We're not getting any younger... yet.

What if removing and replacing part of your blood could turn back some of the measurable signs of aging? Brianna Stubbs talks with Dr. Brad Younggren — emergency physician, former Army doctor, and CEO of Circulate Health — about therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). They cover how the procedure works, what the blinded Circulate trial found (including an average 2.6-year reduction in biological age over three months), TPE's unique potential to clear microplastics from the bloodstream, and the broader impact of our environment—the exposome—on human healthspan.Brad Younggren, MD, is CEO and co-founder of Circulate Health, a company dedicated to improving human healthspan. A former U.S. Army physician, Dr. Younggren served as a combat physician in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star and Combat Medical Badge. An emergency medicine specialist and seasoned healthcare executive, Younggren has led teams at the cutting edge of medicine for decades. Most recently, he was President and Chief Medical Officer at 98point6, where he led the development and launch of AI-powered primary care solutions. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Cue Health, Shift Labs, and Mobisante. At Circulate, Younggren leads an expert team of clinicians and scientists working to harness the potential of therapeutic plasma exchange to advance health and longevity.Support the show

In this episode, Buck scientist Brianna Stubbs joins Hanadie Yousef, Co-Founder of Juvena Therapeutics, to discuss the cutting-edge of longevity science. Dr. Yousef shares how Juvena is leveraging AI and the secretome—the proteins secreted by stem cells—to develop therapies that target muscle wasting and promote tissue regeneration. From the potential and risks of GLP-1 drugs to the role of AKT signaling in muscle health, this conversation explores how we can move beyond "snake oil" and into a future where science-based therapies help us stay younger, longer.Dr. Hanadie Yousef is a scientist, entrepreneur, seasoned executive, and global thought leader in AI-driven regenerative medicine and longevity. With over two decades of experience in biomedical research, she is the Co-Founder of Juvena Therapeutics, where she served as CEO, CFO, and Board Chair from 2017 to 2025. Since the company’s incorporation, she pioneered its evolution from a platform-driven concept into a venture-backed, clinical-stage biotechnology leader. Under her leadership, Juvena secured over $105M in venture capital, non-dilutive grants, and partnerships, and developed a proprietary pipeline of tissue-restorative biologics for muscle and metabolic diseases.Support the show

Eric Verdin sits down with Dr. Cynthia Kenyon, a true pioneer in the field of geroscience and the Vice President of Aging Research at Calico. Dr. Kenyon recounts the revolutionary discovery that aging is not merely a process of "wearing out," but is a genetically regulated biological program. In 1993, Cynthia’s pioneering discovery that a single-gene mutation could double the lifespan of C. elegans roundworms while preserving function sparked an intensive study of the molecular biology of aging. The conversation explores how these findings translate from worms to mammals, the potential of drugs like Ozempic and Acarbose to extend human healthspan, and Dr. Kenyon’s proposal for a "World Healthspan Organization" to fund large-scale clinical trials for off-patent, low-cost compounds that currently lack traditional industry incentives.Cynthia Kenyon graduated valedictorian in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Georgia in 1976 and received her PhD from MIT in 1981. She then did postdoctoral studies with Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. In 1986, she joined the University of California, San Francisco as a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Dr. Kenyon is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine and she is a past president of the Genetics Society of America. She is now the Vice President of Aging Research at Calico.Support the show

What if the secret to a longer, healthier life isn’t found in a new supplement or a complex medical procedure, but in your cells' own innate ability to "take out the trash"? In this episode, host Eric Verdin is joined by Dr. Ana Maria Cuervo, a pioneer in the biology of aging and professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The conversation explores the critical roles of proteostasis—the cell's protein quality control factory—and autophagy, the body's natural recycling system. Dr. Cuervo explains her discovery of Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy (CMA) and how keeping these cellular "cleaning crews" active can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The episode concludes with actionable insights into how sleep, exercise, and meal timing can naturally jumpstart these longevity-promoting pathways.Ana Maria Cuervo is a Spanish-American physician, researcher, and cell biologist. She is a professor in developmental and molecular biology, anatomy and structural biology, and medicine and co-director of the Institute for Aging Studies at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is best known for her research work on autophagy, the process by which cells recycle waste products, and its changes in aging and age-related diseases.Support the show

