Beyond Longevity

What if a vaccine could help the immune system clear senescent “zombie” cells — damaged cells linked to ageing, chronic inflammation and age-related disease?In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna Stern sits down with David Scieszka, PhD, MBA, a biomedical scientist, computational biologist, and Founder and CEO of Vertical Longevity Pharmaceuticals (VeLo Pharma). His route into longevity has been anything but conventional, spanning service in the US Army, wet-lab science, computational biology and, eventually, biotech entrepreneurship.VeLo Pharma is developing a senolytic vaccine designed to help the immune system recognise and remove senescent cells. Often described as “zombie cells”, these are damaged cells that have stopped dividing but remain active. As they accumulate with age, they can contribute to chronic inflammation, tissue dysfunction and age-related disease.The company’s first focus is atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up inside the arteries. The aim is to target senescent cells within the vasculature — the network of blood vessels that carries blood around the body — as a potential new way of tackling vascular ageing and cardiovascular disease.But this conversation goes far beyond one experimental vaccine.David and Daphna explore one of the biggest problems in longevity science: why so many promising discoveries look exciting in the lab, yet so few make the difficult journey into treatments that patients can actually use.They discuss where artificial intelligence can genuinely help drug development — and where the hype may run ahead of the science — what animal and primate studies can and cannot tell us, and what evidence would be needed before an approach like this could move towards human trials.David also talks candidly about the business of building a biotech company: learning how to approach investors, getting the fundraising ask wrong, understanding what investors actually need to see, and building a company around a mission that goes beyond simply creating another expensive longevity treatment.Running through the conversation is an even bigger question: if we do find effective ways to slow parts of the ageing process, who gets access to them first? Will longevity medicine remain something available primarily to those who can afford it — or can longevity eventually become something for everyone?GuestDavid Scieszka, PhD, MBABiomedical scientist, computational biologist, and Founder and CEOVertical Longevity Pharmaceuticals (Velo Pharma)Vertical Longevity PharmaceuticalsLinkedIn - Vertical Longevity PharmaceuticalsReach out to David on LinkedIn to find out about the upcoming “Ask VeLo Pharma Anything”00:00 Welcome and Big Question00:25 Meet David Cheska02:53 Army Roots of Longevity04:38 Choosing Biotech Path05:49 Wet Lab Meets Computation08:48 AI Promise and Limits13:19 Longevity for All Mission16:54 Vascular Ageing Explained19:29 Senescent Cells 10122:31 Lytic Vaccine Overview24:11 Dosing and Study Strategy26:12 How VLP Vaccines Work29:02 Safety and Public Trust29:58 Vaccine Safety Basics31:14 Senescent Cells Strategy32:42 Evidence So Far35:35 Primate Trial Goals36:40 Why Translation Fails39:55 Personalised Longevity Care42:41 PhD MBA Path44:51 Fundraising Lessons49:35 Mission-Driven Team51:32 Longevity Next Decade53:16 Rapid Fire Wrap55:17 Final Takeaways

At 39, Leslie Kenny was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and says she was told she had around five years to live. More than two decades later, she is in long-term remission and has turned that experience into a mission: helping patients become better informed, more involved and more confident in decisions about their own health.In this episode, Leslie Kenny, founder of Oxford Healthspan and co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project, joins Daphna Stern to tell the story of how she challenged her original prognosis, found intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) through her own research, changed her diet and ultimately reached remission.But her story also raises a much bigger question: where should patient empowerment end and medical expertise begin?The conversation then turns to spermidine, a naturally occurring compound found in the body and in foods that has attracted growing interest for its relationship with autophagy — the cellular recycling process that helps remove and reuse damaged cellular material. Leslie explains why she became convinced of its potential and why she