Dr. Tia Kansara is a globally recognized authority on regenerative systems, planetary health, and the built environment, whose work sits at the intersection of human longevity and the design of the spaces we inhabit. She is the CEO of Replenish Earth, a UN Special Advisor, and an internationally sought-after keynote speaker on regenerative systems, ESG, and planetary health. With more than two decades advising governments, Fortune 500 companies, and global institutions, Tia has dedicated her career to a single, integrative question: how do we design human systems—buildings, cities, organizations, and bodies—that actively replenish life rather than deplete it? Her work bridges science, policy, and lived human experience, translating complex research on physiology, ecology, and sustainability into frameworks that decision-makers can act on. It is this lens she brings to her chapter on Human, Animal, and Planetary Flourishing in Urban Systems, where she argues that the longevity of any one species in a city is inseparable from the longevity of all the others. In April 2026, Tia formally introduced Nervous System Compliant™ (NSC™) Design, a new built-environment standard nearly two decades in the making. NSC™ measures the impact of spaces on the human autonomic nervous system across six dimensions—sympathetic activation, circadian coherence, sensory layering, biotic contact, social neurophysiology, and interoceptive safety—offering the longevity field a rigorous, body-based language for how environments shape healthspan. The standard sits inside her wider Replenish Earth™ and N+™ frameworks for regenerative design. A Ph.D.-trained researcher, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (Hon FRIBA), and certified Trauma-Informed Somatic Practitioner, Tia brings an unusually wide aperture to longevity science—pairing planetary-scale systems thinking with the granular biology of how a single human body responds to light, materials, sound, and social space. Based in London, she continues to advise leaders worldwide on how to build environments, institutions, and lives capable of carrying the next century of human, animal, and planetary flourishing.

Dr. Alexander Fleming is President of the Kitalys Institute, which he co-founded in 2020. He also founded and serves as Executive Chairman of Kinexum. Dr. Fleming received his M.D. and internal medicine training from Emory, and did fellowships in endocrinology at Vanderbilt and in metabolism at the National Institutes of Health, where he was a senior fellow. At the US Food and Drug Administration from 1986–98, Dr. Fleming was responsible for therapies related to nutrition; disorders of growth, development, and reproduction; diabetes and its complications; and other metabolic and endocrine diseases. He led reviews of landmark approvals including metformin and the first statin, insulin analog, PPAR-agonist, and growth hormone for non-GH deficiency indications. He helped shape FDA policies and practices related to therapeutic review and regulatory communication. He was a major contributor to FDA’s Good Review Practice (GRP) initiative and led the committee responsible for education and training at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). He conceived of and directed the first FDA pilot project to utilize the internet for regulatory communication. Numerous international institutions have sought his regulatory and technical expertise, including the World Health Organization, where he was stationed by FDA during 1991–92. Dr. Fleming was a member of the expert working groups on Good Clinical Practices and General Considerations for Clinical Trials of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) and participated on other ICH committees including the Common Technical Document working group. Dr. Fleming has authored many scientific articles, books, and book chapters. He has been a member of many corporate and advisory boards to academic and commercial institutions and professional societies. He serves on the joint technology working groups of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and American Diabetes Association. Dr. Fleming coined the term “metabesity." He started the Targeting Metabesity Conference, since renamed the Targeting Healthy Longevity Conference (THL), in 2017.

Thomas Seoh is an entrepreneur and executive who has held senior leadership positions in public and private pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies for over three decades. He currently serves as CEO of Kinexum, a life sciences strategic advisory firm, and EVP of the Kitalys Institute. Previously, he practiced corporate law in New York and London and served as General Counsel for several companies, including the ICN Pharmaceuticals group in Costa Mesa. He then joined NASDAQ-listed Guilford Pharmaceuticals in Baltimore, first as VP, General Counsel & Secretary, then as SVP Corporate and Commercial Development. He was then CEO of venture-backed Faust Pharmaceuticals in Strasbourg, France, and held various C-suite and board positions in therapeutic and medical device startups. Thomas holds an AB in Philosophy and History and a JD from Harvard University.