XPRIZE Healthspan Executive Director Jamie Justice joins Brianna Stubbs to discuss the $101 million race to restore 10 years of muscle, cognitive, and immune function within a single year. Moving past binary "alive or dead" metrics—famously called the "toes test" in animal research—the conversation focuses on reclaiming functional independence through clinical trial innovation. Together they explore the potential of accessible markers like RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width), the risks of overlapping treatments, and how unlocking "dark data" can help shift medicine from treating isolated diseases to scaling human healthspan globally.Jamie is the Executive Vice President of the Health Domain at XPRIZE Foundation, and Adjunct Professor in Internal Medicine Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, and Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM). She is dedicated to Geroscience research that advances the hypothesis that by targeting the basic biology of aging the incidence of multiple age-related diseases can be delayed or prevented. Support the show

In this episode, Eric Verdin, CEO of the Buck Institute, and Stanford University’s Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray discuss the groundbreaking science of brain rejuvenation through heterochronic parabiosis, a process where young blood factors are shown to restore cognitive function and potentially extend lifespan. Moving from the lab to the clinic, they explore the next frontier: Proteomic Clocks. By measuring thousands of proteins, scientists can now determine the biological age of individual organs, allowing for the detection of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases up to 15 years before symptoms appear. This shift toward high-precision organ tracking marks a new era in preventative geroscience and personalized longevity.Tony Wyss-Coray is a Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences and the Director of the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Stanford University. His lab studies brain aging and neurodegeneration with a focus on age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The Wyss-Coray research team discovered that circulatory blood factors can modulate brain structure and function and factors from young organisms can rejuvenate old brains. Current studies focus on the molecular basis of the systemic communication with the brain by employing a combination of genetic, cell biology, and –omics approaches in killifish, mice, and humans. Wyss-Coray has presented his ideas at Global TED, the Tencent WE Summit, and the World Economic Forum. He co-founded Alkahest Inc. and several other companies targeting Alzheimer’s and neurodegeneration and has been the recipient of an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, a Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, and a NOMIS Foundation Award.Support the show

What if aging is less a fate and more an engineering challenge? We sit down with George Church to unpack a future where gene therapy, cellular reprogramming, and AI-driven delivery systems converge to extend healthspan—and possibly lifespan—without sacrificing identity or safety. From bowhead whales and cancer risk to ethics, trial rigor, and how to deliver rejuvenation to the brain, this is a deep dive into what’s coming next and what it will take to get there.George Church is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Technology Center and Director of the National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence in Genomic Science. He has received numerous awards including the 2011 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from the Franklin Institute and election to the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering.Support the show

We're back! Meet our new hosts Eric Verdin, CEO of the Buck Institute, and Brianna Stubbs, Director of Translational Science at the Buck. We're excited to bring you new insights into the fast-moving science of longevity with guests such as George Church, Jamie Justice, Peter Attia, and many more.Support the show

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.Support the show

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.Support the show

The movement to integrate longevity treatments into clinical care is making strides. How can we ensure they are evidence-based, accessible, and personalized? World-renowned geroscientist Andrea Maier has been leading the way with innovative clinical trials and cutting edge research. In this episode, she talks with Gordon about the current state of the field, why we need a variety of clocks and interventions, what we can all do now to age better, and what the future of clinical practice looks like.Professor Andrea Maier is a prolific researcher in the field of geroscience — the intersection of aging biology, chronic disease, and health. A principal investigator in gerontology, as well as a specialist in internal medicine and geriatrics, Professor Maier's aging research focuses on age-related diseases, cellular senescence and the translation of results into clinical practice. She has published almost 400 peer-reviewed articles and has spearheaded significant contributions of her highly acclaimed innovative, global, multidisciplinary work with her @Age Research Group. Professor Maier holds professorship appointments at VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands and University of Melbourne, Australia. Professor Maier is the past President of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research and founding president of the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society. She sits on several prestigious international academic and health policy committees and organizations, including national and international research funding agencies and the World Health Organization.Support the show