believes natural compounds such as spermidine struggle to attract the research funding available to patentable drugs.Daphna also pushes on the evidence. How much do we actually know about spermidine in humans? What can observational studies tell us — and what can they not? How does the evidence compare with interventions such as rapamycin? And when does an intriguing longevity molecule become something we can genuinely recommend?The conversation expands beyond supplements into a broader discussion about personal responsibility for health, the exposome, the future of preventative medicine and what healthcare could look like if it focused not simply on extending life, but on helping people live well for longer — right through to the end.Guest BioLeslie Kenny is the founder of Oxford Healthspan and co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus at 39 and given a five-year prognosis, Kenny used patient research, dietary overhaul, and an experimental immunoglobulin therapy to reverse her condition into long-term remission. She trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and now serves as Global Executive Ambassador for the Japan Autophagy Consortium. Through Oxford Healthspan, she develops food-derived spermidine and nettle-based nutraceuticals, and through the Oxford Longevity Project, she works alongside scientists including Sir Muir Gray, Sir Christopher Ball, Dr Paul Chen, and Emeritus Professor Dennis Noble to advance patient-centred ageing research.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-kenny-oxford/Timestamps* 00:00 — Introduction to Leslie Kenny and her story* 02:10 — IVF, autoimmune disease and the diagnosis that changed everything* 04:30 — Questioning the original diagnosis and discovering a thyroid problem* 08:15 — How patient research led Leslie to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)* 13:00 — Diet, elimination protocols and visualisation* 17:40 — Reaching remission and turning personal experience into advocacy* 21:50 — How to challenge your doctor without rejecting conventional medicine* 25:30 — What spermidine is and why Leslie became interested in it* 29:15 — Spermidine, the hallmarks of ageing and the comparison with rapamycin* 34:00 — Why natural compounds can struggle for funding, patents and attention* 38:20 — What the human evidence for spermidine actually tells us* 43:10 — The funding problem in independent longevity research* 45:30 — Oxford Healthspan and the Oxford Longevity Project* 48:00 — How much control do we really have over our health and ageing?* 52:00 — Rethinking hospitals, later life and what a good death looks like* 56:30 — Rapid-fire questions* 59:00 — Closing reflectionsReferences & Further ReadingKenny, L. — founder, Oxford HealthspanOxford Longevity Project (co-founded with Sir Muir Gray, Sir Christopher Ball, Dr. Paul Chen, Prof. Dennis Noble)Sears, B. — The Anti-Aging ZoneFranceschi, C. — originator of the "inflammaging" conceptPartridge, L., Madeo, F., Kennedy, B. — research on spermidine and the hallmarks of ageingEisenberg, T., et al. — Grazer study on spermidine and human cell telomeres (2021)

In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Dr Peter Scriven, Co-Founder and Clinical & Scientific Director of LONGEVITY, about what longevity medicine should actually look like: moving from reactive, disease-led healthcare towards preventative, personalised medicine that tracks biomarkers, cardiovascular risk and health trajectory over time.Dr Peter describes much of conventional healthcare as ‘failure-based medicine’ — a system designed to respond once something has gone wrong. He questions the reliance on population-based ‘normal’ laboratory ranges, which can obscure meaningful changes within an individual, and makes the case for longitudinal ‘human telemetry’: following biomarkers and other health data over time rather than relying on isolated snapshots.They discuss what responsible longevity testing should look like, including a core panel of around 50–80 blood biomarkers, more targeted diagnostics according to age, sex, symptoms and individual goals, and the importance of having a clear clinical reason for every test. Dr Peter also explains why more testing is not necessarily better, and why interpretation, clinical oversight and sensible testing intervals matter.The conversation examines the realities of longevity medicine and preventative health screening, from several hundred pounds for more focused assessments to several thousand when extensive diagnostics