Dr. Vittorio Sebastiano is a Full Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, and Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to regenerative medicine, cellular reprogramming, reproductive biology, and the biology of aging.

Dr. Sebastiano's research focuses on understanding and manipulating the fundamental mechanisms that govern cellular identity and biological aging. His laboratory pioneered the development of Epigenetic Reprogramming of Aging (ERA), an innovative strategy that harnesses transient cellular reprogramming to rejuvenate aged cells while preserving their specialized identity and function. In a landmark study, his group provided the first demonstration that partial reprogramming could reverse hallmarks of aging in human cells and tissues using a clinically compatible, non-integrative mRNA platform. This work established both the conceptual and technological foundation for the emerging field of partial reprogramming and reshaped views of aging by demonstrating that age-associated cellular decline is, at least in part, a reversible process. The ERA platform has since inspired a rapidly expanding area of investigation aimed at developing rejuvenation therapies to promote healthy longevity and treat age-related disease.

For these contributions, Dr. Sebastiano has received several prestigious honors, including the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) Junior Investigator Award and the Glenn Foundation Breakthrough in Gerontology Award. His work has received international recognition and has been featured by major media outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic, Nature Biotechnology, Der Spiegel, The Times, and France 2's Envoyé Spécial.

Beyond his research activities, Dr. Sebastiano plays an active role in shaping the global longevity ecosystem. He is a founding member and Scientific Steering Committee member of the Biomarkers of Aging Consortium, an international initiative dedicated to the development and validation of robust biomarkers of biological aging and interventions that target it. He serves as Scientific Advisor to the St. Moritz Longevity Forum, one of Europe's leading platforms for interdisciplinary dialogue on the future of healthy longevity and contributes to the scientific organization of international convenings including the Cyprus EMEA Healthspan Summit.

He is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Milan Longevity Summit, an international forum that brings together scientists, clinicians, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and cultural leaders to advance a multidisciplinary vision of longevity. In addition, he contributes to the Vatican Longevity Summit, promoting dialogue at the intersection of science, ethics, and the societal implications of extending healthy human lifespan.

Beyond aging research, Dr. Sebastiano has made seminal contributions to stem cell biology and translational medicine. During his postdoctoral training at Stanford University, he was among the first investigators to demonstrate the efficient derivation, precise genetic correction, and therapeutic application of induced pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of genetic diseases, work published in Science Translational Medicine that helped advance the field toward clinical translation.

Originally from Italy, Dr. Sebastiano obtained his undergraduate and doctoral training at the University of Pavia, where he investigated germ cell biology, preimplantation development, and mechanisms of nuclear reprogramming using somatic cell nuclear transfer. He subsequently joined the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Germany as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Hans R. Schöler, further expanding his work on cellular plasticity, embryonic development, and germline biology before moving to Stanford University in 2009.

Through a career spanning developmental biology, stem cell engineering, reproductive biology, and aging research, Dr. Sebastiano has consistently sought to translate fundamental discoveries into therapeutic strategies aimed at extending healthspan and improving human health across the lifespan.