2023 May 3. PMID: 37132288; PMCID: PMC10265159.

Vandiver AR, Herbst A, Stothard P, Wanagat J. Chimeric mitochondrial RNA transcripts predict m tochondrial genome deletion mutations in mitochondrial genetic diseases and aging. Genome Res. 2025 Jan 22;35(1):55-65. doi: 10.1101/gr.279072.124. PMID: 39603705; PMCID: PMC11789635.

Vandiver AR, Torres A Jr, Sanden A, Nguyen TL, Gasilla J, Doan MT, Martirosian V, Hoang A, Wanagat J, Teitell MA. Increased mitochondrial mutation heteroplasmy induces aging phenotypes in pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny. Aging Cell. 2025 Mar;24(3):e14402. doi: 10.1111/acel.14402. Epub 2024 Dec 16. PMID: 39680477; PMCID: PMC11896400.

Ahn B, Wanagat J, Cleary C, Ainsworth HC, Kim E, Kim H. Unacylated Ghrelin Counteracts Contractile and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cancer Cachexia. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 May 4:2025.04.29.649515. doi: 10.1101/2025.04.29.649515. PMID: 40376088; PMCID: PMC12080946.

Ahn B, Wei T, Pettit-Mee R, Kim E, Musci RV, Wanagat J, Nguyen HVM, Richardson A, Kim H. Mitochondrial haplotype and sex modulate responses to endurance exercise training. J Physiol. 2025 May 31. doi: 10.1113/JP288330. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40448802.