and medical imaging are included, and where he believes people should prioritise their spending.Dr Peter explains how his father’s missed cardiovascular risk and inadequate lipid testing helped shape his approach to preventative medicine. He also discusses the largely unregulated ‘Wild West’ of longevity, including peptides and other interventions promoted ahead of strong clinical evidence, and the checks patients can make when assessing a longevity clinic or practitioner.And beneath the diagnostics, biological-age testing and emerging technologies, he returns to the foundations of healthspan: movement, nutrition, sleep and purpose.For those working with a limited budget, he identifies three areas he believes are worth considering first: a proper cardiovascular risk assessment, omega-3 to omega-6 balance, and GlycanAge testing.https://longevityclinics.life/https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpscriven/00:00 Why Prevention Matters03:12 Failure-Based Medicine04:34 Human Telemetry Monitoring06:28 Testing Without Overtesting09:53 Core vs Targeted Panels13:13 Cost and ROI of Diagnostics17:54 Healthspan Intervention Pyramid20:53 Normal Ranges vs Trajectories24:36 Missed Risks Real Stories28:46 Breaking Medical Silos33:49 Renaissance Medic Mindset36:05 Training Beyond Silos36:49 Regulating Longevity Medicine37:43 Patients or Permanent Clients41:01 Too Much Testing Ethics44:08 Peptides and Amateur Hype45:42 How to Vet a Clinic49:01 Budget Biomarkers That Matter52:13 Foundations and Wearables55:19 Future of Cellular Medicine58:30 Long-Term Clinic Journey01:00:00 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

On Beyond Longevity, host Daphna speaks with Dr Sundeep Dugar, PhD, co-founder of BlueOakNx and the scientists behind the blockbuster cholesterol medicines Zetia (ezetimibe) and Vytorin. He explains how Zetia transformed cholesterol treatment by blocking cholesterol absorption in the intestine, and reflects on what it really takes to discover a breakthrough medicine: collaboration, perseverance, intellectual honesty, and the willingness to follow the data despite constant uncertainty.Dr Sundeep discusses why artificial intelligence is set to transform drug discovery by accelerating analysis and identifying patterns that humans might miss, while arguing that it cannot replace scientific judgment or the need to validate therapies in complex biological systems. He also critiques modern drug development for being overly reductionist, focusing heavily on efficacy while too often overlooking whole-body biology and long-term safety.The conversation explores his decision to leave traditional pharmaceutical drug development and focus instead on extending healthspan through BlueOakNx. He explains the science behind mitochondrial health and epicatechin, a naturally occurring compound that promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and energy production, while emphasising that it is designed to complement—not replace—the foundations of good health, including exercise, sleep and nutrition.Dr Sundeep also explains why BlueOakNx chose the nutraceutical route, believing it offered the fastest way to make scientifically grounded interventions more accessible, more affordable and available to more people than the conventional pharmaceutical pathway. He discusses the company’s collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences on a symposium series focused on energy metabolism, and BlueOakNx’s selection as one of just 40 teams chosen from more than 600 applicants to compete in the $101 million XPRIZE Healthspan competition.Resources* BlueOakNx website* Dr Sundeep’s LinkedIn* New York Academy of Sciences – Energy Symposium Series00:00 Podcast Intro Guest02:32 Blockbuster Drugs Legacy05:37 How Zetia Was Found07:29 Breakthroughs Doubt Lab11:46 AI Limits Drug Discovery17:47 Why Drug Candidates Fail20:52 From Pharma to Ageing21:54 Mitochondria Energy Quest27:23 Blue Oak Mission Epicatechin31:57 Key Terms Next Steps32:13 Not a Muscle Pill32:59 Mitochondria and Real Exercise34:26 Ageing and Energy Decline35:26 Supplement Not a Substitute37:19 Why Go Nutraceutical41:01 Science and Access Model43:50 Affordability and Outreach46:41 XPRIZE Healthspan Entry49:39 Safety First Philosophy54:14 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up58:06 Host Closing Message

