Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, MD
Michael and Charles Barnett Endowed Chair in
Pediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Metabolic Disease
Director Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Professor, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman Scholl of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Douglas C. Wallace received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Human Genetics from Yale University in 1975 and was awarded an MD by the University of Padua in 2022. He defined the rules of human mtDNA genetics including demonstrating that human mtDNA is maternally inherited. He used mtDNA variation to reconstruct the origin and migrations of women and was the first to identify inherited mtDNA diseases. He was elected to the National Academies of Science (1995) and Medicine (2009) and was awarded the Gruber Genetics Prize (2012), the Benjamin Franklin Life Sciences Medal (2017), and Paul Janssen Biomedical Research Award (2017).2017 – Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences
Keynote Speech
Mitochondria as Chi: Rethinking Bioenergetics and Disease through a Mitochondrial Lens
Speaker: Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, MD together with Wanqing Xie, MD，PhD.
Abstract:
Despite monumental advances in molecular biology and genetics, the persistent rise of common metabolic and degenerative diseases reveals critical gaps in our understanding of health and disease. In this talk, Dr. Douglas Wallace proposes a transformative framework that places mitochondrial function—rather than nuclear genetics—at the center of biology and medicine. Drawing inspiration from the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of chi (life energy), Dr. Wallace reinterprets “chi” as mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity.
Mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses, are not only responsible for energy production but also serve as central regulators of metabolism, apoptosis, and cellular signaling. Because mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited maternally and mutates at a higher rate than nuclear DNA, human populations have evolved diverse bioenergetic strategies tailored to their environments. These variations, while adaptive, also shape individual susceptibility to a wide range of chronic diseases—especially with aging.
Dr. Wallace will highlight how a dual-genome system (nuclear and mitochondrial) governs cellular physiology, and how disruptions in this energetic balance can explain the complex, multisystem nature of age-related illnesses. He will also explore the therapeutic potential of targeting mitochondria, including the rediscovery of traditional herbal medicines as untapped mitochondrial modulators.
By integrating mitochondrial biology with both Western and Eastern paradigms, this lecture offers a new vision of “energy medicine,” providing insight into vitality, aging, and the next generation of disease treatment.