Longevity by Design

Epizody

• Do Longevity Supplements Really Work? 30.03.2026 1h 9min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Andrea Maier, Professor in Medicine and Director of the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore’s School of Medicine. They explore what the evidence shows on supplements, and why “test, then treat” beats guesswork. Andrea unpacks a review of over 5 million people: multivitamins may support memory and lower systolic blood pressure in some older or at-risk groups, but offer little ...
• What Houses, Garbage, and Trucks Teach Us About Aging with Dr. Uri Alon 28.03.2026 1h 4min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Uri Alon, Professor at Weizmann Institute of Science. They explore a systems view of aging that treats longevity as a solvable model, not a grab bag of disconnected theories. Uri explains aging with a simple story: houses make garbage, trucks remove it, and the village has a threshold for how much damage it can handle. In the body, “garbage” can include damaged and senescent cells, “trucks” can include immune cle...
• Born to Live Longer? Inside the Genetics and Biology of Centenarians 26.03.2026 1h 1min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Paola Sebastiani, Professor of Biostatistics at Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute. They explore what centenarians reveal about reaching 100, and why there’s no single longevity gene. Paola explains that studies keep finding many small genetic effects, which makes polygenic risk scores hard to use for personal prediction. She says progress depends on bigger cohorts and new analyses that include st...
• Age Faster or Slower? The Surprising Role of Mental Health and Self-Control 18.03.2026 1h 3min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Terrie Moffitt, University Professor at Duke University. They explore the deep link between mental health, self-control, and the pace of biological aging, showing how early-life mental disorders can shape health decades later. Terrie describes her work with the decades-long Dunedin study, which tracks health from birth through midlife. She explains how people age at different rates, even when born in the same yea...
• Why Most Longevity Advice Gets Weight and Exercise Wrong 04.03.2026 1h 10min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. David Allison, Director of the USDA Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they examine what it takes to build public trust in nutrition and longevity science, and why clear, reproducible evidence matters more than ever. David highlights how public perception and scientific rigor can drift apart, especially in fields crowded with strong opinions and shifting trends. David sh...
• Can Psychedelic Mushrooms Slow Aging? 18.02.2026 52min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Louise Hecker, Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they dive into Louise’s recent research exploring how psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may influence aging biology at the cellular and organismal level. Louise shares the story behind her curiosity about psilocybin, sparked by conversations with a friend and fueled by a lack of scientific answers. She e...
• Engineering Healthspan with Dr. Nathan Price: Is It Finally Possible? 04.02.2026 1h 4min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Nathan Price, Professor and Co-Director at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Together, they explore how systems biology, artificial intelligence, and deep health data are changing the way we approach aging and prevention. Nathan explains why looking at single biomarkers falls short and why a network view of biology gives a clearer path to understanding disease and resilience. Nathan shares how new tools, ...
• How AI Is Redesigning Longevity | Systems Thinking with Dr. Ronjon Nag 21.01.2026 1h 17min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Ronjon Nag, Adjunct Professor in Genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and President of the R42 Group, for a wide-ranging conversation on how artificial intelligence is reshaping health, medicine, and longevity science. Ronjon makes the case for systems thinking as a necessary framework for understanding aging, arguing that health emerges from complex interactions rather than isolated interventions. He explain...
• From Genomics to Healthspan: Dr. Wei-Wu He’s Vision for Preventing Disease 07.01.2026 1h 20min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Wei-Wu, Executive Chairman at Human Longevity, Inc. Together, they explore how advances in genome sequencing, AI, and multi-layered diagnostics are changing the fight against age-related diseases. Wei-Wu shares why understanding your own genetic risks and combining them with other health data leads to better prevention and a longer healthspan. Wei-Wu explains the value of integrating genome sequencing, advanced i...
• What Keeps You Strong at 90+: Real-World Longevity Lessons From Gil’s Parents 17.12.2025 21min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dalia Blander and Eprihm Blander, his parents, who are thriving in their nineties. Gil explores the daily routines, food choices, and mindsets that have kept Dalia and Eprihm active, independent, and healthy well into later life. Dalia and Eprihm share how simple habits like regular movement, home-cooked meals, and a Mediterranean diet have shaped their health. They talk about the power of walking, gardening, and sta...
• The Gut–Brain Axis: A New Frontier in Longevity with Dr. Emeran Mayer 03.12.2025 59min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Emeran Mayer, Executive Director at the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience and founder of Mayer Interconnected. They explore the science behind the gut-brain connection and its role in shaping health and longevity. Emeran explains how signals flow between the brain, gut, and microbiome, influencing everything from digestion to emotions. He breaks down how modern diets, especially ultra-processe...
• Dr. Barabási Explains Nutritional Dark Matter, Food Networks, and Aging 19.11.2025 1h 9min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Albert-László Barabási, Professor at Northeastern University, to explore how networks shape health, aging, and nutrition. Barabási explains how biological and social networks influence resilience, robustness, and our ability to recover from stress or disease. He describes aging as a gradual loss of resilience, where the body becomes less able to bounce back from small disruptions. The conversation moves into the ...
• Building Joyspan: How Purpose and Connection Extend Healthspan with Dr. Kerry Burnight 05.11.2025 57min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Kerry Burnight, Gerontologist, Chief Gerontologist, New York Times best-selling author, and researcher. They explore what it truly means to age well, focusing less on resisting the passage of time and more on embracing vitality, curiosity, and joy throughout life’s second half. Dr. Burnight explains why the common “decline” mindset around aging misses the full story. She shares research showing that meaningful gr...
• Why Sleep Trumps Exercise for Long-Term Health with Dr. Florence Comite 22.10.2025 1h 3min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Gil Blander sits down with Florence Comite, MD, physician-scientist and founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Healthy Longevity. They explore why a one-size-fits-all approach to longevity falls short and how personalized data, from biomarkers to genetics, can spot early signs of disease before symptoms appear. Florence explains her “Nof1” method, which uses deep testing, wearables, and personal history to craft precise health p...
• Building a Blueprint for Longer Lives Through Public Policy 08.10.2025 59min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, our host, Dr. Gil Blander, sits down with Dylan Livingston, CEO at the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, and Dr. Brenda Eap to explore how public policy shapes the future of aging research. Dylan and Brendan share how their team pushes for legislation that supports healthy lifespan extension, aiming to bring longevity science into the center of national health priorities. Dylan and Brendan explain why policy advocacy is crucial for securing funding f...
• Dr. Peter Fedichev: Why Aging Is Functional Decline, Not Just Disease 17.09.2025 1h 7min