Biology is undergoing one of the biggest transformations in its history. AI is helping researchers analyse enormous datasets, predict protein structures, identify drug targets, and accelerate scientific discovery in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago. But AI is not replacing scientists. If anything, it is making human expertise, judgement, and scientific rigour more important than ever.In this conversation, we explore how the way science is done is changing. We discuss why so many promising discoveries never reach patients, why stronger collaboration between academia and industry matters, how breakthroughs such as AlphaFold are transforming biological research, and where AI is already delivering real-world results. We also ask some bigger questions: what can AI genuinely tell us about the human body, where are its limits, and are we sometimes confusing faster answers with deeper understanding?Dr Filippo Dall'Armellina is a biochemist with a PhD from the University of Liverpool, where his research combined wet lab science with computational methods, focusing on protein modelling and the application of artificial intelligence and deep learning to protein–lipid interactions for drug target discovery.Today, he advises pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and longevity companies on scientific and technical due diligence, clinical development strategy, and competitive landscape analysis, helping investors, founders, and leadership teams evaluate new technologies, therapeutic programmes, and emerging opportunities.His career spans academia, healthcare operations, and science communication. He has authored peer-reviewed publications, with his work featured in Science and discussed on the Science Podcast. He has contributed to studies on the physiological effects of suborbital spaceflight in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), managed NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme operations across North West England, and produced Neuro Podcases, a clinical neuroscience podcast ranked among the world's top 5%, featuring researchers and clinicians discussing neuroscience, clinical trials, and translational medicine.Alongside his advisory work, Dr Dall'Armellina continues to collaborate with the University of Liverpool while supporting organisations working across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, longevity, and human health.Connect with Dr. Dall'Armellina on LinkedIn 🔗 Latest Publication00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:08 Filippo Background Journey05:03 Skipping Masters to PhD08:33 Embracing Research Chaos12:39 Academia Industry Bridge19:46 Why Discoveries Fail23:44 AI in Structural Biology32:15 AlphaFold Explained36:58 Prediction vs Understanding41:42 AI Meets Longevity47:04 Next Five Years for AI49:28 AI Hype and Missteps53:07 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up56:21 Final Takeaways Outro

In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Nikolina Lauc, CEO and co-founder of GlycanAge, about glycobiology, immune ageing, and the role of chronic inflammation in ageing.Nikolina explains why glycans, the complex sugar structures attached to our antibodies, may offer one of the clearest windows into the state of the immune system. The conversation explores “inflammaging”, the idea that chronic, low-grade inflammation may not simply be a consequence of ageing, but one of the forces actively driving it.They discuss why antibody glycans may capture biological risk earlier than routine markers such as CRP, including research suggesting that glycan-based changes can appear years before standard blood tests show anything is wrong. Nikolina also explains how glycan testing may help predict disease risk and mortality and why repeat testing can reveal whether lifestyle changes are having a measurable biological effect.Daphna and Nikolina also explore biological-age clocks, stress, high-performance lifestyles, exercise, pregnancy, menopause, and the strong influence of sex hormones, including HRT. The episode looks at why glycan testing is not yet part of routine clinical practice, the technical barriers involved, and the bigger question at the heart of preventive health: what should we do when we can see risk before disease appears?GlycanAge showed very high reproducibility both in the blinded sample experiment run by Jamie Haywood at Alden Scientific, and independently in collaboration with Mike Snyder’s group at Stanford [Stanford paper reference]. Epigenetic clocks showed significant day-to-day oscillations in epigenetic age measurements [daily oscillation paper reference], which becomes important when trying