Who's who in longevity research

Developed the first multi-tissue epigenetic aging clock in 2013, now the standard for measuring biological age.

Developed the PhenoAge clock, which predicts not just age but also disease risk.

Pioneer in the reliability of methylation clocks and in quantifying biological age and rejuvenation.

2012 Nobel Prize for iPS cells: proved that adult cells can be reset to a young state, the foundation of the entire reprogramming field.

Discovered epigenetic reprogramming in development and demonstrated substantial rejuvenation of human cells through partial reprogramming.

First to show that partial reprogramming can reverse hallmarks of aging in living mice.

Discovered the senescence gene p16 and connects senescence research to rejuvenation via reprogramming.

Studies the epigenetic information-loss theory of aging, and is at once the most visible and most criticized public voice on lifespan.

Developed transient rejuvenation (ERA) of adult cells without loss of their cell identity.

Co-founder of the senolytics field: coined the term and ran the first human studies on clearing senescent cells.

Conceived the senolytics concept with Kirkland and developed the biomarkers and models of senescent cells.

Uncovered the molecular control of cellular senescence, including senolysis via GLS1 inhibition.

Showed how endogenous DNA damage drives cellular senescence and aging, and brought the flavonoid fisetin into focus as a senolytic.

Identified human longevity genes through centenarians and initiated the metformin trial TAME.

Discovered that a single gene (daf-2) doubles the lifespan of worms, showing that aging is genetically controllable.

Founder of the Leiden Longevity Study into the genetics and biomarkers of healthy aging in families.

Founder of the New England Centenarian Study, the largest centenarian study, and an outspoken critic of the anti-aging industry.

Showed in centenarians that reduced IGF-1 activity is associated with exceptional longevity.

Put rapamycin on the map as a candidate aging drug and is co-founder of the Dog Aging Project.

Leading figure of the ITP, the most rigorous program testing which compounds actually extend the lifespan of mice.

Founder of the fasting-mimicking diet and of the research connecting nutrition to the pathways of aging.

Leading research on caloric restriction and fasting patterns in mice and rhesus monkeys.

Unravels the mTOR pathway and showed that low-protein diets and restriction of BCAA amino acids improve metabolic health.

Studies how sirtuins, NAD+ and ketone bodies drive the aging process and inflammation.

Lead author of The Hallmarks of Aging, the influential framework that defines the core processes of aging.

Discovered the role of mitochondrial membrane permeabilization in cell death and is a leader in autophagy research.

Pioneered showing that diet and signaling pathways slow aging, consistently from fruit fly to mouse.

Pioneer of comparative aging biology, using long-lived species to study why organisms age so differently.

Built the widely used open databases on aging (AnAge, GenAge, DrugAge) that supply the field with data.

Showed with the naked mole-rat that high-molecular-weight hyaluronan is the key to its cancer resistance and long life.

Mapped the evolution of tumor suppression toward lifespan and, with Gorbunova, identified the hyaluronan mechanism.

Leads China's hub in aging biology: aging clocks, stem cells and the Aging Biomarker Consortium.

Uncovered the central role of DNA damage in aging, including the discovery of the DREAM complex.

One of the world's foremost telomere researchers, who demonstrated telomerase gene therapy in mice.

Mapped the networks behind long life and age-related memory loss using the roundworm C. elegans.

Dutch physician-researcher bringing clinical longevity medicine into practice through large cohort studies and trials.

Uncovered the role of sirtuins and the mTOR pathway in aging; former CEO of the Buck Institute.

Popularized the longevity escape velocity concept and the SENS approach, and is now testing combined rejuvenation in mice.