He has made key contributions to the understanding of how metabolism and dietary factors influence longevity. In 2006, Dr. Baur and colleagues showed that a sirtuin activator, resveratrol, is able to improve insulin sensitivity and extend lifespan in obese mice. Recently, he lead a team that revealed a mechanism accounting for off-target effects of rapamycin, a drug that extends life in mice, but has been plagued by side effects that limit its utility in humans. His laboratory at Penn is currently focused on the use of small molecules to understand and mimic the life-extending effects of caloric restriction in rodents.