to measure relatively small intervention effects over time.We recently completed a UK Biobank study showing that the glycan markers we measure were more predictive of all-cause mortality than routine blood biochemistry alone; combining both further improved prediction performance (sharing the pre-print here).We also published a large study across 42 cohorts and ~20,000 individuals showing that GlycanAge predicts all-cause mortality independently of traditional risk factors including BMI, CRP, hypertension, smoking, LDL, diabetes, cardiovascular disease history, and kidney markers. Across cohorts, every additional GlycanAge year was associated with roughly a 5-10% increase in all-cause mortality risk (sharing the pre-print here).Another recent preprint evaluating epigenetic age clocks showed they do not substantially improve prediction of morbidity and mortality beyond information already captured through routine clinical blood biomarkers and standard risk factors [epigenetic clock preprint reference].Background and key references are below:GlycanAge introGlycanAge is a clinically validated biomarker platform originating from the work of Professor Gordan Lauc. Over the past five years, we've translated his research into a scalable clinical biomarker.Today, GlycanAge is used in more than 2,000 private clinics worldwide and collaborates with leading academic and clinical partners including Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Clinique La Prairie and many others, supporting both immune age tracking and disease-focused applications, particularly in cardiovascular and metabolic health.Key references below:Scientific Founder & OriginsProfessor Gordan Lauc is one of the pioneers of human glycomics and co-founded the Human Glycome Project (with Harvard’s Richard Cummings). He discovered GlycanAge as one of the first systemic measures of biological aging based on immune glycosylation.Founder, Genos Research InstituteProfessor of Biochemistry, University of ZagrebHonorary Professor, King’s College LondonJohns Hopkins Scholar800+ publications • 20,000+ citations • H-index 77A New Class of Biological ClockGlycanAge is the first inflammaging clock, measuring chronic low-grade inflammation through IgG glycosylation, independent of acute events.First published in The Journal of Gerontology 2013Validated in 350+ peer-reviewed papers across >300,000 human samplesHighest precision in the field: <1% analytical variationIndependently confirmed by Stanford (GeroScience 2024)Prediction of Morbidity & MortalityGlycan signatures predict multiple future clinical outcomes; I'm sharing a review (Biotechnology Advances 2023) linking IgG glycans to 72+ disease indications, where we see specific glycan shifts up to 10 years before symptoms onset or clinical diagnosis.Cardiovascular diseaseHarvard-led studies showed up to 2× increased ASCVD risk, independent of LDL, CRP, BMI (Circulation Research 2024, Journal of Clinical Lipidology 2025)In a Middle Eastern replication cohort, IgG N-glycans predicted a ~2× higher risk of premature myocardial infarction, independent of traditional risk factors (European Heart Journal 2025).First biomarker demonstrating female-specific cardiovascular risk patterns (Diabetes Care 2022)Diabetes Glycan changes predict transition from normoglycemia → pre-diabetes → T2D years in advance with AUC 0.895 (Cardiovascular Diabetology 2025)In children with new-onset Type 1 diabetes, distinct IgG and plasma N-glycan changes enabled strong discrimination between cases and controls AUC ≈ 0.915 (Diabetologia 2022).Cross-Population ValidationBeyond European cohorts: in a study of 27 populations across 14 countries, IgG glycosylation patterns tracked with age/sex and correlated with life expectancy and national health indices (HDI, SDG, MDG), demonstrating validity across genetically and environmentally diverse populations (Aging 2020).Interventions GlycanAge Responds To: Caloric restriction & fasting (Nature Aging 2025, Frontiers 2022 + pre-publication on fasting)Exercise (Glycoconjugate journal 2024)Menopausal HRT & testosterone therapy (Aging 2020, GeroScience 2025, JCI Insight 2017)Weight loss & GLP-1 therapy (Journal of Obesity 2021 + pre-publication on GLP-1 )Therapeutic plasma exchange (Aging Cell 2025)00:00 Welcome to Beyond Longevity00:41 Meet Nicolina Loud02:33 Glycans Explained Simply05:02 Glycans Everywhere in Biology06:46 Inflammaging and Ageing Theory08:37 Why Glycans Beat Standard Markers12:10 From Lab Discovery to Company15:51 What Glycan Age...