Our chronological age doesn’t tell us much about how well our bodies are aging, but scientists have developed many ways to measure changes at the cellular and molecular levels, including the rate of change, that can suggest ways to improve health at every stage of life. Follow along as Gordon speaks with Daniel Belsky of Columbia University about DNA methylation, the effects of famine and poverty on aging biology, studying the exposome, and how to create equitable access to potential aging interventions.Dr. Belsky is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University. His studies seek to understand how genes and environments combine to shape health across the life course. The goal of Dan's work is to reduce social inequalities in aging outcomes in the US and elsewhere. With collaborators Terrie Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi he originated the Pace of Aging method to quantify the aging process from longitudinal analysis of human physiology and recently translated this method into a DNA-methylation blood test that can be implemented from a single time point of data collection. He is principal investigator of NIH-funded projects to test how caloric restriction may slow or reverse aging-related changes to the genome (CALERIE), to understand long-term impacts of in-utero famine exposure on biological aging (Dutch Hunger Winter Family Study, with Bertie Lumey), and to test the potential of anti-poverty policy intervention to slow biological aging (MyGoals for Healthy Aging, with Peter Muennig). Dan's work has received international attention, including by the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Guardian newspapers, and appeared in outlets including PNAS, Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Aging, the JAMA journals, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and top journals in epidemiology and gerontology. Since 2020, he has been named an ISI highly-cited researcher.Support the show

Of all the biochemical changes that occur with aging, what really matters? How can we use the incredible amount of health data available today to discover the best targets for interventions? In this episode, Kristen Fortney of BioAge talks with Gordon about the latest research in proteomics and metabolomics, the importance of muscle loss, and the challenge of measuring the right endpoints for effective treatment and regulatory approval.Kristen Fortney is the co-founder and CEO of BioAge, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of treatments to extend healthy lifespan by targeting the molecular causes of aging. The company uses its discovery platform, which combines quantitative analysis of proprietary longitudinal human samples with detailed health records tracking individuals over the lifespan, to map out the key molecular pathways that impact healthy human longevity. By targeting these pathways with a large and mechanistically diverse portfolio of drugs, BioAge is unlocking opportunities to treat and prevent diseases of aging in entirely new ways. Kristen’s scientific background is in aging biology and bioinformatics. She received her PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto, followed by postdoctoral training at Stanford University, where she was a fellow of the Ellison Medical Foundation & American Federation for Aging Research.Support the show

What is the relationship between diet, chronic disease, and aging? Can we delay or reverse the effects of aging at the cellular level by following a fasting-mimicking diet? Listen in as Gordon speaks with Valter Longo of the Longevity Institute at USC about epigenetic reprogramming, turning on Yamanaka factors, and restoring our cells to a youthful state based on over 30 years of research on diet and fasting.Dr. Valter Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California –Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, one of the leading centers for research on aging and age-related disease. Dr. Longo is also the Director of the Longevity and Cancer Program at the IFOM Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy. His studies focus on the fundamental mechanisms of aging in simple organisms and mice and on how these mechanisms can be translated to humans. The Longo laboratory recently published key findings on a 5 day periodic dietary intervention called Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), and showed in randomized clinical trials that FMD reduces the risk factors and markers associated with aging and diseases. Dr. Longo’s most recent studies focus on the use of FMD interventions to activate stem cell- based regeneration to promote longevity. He is the author of The Longevity Diet.Support the show

Our modern world is full of potential disruptions to sleep. But as we learn more about circadian rhythm, we find that it influences everything from metabolism to mental health in different ways as we age. In this episode, Satchin Panda of the Salk Institute guides Gordon through the many interactions between sleep behavior and biology. Together they explore how new insights can help us improve our sleep health, and how researchers might target circadian rhythm to modulate the effects of aging.Satchin Panda, PhD, is a leading expert in the field of circadian rhythm research. He is a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a founding executive member of the Center for Circadian Biology at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Panda is a Pew Biomedical Scholar and a recipient of the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research. As a recognition of the impact of his work regarding circadian rhythms and diabetes, Dr. Panda has been invited to speak at conferences around the world, including Diabetes UK, the American Diabetes Association, the Danish Diabetes Association, and the respective professional diabetes societies of Europe and Australia. He is the author of The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight.Support the show

