Beyond Longevity

Daphna Stern

Beyond Longevity explores the science, medicine, technology, business and policy shaping longer, healthier lives. Host Daphna Stern speaks with leading researchers, clinicians, founders and experts about ageing biology, healthspan, preventive medicine, longevity biomarkers, AI in healthcare, nutrition, women’s health and the societal impact of longer lives. Each episode examines the evidence, separates credible science from hype and translates complex research into clear, practical conversations.

  1. 11h ago

    Can One Drug Slow Ageing Across the Whole Body? LinkGevity’s Bid to Block Necrosis

    What if heart disease, kidney disease and dementia share a common mechanism linked to ageing? And what if blocking a destructive form of cell death called necrosis could help protect several organs at once? In this episode, host Daphna Stern speaks with LinkGevity founders Dr Carina Kern and Serena Kern-Libera about their attempt to develop a new longevity drug targeting necrosis, ageing and age-related disease. Their work challenges the conventional model of drug discovery. Medicine generally treats kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and dementia as separate conditions. LinkGevity is asking whether targeting biology shared across these diseases could protect several organs and systems at once. At the centre of that approach is necrosis: a destructive form of cell death that can spread damage through surrounding tissue. LinkGevity’s lead candidate, Anti-Necrotic™️, is designed to protect cells from the calcium overload that drives this process. The company is preparing for clinical trials in kidney disease, while investigating whether the same mechanism could eventually have wider applications across ageing, organ preservation and tissue engineering. The work has received support from Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, the Francis Crick Institute and the UK Space Agency. LinkGevity was also selected as one of 12 companies for the SPACE-H accelerator, run in collaboration with NASA’s Human Research Program, TRISH and Microsoft Federal. The conversation explores the Blueprint Theory of Ageing, the limitations of treating age-related diseases one at a time, and why the kidney may provide a practical first route into human trials. It also examines what the existing laboratory evidence can—and cannot yet—tell us, what would disprove the company’s theory, and how LinkGevity is trying to separate scientific ambition from longevity hype. Dr Carina Kern is the founder and CEO of LinkGevity, an AI-enabled biotech company developing treatments for ageing and the loss of biological resilience. A geneticist and ageing researcher, she is the architect of the Blueprint Theory of Ageing, an integrative framework connecting evolutionary principles, genetic pathways, molecular mechanisms and clinical medicine. The theory underpins LinkGevity’s AI-driven drug-discovery platform. Serena Kern-Libera is co-founder, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of LinkGevity. Before founding the company with her sister, she worked at Magic Circle law firm Slaughter and May, the Bank of England and HM Treasury, and served as Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Together, they lead a multidisciplinary team based at the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge. Their lead programme is initially targeting kidney disease, but its larger ambition is to test whether blocking necrosis could help protect the body against several forms of age-related degeneration. You can find out more here: LinkGevity: www.linkgevity.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkgevity/ X: @CarinaCarlaKern Research papers: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388… https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202310.1387 Timestamps * 00:00 — Introducing Dr Carina Kern, Serena Kern-Libera and LinkGevity * 02:30 — The family story behind the company * 05:40 — Lifespan, healthspan and the fear of prolonged ill health * 07:30 — Early C. elegans research and publishing findings that challenged convention * 11:00 — From academic research to building a company at Babraham * 13:15 — The Blueprint Theory of Ageing and the case for systems-level medicine * 17:00 — Can ageing be defined and measured well enough to regulate? * 21:30 — What GLP-1 drugs reveal about system-level treatments * 25:00 — Should kidney disease, heart disease and dementia be treated separately? * 27:45 — What the hallmarks of ageing explain—and what they may miss * 31:00 — What would disprove the Blueprint Theory? * 33:20 — Necrosis and apoptosis: two very different forms of cell death * 37:00 — How necrosis can spread tissue damage * 41:00 — Calcium overload and how Anti-Necrotic™️ is designed to work * 45:00 — The laboratory evidence so far * 48:30 — Why necrosis remains a barrier to growing organs in the lab * 52:00 — The route to human trials, beginning with kidney disease * 55:00 — NASA, the UK Space Agency and “cosmic kidneys” * 59:00 — Working with the NHS and the case for a gateway trial * 1:02:30 — Longevity hype, scientific rigour and the risks of the label * 1:06:00 — Is society prepared for a genuine breakthrough in healthspan? * 1:09:00 — What each sister is most afraid of getting wrong * 1:11:00 — Rapid-fire five questions * 1:14:00 — Closing reflections and host takeaway