In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Dr David Cox, a health journalist (BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, NBC News and others), who holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge and is the author of The Age Code, about how diet, ultra-processed foods and the modern food environment shape biological ageing.Dr David argues that the longevity conversation often focuses too heavily on future drug breakthroughs, supplements and biohacking, while overlooking lower-hanging fruit that could already have a meaningful impact on long-term health. He explains why reducing ultra-processed foods, increasing fibre intake and paying closer attention to micronutrients such as vitamin K may matter far more than many people realise.The conversation explores gut ageing and its relationship with immune ageing, possible drivers behind the rise in early-onset cancers, and practical lifestyle strategies that may support healthier ageing. These include slow cooking, eating more protein and calories earlier in the day, lowering dietary acid load through fruits, vegetables and herbs, and the role omega-3s may play in long-term health.Daphna and Dr David also discuss biological ageing tests, visceral fat, kidney health markers, the limitations of CGMs for the average person, exercise mimetics, affordability within longevity medicine, and whether governments should take a far more active role in tackling the everyday drivers of chronic disease and accelerated ageing.The Age Code: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008708878https://www.instagram.com/drdavidcoxhealthhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-cox-6b21966600:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:00 From PhD to Journalism03:17 Science Scepticism and Nuance05:22 Trust Crisis in Health06:44 Protein Hype vs Fibre07:40 Micronutrients Matter09:07 Inside The Age Code10:50 Early Onset Cancer Clues12:38 Gut Ageing Explained14:49 Ten Nutritional Stressors17:55 Ultra Processed Food Reality19:32 Personal Choice vs Policy23:33 Longevity Focus Misplaced25:00 Ageing Tests and Omega 327:39 Advice for Any Budget29:48 Sauna Protocols31:04 Metabolomics Health Snapshots33:16 Testing Anxiety and Rule of Three35:41 His Own Biomarker Wake Up37:41 Best and Overrated Biomarkers41:25 Exercise Mimetic Drugs Debate48:05 Government and Ageing Strategy50:23 Kitchen Takeaways and Seaweed53:18 Rapid Fire Round56:08 Final Reflections and Outro

This week on Beyond Longevity, I am joined by Dr Herna de Wit, CEO and Founder of Omnisci Consulting, with a PhD in Biochemistry and an LLB in Law.Dr Herna brings a very unusual and valuable combination to the longevity conversation: deep scientific training, legal expertise and hands-on experience advising companies in the health, biotech and longevity space.Longevity is full of exciting science, but it is also a field where marketing can move faster than evidence. In this episode, we ask a simple but important question: how do we separate what is genuinely credible from what merely sounds convincing?Dr Herna shares her five-point “scientific sanity check” for evaluating longevity products, supplements and protocols. We discuss why human RCT data matters more than animal or cell studies, why dosage and bioavailability are often overlooked, what biological age clocks can and cannot tell us, and why safety, third-party testing, and regulatory discipline are essential in a fast-moving market.We also look at longevity from the perspective of investors and company builders. What are the red flags? What makes a claim scientifically weak? And why does defensible intellectual property matter far beyond simply having a patent?Dr Herna explains how companies can think more intelligently about protectability, including through delivery systems, synergistic formulations, data, know-how and clearer scientific positioning.The conversation then turns to South Africa, a market that many listeners may not immediately associate with longevity, but one that raises fascinating questions. We discuss medical tourism, scientific talent, regulatory realities, affordability and whether South Africa could carve out a distinctive role in the global healthspan conversation.Finally, we speak about one of the most important tensions in longevity: if the science advances, who actually gets access? Is longevity already becoming another layer of privilege, or can the field develop in a way that is more credible, more inclusive and more useful?This is a conversation about evidence, accountability and the future of a field that urgently needs both excitement and discipline.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/herna-de-wit-phd-llb/https://linktr.ee/drherna.omnisci00:00 Show Intro and Guest02:41 Dr Herna’s Unusual Path04:29 What She Does Today06:13 Five Point Science Audit11:17 Investor Red Flags15:31 IP Beyond Patents20:12 Open Science vs Profit24:35 Founder IP Strategy32:54 Global Longevity Hotspots33:42 South Africa Opportunity36:33 Access and Inequality43:12 Regulation and Innovation46:20 How to Work With Dr Herna50:02 Rapid Fire Questions52:20 Final Takeaways Outro

