We're not getting any younger... yet. – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What do we really want from our healthcare system, and how can AI help us get it sooner? In our final episode of season two, Gordon talks with visionary systems biology expert Nathan Price about the emergence of scientific wellness, what we can learn from our digital twins, and how using AI to predict health outcomes can help us transform our understanding of aging and disease—potentially adding years of healthy life.

Dr. Nathan Price is a distinguished scientist and leader in the field of healthy aging, holding dual roles as Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Human Healthspan at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and Chief Scientific Officer at Thorne. He co-authored the bestselling book The Age of Scientific Wellness with Dr. Lee Hood, and has an extensive publication record, including over 200 scientific papers and contributions to prominent media outlets. Recognized as one of the National Academy of Medicine's Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine in 2019, Dr. Price also serves on the Board on Life Sciences of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. His career includes significant positions such as CEO of Onegevity, a health AI company, and a decade-long tenure at the Institute for Systems Biology. Dr. Price's contributions to science and business have earned him numerous awards, including an NSF CAREER award and the Grace A. Goldsmith Award. He has also been elected a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and recognized as a Notable Leader in Healthcare by Crain's New York. His advisory roles span prestigious organizations like Roche, Providence St Joseph Health, and the American Cancer Society.

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Few people have as much experience with patient care and long-term research as the celebrated geriatrician and epidemiologist Luigi Ferrucci. Listen in as he speaks with Gordon about his journey from acute care to population studies, the effective design of clinical trials, and moving towards predictive medicine so we can use our natural resilience to maintain health as we age.

Dr. Luigi Ferrucci is a geriatrician and an epidemiologist who conducts research on the causal pathways leading to progressive physical and cognitive decline in older persons. In September 2002, he became the Chief of the Longitudinal Studies Section at NIA and the Director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging. Dr. Ferrucci received a Medical Degree and Board Certification in 1980, a Board Certification in Geriatrics in 1982 and Ph.D. in Biology and Pathophysiology of Aging in 1998 at the University of Florence, Italy. Between 1985 and 2002 he was Chief of Geriatric Rehabilitation at the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Director of the Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology at the Italian National Institute of Aging. During the same period, he collaborated with the NIA Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry where he spent several periods as Visiting Scientist at NIH. Dr. Ferrucci has made major contributions in the design of many epidemiological studies conducted in the U.S. and in Europe, including the AKEA study of Centenarians in Sardinia and the Women's Health and Aging Study. He was also the Principal Investigator of the InCHIANTI study, a longitudinal study conducted in the Chianti Geographical area (Tuscany, Italy) looking at risk factors for mobility disability in older persons. In 2002, Dr. Ferrucci refined the design of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging to focus on the Geroscience Hypothesis, which states the pace of biological aging is the root cause of many age-related chronic diseases, as well as physical and cognitive disability. He has made major contributions to the literature and is one of the most cited scientists in the field of aging. Dr. Ferrucci has been Scientific Director at NIA since May 2011.

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What role does the immune system play in aging? How do senescent cells evade it and promote inflammation? And what does it reveal about developing effective interventions? Immunologist Arne Akbar joins Gordon to break down the array of actors and pathways involved, including sestrins, immune memory, the gut microbiome, and more. Along the way, Arne highlights the need to connect across research areas, and shares why courage is the most important quality for a scientist to cultivate.

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After the conversation with Monica Driscoll, Gordon and show editor Stella connect to discuss the link between cell death and aging, what we can learn from sending worms to space, and the need for personalized medicine in aging interventions. Finally, they look forward to the next episode with immunologist Arne Akbar.

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How do different cells in our bodies age differently? What exactly happens when a neuron takes out its trash? In this episode, neuroscientist Monica Driscoll takes Gordon on a tour through her serendipitous career. Topics include sloppy developmental biology, enigmatic exophers, worms in space, and the importance of studying things no one else is thinking about.

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After a wide-ranging conversation with Nir Barzilai, Gordon and show editor Stella discuss efforts to turn research on geroprotective mechanisms into effective interventions, and look forward to the next episode with neuroscientist Monica Driscoll.

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Is aging truly inevitable? Can we study the genetics of long-lived people to learn how to delay or reverse aging? In this episode, Gordon talks with Dr. Nir Barzilai about his research on centenarians, insulin signaling pathways, and moving aging interventions out of the lab and into the clinic. 

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Gordon and show editor Stella revisit key concepts from the conversation with Linda Partridge, such as what we can learn from evolutionary biology and how to harness biological processes like autophagy. Looking ahead, they anticipate discussing human clinical trials in the next episode with Nir Barzilai.

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Aging appears to progress similarly across species, from worms and flies to mice and humans, and involves pathways related to early development. Guest Linda Partridge talks with Gordon while visiting the Buck Institute to discuss the evolutionary trade offs of aging mechanisms, the role of nutrient-sensing pathways, and how we might get the most benefit from preventative interventions in midlife.

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Following the episode with Rhonda Patrick, Gordon and Stella discuss the complex relationship between stress and aging, and preview the next conversation with Linda Partridge.

The show will return in January 2023. Happy Holidays!

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