What is the goal of living longer? It’s not simply to celebrate a number, but to do something meaningful with that time. Renowned Stanford psychologist Laura Carstensen speaks with Gordon about the experience of aging, in the past and in the future, and why changes in culture must accompany changes in healthspan so we can flourish as a society.Laura L. Carstensen is Professor of Psychology at Stanford University where she is the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy and founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. Her research on the theoretical and empirical study of motivational, cognitive, and emotional aspects of aging has been funded by the National Institute on Aging without interruption for more than 30 years. Carstensen is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She served on the MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on an Aging Society and was a commissioner on the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity.  Carstensen’s awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Kleemeier Award, The Richard Kalish Award for Innovative Research and distinguished mentor awards from both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Psychological Association. She is the author of A Long Bright Future: Happiness, Health, and Financial Security in an Age of Increased Longevity. Carstensen received her B.S. from the University of Rochester and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from West Virginia University. She holds an honorary doctorate from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.Support the show

We're back! In season one, we investigated the biology of aging in many different organisms to learn why and how we age. This season we'll take a close look at potential interventions that modify mechanisms of aging biology and may dramatically change the way we age in our lifetimes.Get ready for season two of the Buck's podcast We're not getting any younger... yet. with scientist Gordon Lithgow. Subscribe today!Support the show

Gordon and Stella revisit key concepts from the conversation with Arne Akbar, such as using sestrins to modulate T-cells and telomeres. Looking back over the course of season one, Stella and Gordon discuss the need to think about aging as an organizing principle, and how to deal with all the things we don't yet know.Stay tuned for season two!Support the show

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.Support the show

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.Support the show

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.Support the show

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.Support the show

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. Support the show

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.Support the show

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.Support the show

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!Support the show

What is the relationship between stress, metabolism, and aging? How can we use “good” stress to enhance our ability to weather the challenges of getting older? Guest Rhonda Patrick has investigated the biology of aging and related lifestyle interventions throughout her multifaceted career. In this episode she joins Gordon to explore insights from studies on nutrition, exercise, inflammation, psychological stress, and more, as well as the crucial role of science communicators in today’s media.Support the show

Gordon and Stella revisit the discussion with Judy Campisi to understand the role senescence plays in aging, and look forward to the next conversation with longevity expert Rhonda Patrick.Support the show

Dr. Campisi has been at the forefront of studying cellular senescence for decades, revealing the mysteries of these not-exactly-dead cells and their role in many diseases of aging. In this episode, she joins her colleague Gordon to discuss the characteristics and function of senescent cells, as well as promising interventions on the horizon. Judy also describes how to get lucky in science by being prepared to see the unexpected.Support the show

Gordon and show editor Stella revisit highlights from the conversation with David Sinclair, and get ready for the next episode with Judy Campisi.Support the show

Is life essentially an information process driven by biochemical interactions? If so, can we simply correct any errors in that process? In this episode, renowned researcher and author David Sinclair joins Gordon to dive into the startling insights from applying information theory to aging. Topics include epigenetics, sirtuins, metabolism, and why we might not want to kill all the zombies. Support the show

Host Gordon and show editor Stella connect over Zoom to discuss the highlights of Gordon’s conversation with Steve Austad, the renowned biologist, and look ahead to the next episode with David Sinclair.Support the show

When we think of aging, we typically think of human aging, but the biological processes that cause cellular damage are shared by many species. Few people have investigated the biology of aging across the animal kingdom as deeply as researcher and author Steve Austad. In our first episode, Steve and host Gordon Lithgow explore some fundamental questions: What makes some animals live longer than others? What can we learn from other species to age better? And why do we age at all in the first place?Support the show

Introducing a new podcast from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging: We're not getting any younger... yet. Join host Gordon Lithgow to investigate the biology of aging in interviews with leading researchers from across the field. Subscribe to download new episodes each Wednesday.Support the show