  2. Aug 9

    How Much Control Do We Really Have Over Our Health? Spermidine, Autophagy and Patient Empowerment

    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 Bio Leslie 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 reflections References & Further Reading Kenny, 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)

  3. Aug 2

    The Hardest Problem in Longevity Is Human Behaviour with Dr Gil Blander, Founder of InsideTracker

    Nearly two decades ago, Dr Gil Blander was trying to convince investors of an idea that, at the time, sounded radical: blood biomarkers should not only be used to diagnose disease, but to help healthy people understand what to change before disease develops. Some thought he was crazy. That idea became InsideTracker, the company he founded 17 years ago, which brings together blood biomarkers, genetic information and wearable data to give people personalised recommendations for improving their health. In this conversation, Dr Blander traces the scientific journey that took him from the Weizmann Institute to MIT and eventually to founding InsideTracker. He explains what he learned from some of the early breakthroughs in longevity research, why collecting more health data is not enough if people do not act on it, and why he believes behaviour change may now be one of the biggest challenges in extending healthy life. We also discuss his recent decision to step back from his operational role at InsideTracker and what he describes as his “second career”: taking personalised, preventative health beyond the longevity community and making it relevant to a much wider population. Guest Bio Dr Gil Blander is the founder of InsideTracker, a personalised health and longevity platform that combines blood biomarkers, DNA and wearable data to generate individualised health recommendations. He trained as a scientist at the Weizmann Institute, where he worked with Professor Moshe Oren on p53 and cancer biology, before moving to MIT to join Professor Leonard Guarente’s laboratory during an important period in the study of genes associated with ageing and longevity. After 17 years leading InsideTracker, Dr Blander recently stepped back from his operational role to focus on bringing personalised and preventative health to a much broader population. About Dr Gil Blander Principal: Healthspan Strategies Advisors and Founder and CEO of Stealth Health Tech startup * Instagram: Founder of @insidetracker * Instagram: Host of @beyond_healthspan_podcast * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gilblander * Company: insidetracker.com * Longevity by Design: info.insidetracker.com/longevitybydesign Episode Chapters * 00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction * 03:07 Why Data Alone Does Not Change Health * 05:02 Different People Need Different Motivation * 07:01 The Scientific Roots at Weizmann * 11:50 Inside MIT’s Early Longevity Research * 13:24 Leaving Academia for Industry * 16:04 The Idea Behind InsideTracker * 19:25 How InsideTracker Works * 20:35 Why Blood, DNA and Wearables Work Better Together * 26:14 Why Behaviour Change May Be the Real Frontier * 27:48 Taking Longevity Beyond the Longevity Bubble * 30:43 What Actually Makes Healthy Habits Stick * 34:58 What Real-World Data Can Teach Us * 40:29 Stepping Back and Starting a “Second Career” * 42:05 Longevity Hype, Science and the Limits of What We Know * 44:27 Rapid Fire * 47:20 Final Takeaways