Brennan is a graduate student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, studying Immunology. He is particularly interested in aging biology and how immune aging contributes to age-associated decline.

Dr. Ben Goertzel CEO of SingularityNET and the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance Dr. Ben Goertzel is a pioneering scientist, entrepreneur, and leading global voice in artificial general intelligence (AGI). He serves as the CEO of SingularityNET, the world’s first large-scale decentralized AI platform, and CEO of TrueAGI, which focuses on building practical, scalable AGI systems rooted in decades of cognitive architecture research. He is also Chairman of the AGI Society, the field’s longest-running scientific organization dedicated to advancing general intelligence research, and CEO of the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance, a multi-project ecosystem committed to developing open, beneficial superintelligence outside the control of Big Tech and nation-states. Ben coined and formalized the term “Artificial General Intelligence” in his landmark 2005 book Artificial General Intelligence, setting the conceptual foundation for the field long before AGI became mainstream discourse. He has authored over 25 books and 200+ scientific papers spanning AI, cognitive science, complex systems, machine learning, and philosophy of mind. His latest book, The Consciousness Explosion, outlines a vision for the coming transition where humans and advanced machine minds co-evolve toward higher forms of intelligence and experience. A central focus of Ben’s current work is Hyperon, the largest non–Big Tech AGI architecture and the leading project globally that integrates multiple AI techniques, such as symbolic reasoning, neural learning, probabilistic inference, evolutionary computation, and distributed networks. Hyperon is designed to run on a decentralized, censorship-resistant compute fabric—in stark contrast to the closed, centralized AGI efforts of major corporations. Throughout his career, Ben has built and led teams across academia, industry, and open-source communities. Prior roles include Chief Scientist of Hanson Robotics, where he led the development of the cognitive software behind Sophia the Robot (the first robot citizen), and leadership positions across bioinformatics, machine learning, and cognitive modeling labs worldwide. As a public intellectual, he is widely recognized for his thought leadership on AGI safety, decentralized AI governance, crypto-AI ecosystems, longevity science, and transhumanism. He is a frequent speaker at global forums including Davos, TEDx, the Web Summit, The United Nations, China’s Boao Forum, and major AI research conferences. Outside of research and entrepreneurship, Ben is also a musician. His band Desdemona’s Dream, featuring a humanoid robot lead singer, tours internationally and explores the frontier of AI-human musical collaboration—merging art, embodiment, and generative creativity as another dimension of his lifelong exploration of intelligence.

Regina Belova received her bachelor’s degree in biology from KFU (Kazan, Russia) in 2024. She also earned a master’s degree in mathematics and computer science from HSE (Moscow, Russia) in 2026. Her research interests include theories of aging, genetics, population models, and bioinformatics.

Matt Yousefzadeh, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is a member of the Columbia Center for Translational Immunology and the Burch-Lodge Center for Human Longevity. Dr. Yousefzadeh’s laboratory utilizes in vitro and in vivo models of aging to explore the effect of senescent cells, in particular senescent immune cells, on driving organismal aging. The mechanistic studies of cell and cell non-autonomous effects provide insight into interorgan communication and how different pillars of aging can serve to drive aging in a tissue or cell type-specific manner. Using samples from humans and animal models of aging, the laboratory focuses on developing useful biomarkers of aging with translational potential. Lastly, the laboratory uses models of natural aging, accelerated aging, and preclinical models of disease to test the efficacy of geroprotective compounds like senolytics.