Michael A. Clinton, former President of Hearst Magazines.Michael spent four decades at the top of the publishing world, including as President and Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines, before turning his attention to one of the biggest questions of our time. If many of us are likely to live longer than previous generations, how do we make the second half of life not just longer, but more intentional, productive and meaningful?In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Michael discusses the ideas behind his book ROAR and his framework for rethinking later life. ROAR stands for Reimagine, Own your numbers, Action plan and Relationships, and it became the foundation for Roar Forward, his B2B platform advising organisations on the fast-changing 50-plus consumer.The conversation explores why Michael believes we need to shift the language from “ageing” to “longevity”, how culture and business are slowly beginning to respond, and why institutions, employers and policymakers still have a long way to go.Michael also previews ideas from his new book, Longevity Nation, which looks at the people, companies and innovations reshaping what longer lives could mean. He raises important concerns about inequality, access and the growing number of products making claims that are not always backed by evidence.This is also a very personal conversation. Michael reflects on his working-class roots in Pittsburgh, the moment that changed how he thought about identity and reinvention, and why the longest chapter of life may be the one most people have planned for the least.The episode also touches on the economic power of the $8.3 trillion 50-plus consumer, why this market is still widely misunderstood, and the one longevity habit Michael believes anyone can begin with, regardless of income.Links:Longevity NationROAR forwardLinkedIn00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro02:19 Early Life and First Memory03:17 Ambition and Upbringing05:12 Finding His Career Path06:29 Hearst Lessons on Identity09:22 ROAR Framework Explained13:29 Longevity Economy for Business16:19 Language and Pro Age Messaging18:43 Brands and Countries Adapting21:55 Fear and Reinvention Mindset22:59 Purposeful Second Act23:38 Reimagineer Stories24:37 Why Longevity Nation27:33 Inequality and Access30:13 America and 100 Year Life33:18 Policy Gaps to Fix35:53 Hope Worries Takeaway40:16 Rapid Fire Round42:42 Longevity Habits and Myths45:05 Closing Reflections

In this ViVE conference bonus episode of Beyond Longevity, recorded live at the ViVE event in Los Angeles, the conversation explores how BioAro is seeking to bring different strands of personalised health data together within a single longevity platform.Brock Hay explains BioAro’s approach to integrating genomics, microbiome testing, biomarker analysis, AI-driven interpretation, and personalized supplementation. The central idea is that health and longevity cannot be understood through any single test alone, but require a broader and more connected picture of the individual.The conversation also examines one of the most important questions in modern health technology, namely data privacy. As more companies collect deeply personal biological information, the focus turns to who owns that data, how it is stored, and whether individuals truly remain in control of how it is used.The episode also explores how tools such as telomere testing, methylation analysis, gut microbiome testing, and athlete-focused genomics are being positioned within the wider move towards preventive health. It also considers how far today’s longevity interventions can genuinely take us, and where the limits of current science and commercial promise still remain.Links:https://bioaro.com/linkedin.com/in/brock-hay-9520447100:00 Welcome to Beyond Longevity02:11 Meet Bio Arrow at ViVE02:23 All in One Longevity Platform05:02 Genomics Explained Simply07:03 Privacy and Data Security09:13 Genes as Prevention Tools11:23 Methylation and Telomeres12:08 Who It’s For and Pricing16:13 Key Longevity Biomarker17:40 Telomeres and Supplements22:13 Future of Personalized Medicine24:10 Gut Microbiome Testing28:43 Founder Story and Integration32:38 Research vs Consent37:06 Vatra Decentralized Storage38:58 Rapid Fire Longevity Tips41:06 Closing Takeaways

