Dr. George Church, PhD

Harvard Medical School & MIT Professor

“100 most influential people: ‘His contribution to genetic research and the imagination he brings to its application may change the entire world and our experience of life itself.’ ” – 

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Dr. George Church published the first direct genomic sequencing method in 1984 and is known as the “father” of synthetic biology and personalized genomics. Dr. Church has received various accolades, which include election to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. He is a recipient of the American Society for Microbiology Promega Biotechnology Research Award. His most cited work has been published in peer reviewed scientific journals including PNAS, Nature Genetics, Nature Biotechnology, Science, the Journal of Molecular Biology, Nature, and many others.

Dr. Pamela Maher, PhD

University of British Columbia, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

“Maher was one of the first to take aging into account for drug discovery in Alzheimer’s. She identified a class of compounds known as geroneuroprotectors, which slow the aging process in mice.” – 

Dr. Maher worked for 5 years as an assistant professor at the Whittier Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology in La Jolla, CA, then moved to The Scripps Research Institute in 1994 as an associate professor. In 2004, she moved to her current position at The Salk Institute. Her research interests focus on using natural products such as flavonoids, small molecules that are widely distributed in fruits and vegetables, to maintain nerve cell function in the presence of toxic insults, especially in relation to Alzheimer’s, dementia & Parkinson’s.

Dr. J Pedro de Magalhaes, PhD

Harvard Medical School, University of Birmingham

“I think that having the genome sequence of the bowhead whale will allow researchers to study basic molecular processes and identify maintenance mechanisms that help preserve life, avoid entropy and repair molecular damage.” – 

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Dr. de Magalhaes leads the Integrative Genomics of Aging Group at the Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, UK. Dr. de Magalhaes completed his postdoc with genomics pioneer, Dr. George Church, at Harvard Medical School. He developed high-throughput approaches for studying aging, including computational tools and databases, statistical models of mortality, and comparative genomics methods for investigating the evolution of longevity. Dr. de Magalhaes maintains several databases related to the impact that drugs & natural substances have on aging.

Dr. Oliver Medvedik, PhD

Harvard Medical School, The Cooper Union

“Medvedik and his colleagues want to help people enjoy good health for as long as possible […] With aging research, Medvedik has his eyes on the long run” – 

Director of the Kanbar Center for Biomedical Engineering, Cooper Union. Dr. Medvedik has worked as a biotechnology consultant at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals and has taught molecular and synthetic biology while at Harvard University, The Cooper Union, School of Visual Arts, Genspace and NYU. He is also co-founder and vice-president of the non-profit organization LEAF (Life Extension Advocacy Foundation), where he serves on the board of directors. Dr. Medvedik performed his doctoral research at Dr. David Sinclair’s Harvard lab, and is a coauthor on multiple papers including studies on NAD+ and calorie restriction.

Dr. Avi Rosenbaum, PhD

Harvard Medical School

“Avi has a Ph.D. from Harvard University where in the lab of Professor George Church he developed technologies for sequencing and interpreting human genomes.” –

Scientist and Consultant, with deep knowledge of the biotech industry. Experience and international network in Genomics, Personalized Medicine, Gene Therapy and Synthetic Biology. Built the first academic Next Generation Sequencing platform. Launched more than ten commercial products. Investor and mentor in biotech, pharma, medical and food-tech companies. Holder of five patents, and co-author of high-profile academic publications with over 2,500 citations.

Dr. Robert Lufkin, MD

USC School of Medicine

Dr. Lufkin is Chief of Metabolic Imaging at a medical network in California and a distinguished Professor of Radiology at the USC School of Medicine, with over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers to his credit and 14 books published. Dr. Lufkin has held several prestigious professional affiliations, including the presidency of the Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology. He is also the inventor of several patents in artificial intelligence, including the globally-used MR-compatible biopsy needle, the “Lufkin Needle.”

Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, PhD

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Washington — Consultant

Professor of Pathology, Adjunct Professor of Genome Sciences, and Adjunct Professor of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington, Dr. Kaeberlein’s research interests focus on basic mechanisms of aging in order to identify interventions that promote healthspan and improve quality of life. He has published nearly 200 papers in top scientific journals and has been recognized by prestigious awards, including Breakthroughs in Gerontology, Alzheimer’s Association Young Investigator Award, Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging, a Murdock Trust Award, Pioneer in Aging, and Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research.