  Aging is more than disease—it’s the steady decline of function. In this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander speaks with physicist-turned-biotech innovator Dr. Peter Fedichev about why resilience, not diseases, holds the key to longer lives. Peter explains how his background in theoretical physics shaped his approach to biology and aging. He outlines why startups, not large institutions, are now leading innovation in longevity science. Drawing from physics, he describes aging as a...
• Dr. Eric Verdin on the Effects of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange on Longevity 03.09.2025 52min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander welcomes Dr. Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Eric discusses the science behind therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and its potential to slow biological aging in humans. The conversation explores findings from a recent clinical trial, including measurable age reversal using epigenetic clocks. Eric explains how removing and replacing plasma can dilute pro-aging factors in the blood, a concept insp...
• What Happens to Your Body When You Sit All Day, with Dr. Keith Diaz 20.08.2025 1h 5min

  In this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Keith Diaz, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, to unpack the hidden health risks of prolonged sitting. Keith explains why even daily exercise isn't enough to counteract the effects of sedentary behavior. Drawing on his lab's findings, he shares a simple but powerful prescription: five minutes of light walking every hour. That small change can lower blood pressure, ...
• Acetylation Insights: Unlocking Longevity Secrets with Dr. Haim Cohen 06.08.2025 55min

  In this episode, Dr. Gil Blander welcomes Dr. Haim Cohen to Longevity by Design to explore his revolutionary approach to understanding aging. Haim's team analyzed acetylation sites across 107 mammalian species, creating its most extensive comparative study. This computational approach revealed specific post-translational modifications that evolved exclusively in long-lived animals. The research identifies critical pathways where evolution engineered longevity solutions. These acetylation cha...
• Karl Pfleger Explains the Aging Biotech Explosion 23.07.2025 1h 18min

  On this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Karl Pfleger, aging biotechnology investor and creator of AgingBiotech.info, to dissect the rapidly evolving field of aging therapeutics. Karl breaks down the sector into two main categories: interventions that slow aging rates versus rejuvenation strategies that repair accumulated damage. Karl highlights the most promising areas in his investment portfolio, including senolytics for clearing senescent cells and epigen...