Philippe Gerwill is an internationally recognized Digitalization Humanist, Futurist, Executive Advisor, and Global Key Opinion Leader focused on the convergence of artificial intelligence, digital health, longevity, and human-centric innovation. With more than three decades of international leadership experience across the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and specialty chemicals industries, he is widely respected for bridging emerging technologies with real-world human impact. Throughout his career, Philippe has held global leadership roles within major multinational organizations, including approximately 15 years at Novartis and additional leadership positions at Lonza and Ciba Specialty Chemicals. These experiences enabled him to work extensively across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, developing a deep understanding of cultural diversity, global healthcare systems, innovation ecosystems, and international business transformation. Today, Philippe serves as Founder and CEO of PGEA Ltd, an executive advisory company established in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. Through his advisory activities, he supports governments, healthcare organizations, startups, academic institutions, investors, and multinational companies in navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, precision health, and longevity innovation. Philippe is particularly recognized for advocating a people-first approach to technological innovation. While he actively promotes breakthrough technologies such as AI, IoT, Big Data, Digital Twins, the Metaverse, 5G, Blockchain, and immersive healthcare experiences, he consistently emphasizes that technology should augment humanity rather than replace it. His work explores how healthcare systems can evolve from reactive “sick care” models toward predictive, preventative, personalized, and participatory health ecosystems. His recent quote is "Moving from sick care to seek health". A highly sought-after international keynote speaker, moderator, and panelist, Philippe regularly contributes to major global conferences and forums across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Africa, China, and beyond. His speaking engagements span topics such as AI governance, healthcare transformation, digital therapeutics, longevity science, women’s health innovation, future hospitals, metaverse healthcare applications, medical education, and adaptive regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies. In addition to his advisory and speaking activities, Philippe also serves as Adjunct Professor at the Rome Business School, where he teaches on Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Data Science for Digital Health Management and Clinical Decision Support Systems. He is passionate about mentoring the next generation of innovators and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare, technology, academia, and policymakers. Philippe is also the creator of the “Longevity GPS” concept, a visionary framework exploring how AI-powered Digital Twins, real-time health data, behavioral insights, and environmental factors can help guide individuals toward healthier and longer lives through continuous navigation rather than static prediction. Beyond his professional achievements, Philippe is deeply committed to contributing positively to society during this stage of his career. Entering what he describes as a “give back” phase of life, he actively supports initiatives focused on ethical innovation, global collaboration, health equity, education, and the responsible integration of AI into society. Known for his authentic communication style and strong global network, Philippe has built a significant international presence as a thought leader on Linkedin where he is recognized as a leading voice in artificial intelligence and healthcare innovation. Through his articles, keynote presentations, advisory roles, and public engagements, he continues to advocate for a future where technological progress remains deeply connected to human values, empathy, inclusion, and purpose.

Michael Rae is the author of eleven scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, four previous book chapters in academic volumes, and is coauthor with Aubrey de Grey of Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs that Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime. For twenty years, he was Science Writer at SENS Research Foundation and its forerunner and successor organizations, and served as a member of its Research Development Committee. He was a long-time member and one-time Board Member of the Calorie Restriction Society and its Vice President for Research from 2014. He is currently Senior Analyst at Early Medical.

Jasmine Smith is the Founder and CEO of Rejuve.AI, a decentralized AI and longevity research company developing tools for participatory healthspan research, biomarker-informed personalization, and AI-driven longevity insights. With a background in Health Information Management and Health Informatics, she works at the intersection of biomedical data systems, digital health, aging research, and decentralized science. At Rejuve.AI, Smith leads strategy across product development, research infrastructure, partnerships, and community engagement. Her work focuses on using artificial intelligence and consent-based data systems to make longevity research more transparent, inclusive, and actionable for individuals and research communities. Smith conceived and led the development of the International Longevity Research Database Protocol, Rejuve.AI’s IRB-reviewed framework for longitudinal, real-world healthspan research, developed in collaboration with two co-investigators. The protocol supports the collection of multimodal data across biomarkers, lifestyle, behavior, wearables, and exposome-related inputs, with an emphasis on participant ownership, informed consent, and real-world applicability. She has contributed to early real-world research initiatives connected to Rejuve.AI’s decentralized longevity research model, including the Longevity Biomarkers Competition and Summit in Roatán, Honduras, which Rejuve.AI co-hosted. She has also collaborated on JoyScore Experiment, an ongoing exploratory initiative examining joy, connection, psychosocial wellbeing, and environmental experience as part of the broader exposome of healthy aging. Her broader interests include biological age modelling, biomarkers of aging, AI-assisted evidence synthesis, participatory trial design, decentralized research infrastructure, exposome research, and the ethical use of personal health data. She is especially interested in how biological rejuvenation can be defined, measured, and quantified through multimodal biomarkers and real-world longitudinal data. Through her work, Smith aims to bridge advanced AI, translational aging research, and practical tools that help individuals better understand and improve their health trajectories.

