Dr. Christian Faul is a Professor of Medicine and Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A cell biologist with a translational focus, Dr. Faul investigates fibroblast growth factor and klotho signaling in kidney and heart disease, particularly in the context of chronic kidney disease and aging. He has received funding from the NIH, AHA, ADA, and ASN, and collaborates extensively with industry. A dedicated mentor, Dr. Faul has trained award-winning students and postdocs in cardiovascular and renal research. He founded a startup company (Alpha Young LLC) based on his translational research on klotho, with the goal to design and produce a variant of the klotho protein with high stability and bioactivity and to test its beneficial effects in animal models of chronic kidney disease and aging. Alpha Young is currently funded by an SBIR fast-track grant from the NIH and is located in Jupiter/FL.