  4. Jul 26

    Longevity Medicine Beyond ‘Failure-Based’ Healthcare with Dr Peter Scriven

    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 Matters 03:12 Failure-Based Medicine 04:34 Human Telemetry Monitoring 06:28 Testing Without Overtesting 09:53 Core vs Targeted Panels 13:13 Cost and ROI of Diagnostics 17:54 Healthspan Intervention Pyramid 20:53 Normal Ranges vs Trajectories 24:36 Missed Risks Real Stories 28:46 Breaking Medical Silos 33:49 Renaissance Medic Mindset 36:05 Training Beyond Silos 36:49 Regulating Longevity Medicine 37:43 Patients or Permanent Clients 41:01 Too Much Testing Ethics 44:08 Peptides and Amateur Hype 45:42 How to Vet a Clinic 49:01 Budget Biomarkers That Matter 52:13 Foundations and Wearables 55:19 Future of Cellular Medicine 58:30 Long-Term Clinic Journey 01:00:00 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

  5. Jul 19

    Longevity at HLTH Why Healthy Ageing Is Finally Going Mainstream

    In this episode of Beyond Longevity, Daphna speaks with Jody Tropeano Greene, Head of Content at HLTH, and Alexa Mikhail, Senior Content Lead at HLTH US, about how HLTH identifies the healthcare topics that matter most, balances emerging trends with scientific evidence, and reflects the growing importance of longevity within modern healthcare. They explore the difference between healthy ageing—grounded in well-established principles such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress management and social connection—and the consumer longevity movement, where interventions are often expensive, and the supporting evidence is still evolving. The conversation examines the gap between health insights and meaningful behaviour change, asking why biomarker data alone rarely translates into better health outcomes. They also discuss whether healthcare systems and insurers are likely to invest more in preventative healthcare beyond wearables and lifestyle programmes. Other topics include the importance of social health and loneliness, the evidence gap in women’s health, why strength should take priority over the pursuit of being “small”, the opportunities and limitations of GLP-1 medicines, longevity’s communication challenge, and how artificial intelligence could reshape primary care and expand access to preventative healthcare. HLTH and Longevity: Healthy Ageing, Evidence and Women’s Health Beyond Longevity examines how longevity has moved from a niche topic into mainstream healthcare, using HLTH’s major US and Europe conferences as a bellwether. Host Daphna speaks with HLTH head of content, Jody Tropeano Greene and HLTH US content lead, Alexa Mikhail, about how they build agenda programming that surfaces trending issues while insisting on credible evidence, and why they are dedicating a full day to longevity. They distinguish healthy ageing (population-level, researched basics such as sleep, nutrition, movement, stress and relationships) from consumer longevity biohacking (often expensive and sometimes unproven), discuss the “insight–action gap” from biomarker data, and debate whether insurers will fund prevention beyond wearables and lifestyle supports. HLTH USA is the premier event taking place November 15-18 in Las Vegas, where leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem come together to share insights, spark inspiration, and shape the global health agenda. Attendees gain a comprehensive view of healthcare advancements, from policy and market dynamics to cutting-edge consumer health technologies - all aimed at improving the well-being of individuals worldwide. Register and save $1,000+ by Friday, July 31 https://hlth.com/ Jody Tropeano Greene Head of Content, HLTH https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodytropeano/ Alexa Mikhail Content Lead, HLTH US Senior health and longevity writer, SHE Media, Flow Space https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexamikhail/ 00:00 Welcome to Beyond Longevity 00:25 Why HLTH Matters 01:26 Meet Jody and Alexa 03:02 How HLTH Picks Topics 04:41 Healthy Ageing vs Longevity 07:51 Credibility Over Hype 09:05 When Trends Go Mainstream 11:49 Prevention and Insurance 15:58 Loneliness as Longevity 17:05 What Makes Startups Break Through 19:19 Women Left Out of Data 23:44 Strength Over Smallness 26:41 Practical Healthspan Habits 27:45 Elevating Women's Health 29:19 Building Consumer Wellness 31:24 Longevity Goes Mainstream 32:21 Making Basics Profitable 34:17 Longevity Language Problem 35:24 Preparedness And Community 38:45 GLP1 Promise And Risks 42:13 Healthcare In Ten Years 45:17 Assumptions To Challenge 47:22 Rapid Fire And Wrap