Mr. Aisin studies PhD in City University of Hongkong, while his master degree was obtained in Skoltech university. He researches aging and his recent research projects were related to aging phenomena in eusocial species. Samir has published an article recently in npj aging, related to rejuvenation phenomena in eusocial bees and how is it explained by pathogen control hypothesis: Aisin, S.I., Lidskii, B.V. & Lidsky, P.V. Avoidance of rejuvenation: a stress test for evolutionary theories of aging. npj Aging 12, 64 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-026-00365-x.

Carolyn Baker Ringel, JD, MBE is an Affiliate and course instructor at the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School. She teaches about the intersection of health law, public policy, and bioethics. She holds an AB in Politics from Princeton University, a JD from the University of Chicago Law School, and an MBE from Harvard Medical School. She previously served as Legal Counsel for the Massachusetts Senate Oversight Committee, as well as The Second Step, a domestic violence non-profit agency. She has served as an advisor to several concierge mental health consulting companies. She is a published writer, TedX speaker, and invited presenter at national and international conferences on the ethics of longevity research as well as transgender healthcare. She serves as a member of the Philanthropic Board of Advisors for Boston Children’s Hospital and the Institutional Review Board for Beth Israel Deaconess. She is an elected member of the Board of Library Trustees for the Town of Dover and previously served as an elected member of the Dover Sherborn School Committee.

Heather Carter is the Founder and Principal of Venture Vitamin, a strategy studio and independent think tank focused on the future of aging, healthcare, and the Longevity Economy, and the General Partner of First Money Fund, an early-stage venture fund focused on health technology and AgeTech innovation. With more than a decade of experience as a founder, operator, and investor, Heather has helped build and scale multiple venture-backed companies, including Soothe, Heal — Doctors to Your Door (acquired by Humana), and Coterie (acquired by The Riveter), where she later served as Co-CEO. Heather is the author of The Business Case for Investing in the Longevity Economy, a white paper informed by a series of convenings with investors, operators, policymakers, and industry leaders exploring the economic and societal implications of an aging population. Through Venture Vitamin, she has hosted forums and private think tank dinners in partnership with organizations including AARP focused on the future of aging, healthcare, and care infrastructure. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and USA Today, where her op-ed on aging and the future economy was published. She also serves on the boards of several nonprofit and mission-driven organizations focused on community and social impact.

Dr. Michael Ringel is Chief Operating Officer at Life Biosciences, a company focused on epigenetic restoration to reverse diseases of aging. Prior to joining Life Bio, Michael was Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, where he worked for 25 years. He is on the Board of Hevolution Foundation US, the largest charitable organization focused on extending healthy aging, the Board of AFAR, the oldest organization supporting healthy aging through biomedical research, and is an Advisor to Sheba Longevity Center, a clinic devoted to healthy aging at one of the world's best hospitals. Dr. Ringel holds a B.A. summa cum laude in biology from Princeton University, a Ph.D. in biology from Imperial College, and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Sonia Arrison is an entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author focused on the intersection of biology and technology. She is the founder of 100 Plus Capital, Chair of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, a Venture Partner at Portfolia, and an advisor to Felicis Ventures. Previously, Sonia co-founded Unsugarcoat Media, which was acquired by Medium. She has served on the board of the Thiel Foundation, was an associate founder of Singularity University, and held roles as a director and Senior Fellow in Technology Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. She has also served on the board of Woodland School and was a longtime columnist for TechNewsWorld. Sonia’s work centers on the impact of exponentially advancing technologies on society. Her book, *100 Plus: How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything, From Careers and Relationships to Family and Faith*, became a national bestseller and explores the social, economic, and cultural implications of extended human lifespans. She is a frequent speaker on longevity, innovation, and the future of human health. She currently serves on the boards of the Foresight Institute and the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives and is a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia. Sonia is also the author of two earlier books, *Western Visions* and *Digital Dialog*, and has written extensively on technology and public policy.