Professor Lorna Harries has spent more than two decades studying why cells age and what might be done about it. In this episode, she explains one of the most overlooked mechanisms in ageing biology, RNA splicing. When cells lose control of this process, they become stressed, dysfunctional and can tip into senescence, a state that contributes to ageing across almost every organ system.She explains what senescent cells actually do, how the signals they release can spread damage from one tissue to another, and why calling them “zombie cells” does not come close to telling the full story. We talk about the possibility of intervening before cells reach an irreversible state, why targeting the biology of ageing itself may matter more than tackling diseases one at a time, and what meaningful rejuvenation should really look like.Prof Lorna also discusses the challenge of turning lab science into therapies through her spin-out SENISCA, her work with L’Oréal, and why conditions such as IPF are an important place to begin. Along the way, she addresses the tougher questions too, including how longevity science moves from promise to treatment, where the field risks drifting into hype, and whether these advances will be available to the many or only the few.Links:http://www.senisca/http://www.iscarna.com/https://teamrna.wixsite.com/harrieslabhttps://experts.exeter.ac.uk/1873-lorna-harriesInnovate UK ICURe Programmehttps://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/icure/ 00:00 Podcast Intro Guest Setup01:50 Meet Professor Harris Basics02:16 DNA RNA Explained03:38 RNA Splicing And Ageing05:48 What Senescent Cells Do07:38 Reversing Senescence Window09:01 Fat Tissue And Faster Ageing11:01 Splicing As Central Hallmark12:11 Rejuvenation Discovery Story13:52 From Lab To Spinout Company16:41 Translating Science To Products19:17 Therapy Targets IPF And Beyond21:45 Why Translation Often Fails23:19 Defining Real Rejuvenation25:14 Avoiding Hype In Longevity27:17 Who Is Lagging Behind27:37 Regulatory Mindset Shift28:47 Trials Built for Ageing29:28 Scepticism and Overhype31:25 Is Ageing a Disease32:49 Policy and Demographic Timebomb33:48 Advocacy and Communication35:24 Personal Ageing Habits36:24 Key Unasked Questions39:15 Longevity for the Rich41:43 Access via NHS and Patents45:06 Rapid Fire and Myths49:05 Closing Reflections

This week’s guest is Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. Avivah advises leaders on gender and generational balance, the future of work, and the longevity economy. She hosts the podcast 4-Quarter Lives, publishes the Substack Elderberries, and writes regularly for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. She is Visiting Faculty at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, co-directs the Longevity Leadership Programme at Católica Lisbon, and has given three TED Talks.In this episode, Avivah and Daphna explore how longer lives are reshaping work, business, and society. Avivah argues that longevity is not just a health story but a structural shift that is forcing organisations to rethink how they are built, how careers unfold, and how different generations work together.She explains why the old pyramid model of the workforce is giving way to a more square demographic reality, with far more balance between younger and older generations than most institutions were designed for. That shift brings real pressure, from pensions to healthcare, but also major opportunities for businesses willing to adapt.The conversation looks at why older workers are still too often overlooked, what businesses lose when they fail to value experience, and why age-inclusive thinking is becoming a strategic advantage rather than a social add-on. More broadly, the episode challenges outdated assumptions about ageing and asks what it would mean to build a society that treats longer lives as a source of possibility, not decline.This episode is a reminder that longevity is not only changing how long we live, but how we work, lead, learn, and contribute across the course of our lives.https://www.avivahwittenbergcox.com/https://elderberries.substack.comhttps://elderberries.substack.com/podcasthttps://www.ted.com/search?q=Avivah+Wittenberg+Coxhttps://20-first.com/https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/#61c5a38ebf1900:00 Longevity Meets Work02:06 Longevity Mega Trend03:09 Institutions Lag Behind05:37 From Gender To Age07:39 Women And Longer Lives10:08 Multi Stage Careers11:26 Rethinking Education Midlife15:29 Rebranding Old Age17:54 Opportunity And Ageism21:24 Fear Of Ageing And Happiness25:37 Goldman Sachs And AI27:17 Company First Mover Advantage28:43 Who Is Leading The Way29:52 Brands Embrace Pro Ageing30:21 Longevity In Hospitality31:12 Retirees As Consultants31:56 Why Leaders Miss Demographics35:29 Government Levers And Limits38:34 The Square Society Shift40:43 Measuring Longevity Readiness43:25 Advice Four Quarter Lives47:54 Designing A Four Quarter Life53:22 Ageing Better Than Expected54:46 Rapid Fire And Wrap Up