  6. Jul 12

    From Blockbuster Medicine to Extending Healthspan with Sundeep Dugar PhD

    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 Series 00:00 Podcast Intro Guest 02:32 Blockbuster Drugs Legacy 05:37 How Zetia Was Found 07:29 Breakthroughs Doubt Lab 11:46 AI Limits Drug Discovery 17:47 Why Drug Candidates Fail 20:52 From Pharma to Ageing 21:54 Mitochondria Energy Quest 27:23 Blue Oak Mission Epicatechin 31:57 Key Terms Next Steps 32:13 Not a Muscle Pill 32:59 Mitochondria and Real Exercise 34:26 Ageing and Energy Decline 35:26 Supplement Not a Substitute 37:19 Why Go Nutraceutical 41:01 Science and Access Model 43:50 Affordability and Outreach 46:41 XPRIZE Healthspan Entry 49:39 Safety First Philosophy 54:14 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up 58:06 Host Closing Message

  7. Jul 5

    Robert Gielow on Longevity Products, Pharmacy Access and Consumer Trust with a focus on the German speaking market

    Daphna sat down with Robert Gielow, founder of Mentry Pharma, to discuss what it really takes for foreign supplement and longevity companies to enter the pharmacy markets of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He explains why many brands misunderstand the German-speaking market: distribution and pharmacy listings alone do not create demand, pharmacies are not straightforward sales channels, and sceptical consumers require multiple trust-building touchpoints before making a purchase. The conversation explores the practical realities of regulation, market access and enforcement, the differences between brick-and-mortar and online pharmacies, and why many market entries fail when companies focus on sales projections rather than customer acquisition and long-term retention. Gielow also discusses the challenges of consumer education, the influence of misinformation on social media, and the widening gap between rigorous scientific evidence and the content that attracts the greatest online attention. Finally, he argues that prevention remains undervalued across healthcare systems and that longevity does not have to depend on expensive interventions. Instead, he makes the case for focusing on the fundamentals: regular movement, good nutrition, quality sleep, strong relationships, and learning to listen to the body’s signals. https://www.mentry-pharma.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertgielow/ 00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup 02:16 Meet Robert and Mentory Pharma 04:18 How Mentory Pharma Started 08:31 Why Distribution Alone Fails 11:04 Pharmacies Aren't Salespeople 13:59 Why Brands Fail in Germany 19:12 Regulation Reality Check 25:39 Influencers vs Real Science 28:17 What Even Is Longevity 28:42 Vitamin D Rules Clash 31:09 Enforcement Reality Check 32:49 Why Prevention Lags 35:39 Pharma Shifts to Prevention 38:07 Markets Ahead of Europe 43:25 Longevity for the Rich 46:08 Back to Simple Habits 50:34 Building Credible Brands 55:26 Rapid Fire Takeaways 57:55 Closing Reflections

  8. Jun 28

    AI, Ageing And The Question Of Trust with Dr Filippo Dall'Armellina

    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 Publication 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:08 Filippo Background Journey 05:03 Skipping Masters to PhD 08:33 Embracing Research Chaos 12:39 Academia Industry Bridge 19:46 Why Discoveries Fail 23:44 AI in Structural Biology 32:15 AlphaFold Explained 36:58 Prediction vs Understanding 41:42 AI Meets Longevity 47:04 Next Five Years for AI 49:28 AI Hype and Missteps 53:07 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up 56:21 Final Takeaways Outro

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About

Beyond Longevity explores the science, medicine, technology, business and policy shaping longer, healthier lives. Host Daphna Stern speaks with leading researchers, clinicians, founders and experts about ageing biology, healthspan, preventive medicine, longevity biomarkers, AI in healthcare, nutrition, women’s health and the societal impact of longer lives. Each episode examines the evidence, separates credible science from hype and translates complex research into clear, practical conversations.

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