Aleksandr Panchin is a Russian biologist, science communicator, author, and public intellectual specializing in computational biology, genetics, and the popularization of scientific thinking. He holds a PhD in computational biology from Lomonosov Moscow State University, where he studied at the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics. His academic research has focused on molecular evolution, comparative genomics and bioinformatics. Panchin is widely recognized as one of Russia’s leading advocates for science literacy, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning. His work focuses on making complex scientific concepts accessible to broad audiences while promoting rigorous skepticism toward pseudoscience, misinformation, and extraordinary claims unsupported by evidence. He is the author of several influential popular science books, including Sum of Biotechnology (2015), an exploration of genetic engineering and modern biotechnology; Defense Against the Dark Arts (2018), which examines cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and methods for evaluating extraordinary claims; and Immortality or Death: From Entropy to Eternity (2025), a comprehensive exploration of the science and ethics of life extension and humanity’s efforts to overcome biological aging. A prominent advocate of longevity science, Panchin is a member of the international vitalist community and an outspoken proponent of aging research as one of the most important scientific and humanitarian challenges of the 21st century. He argues that extending healthy human lifespan through biomedical innovation is both scientifically plausible and ethically necessary, and he actively promotes public discussion of the scientific and social implications of radical life extension. Beyond his books, Panchin is an active lecturer and media figure with over 450 thousand subscriber's on his YouTube channel. His ability to combine scientific depth with clarity, humor, and intellectual accessibility has made him a prominent voice in contemporary science communication. Panchin has participated in numerous educational and public outreach initiatives aimed at strengthening rational inquiry and scientific literacy. He is particularly known for critically examining controversial scientific and philosophical topics—including genetic modification, paranormal claims, cognitive biases, and emerging technologies—with a focus on empirical evidence and methodological rigor. Across his academic and public work, Panchin consistently promotes curiosity, intellectual honesty, and the scientific method as essential tools for understanding reality and addressing humanity’s most profound challenges, including the pursuit of longer, healthier lives.

David A. Sinclair, Ph.D., A.O. is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School who works on understanding why we age and how to slow and reverse its effects. Prof. Sinclair is known for his Information Theory of Aging, which states that information loss over time is the key driver of aging, a process that can be reset using a back-up copy of youthful information in each cell. His lab was the first to identify a role for NAD biosynthesis in the regulation of lifespan, that sirtuins are involved in fasting’s benefits, and showed aging can be controlled in both directions. He has published over 200 scientific papers, is a co-inventor on over 50 patents, co-founded numerous successful companies and is the author of the New York Times Best Seller Lifespan: Why We Don’t Have To. He serves as co-chief editor of the scientific journal Aging and has received more than 35 honors including the Noble Genius Award from the World Forum, the NIH Director’s Pioneer award and TIME magazine’s “100 most influential people in the world” & “Top 50 people in Healthcare”. In 2018, he became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).

José Luis Cordeiro, PhD, is director of the International Longevity Allaince, an international fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, vicechair of HumanityPlus, director of The Millennium Project, founding faculty at Singularity University in NASA Research Park, Silicon Valley, and former director of the Club of Rome (Venezuela Chapter), the World Transhumanist Association and the Extropy Institute. He has also been invited faculty at the Institute of Developing Economies IDE – JETRO in Tokyo, Japan, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Russia. José studied engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, economics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, management at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, and science at Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela. He is a leading expert on technological change and future trends. He has published more than 10 books in several languages, including his recent bestseller "The Death of Death" with David Wood, ScD, and appeared in programs with the BBC, CNN, Discovery Channel and History Channel, among many other international media interviews. He is a member of the Sigma Xi (ΣΞ) and Tau Beta Pi (ТΒΠ) honor societies, and has received several prizes, including the Spanish Health Award by Instituto Europeo for promoting research on longevity and life extension. He has been Spanish candidate to the European Parliament in 2019, when he proposed the creation of the European Anti-Aging Agency.

Keith Comito is a mathematician, computer programmer, and leading advocate for the advancement of evidence-based longevity science and the extension of healthy human lifespan. He is the CEO and President of the Lifespan Research Institute (LRI), where he leads a diverse portfolio of scientific, technological, educational, and public engagement initiatives focused on accelerating progress against age-related disease and extending healthy human lifespan. He also serves in leadership and operational capacities across a range of organizations within the longevity ecosystem, including policy-focused efforts such as the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI) and decentralized science initiatives such as VitaDAO and JellyfishDAO. Comito’s technical work sits at the intersection of computer science, artificial intelligence, biomedical research, and human-computer interaction. His research and development efforts have focused particularly on digital biomarkers, multimodal data capture, and machine learning systems capable of identifying physiological and neurological states through downstream behavioral indicators such as speech patterns, facial movement, and body dynamics. He is the inventor of numerous patented technologies, including body and face tracking systems, force transfer estimation models, and condition prediction methodologies derived from neurological signal analysis. Prior to his current role, Comito served as Technology Lead of Advanced Research at The Walt Disney Company, where he worked on emerging technologies and next-generation interactive systems. His broader career has consistently emphasized the use of advanced computational tools to better understand and augment human capabilities, while translating complex scientific ideas into scalable public-facing platforms. In the longevity field, Comito has become widely recognized for pioneering large-scale public outreach and decentralized science initiatives designed to broaden participation in aging research. He has led major crowdfunding efforts and collaborative scientific campaigns that helped demonstrate new models for funding and organizing biomedical research outside traditional institutional structures. Through educational media, public campaigns, and digital engagement strategies, he has also created and overseen initiatives that have introduced tens of millions of people worldwide to the biology of aging and the emerging science of lifespan extension. Beyond his organizational and technological leadership, Comito’s work frequently explores the societal, ethical, and philosophical implications of radical improvements in human healthspan and longevity. His writing and public speaking often focus on the ways advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and data science may reshape medicine, human flourishing, and civilization. In addition to scientific and technological advocacy, he has also engaged extensively with the cultural and psychological dimensions of life extension itself, examining how mythology, religion, psychology, and popular media shape public perceptions of aging, mortality, and the desirability of extended human life. Through his interdisciplinary approach, bridging mathematics, software engineering, biomedical innovation, and science communication, Comito has become an influential voice in the growing global effort to overcome age-related disease and significantly extend healthy human lifespan.

James Peyer, PhD is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cambrian Bio, a clinical-stage drug development company advancing gerotherapeutics that target the biological mechanisms of aging. Under his leadership, Cambrian has progressed a compound into Phase 2 clinical trials. He also founded Apollo Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms dedicated to the longevity field, which manages over $220 million in assets. Dr. Peyer has served on the boards of both public and private biopharmaceutical companies across geroscience and the broader life sciences. His earlier career included management consulting at McKinsey & Company, with a focus on pharmaceutical strategy. He holds a PhD in stem cell biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and a BA from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Jamie Justice is the Executive Vice President Health Domain and Executive Director of the $101M Healthspan Prize at the nonprofit XPRIZE Foundation, and adjunct faculty in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM). Jamie completed graduate and postdoc training at University of Colorado Boulder before joining faculty at WFUSM. Jamie’s scientific work is dedicated to geroscience, an emerging field that seeks to change the way we think about and treat aging, by looking at the biologic root to proactively reduce the incidence of multiple age-related diseases, functional decline, and disability. She was the recipient of the Jarrahi Research Scholars Fund in Geroscience Innovation, the 2022 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research, an NIA Nathan W Shock Awardee, and 2026 Business Insider Rising Star in Longevity. Dr. Justice’s leadership at XPRIZE uses a competition model to drive capital to innovation and catalyze transformative solutions to optimize health for all, advance personalized approaches, and ignite breakthroughs in biotechnology and biomedicine. She leads the $101M XPRIZE Healthpsan global competition to incentivize teams from around the world to develop and demonstrate innovative therapeutic solutions that make healthy human aging possible. Dr. Justice also leads the design and development of future prizes for breakthroughs in health, including a new in-design program to improve ovarian function and support women’s health across the lifespan, prevent suicide and mental health crises, advance biomarkers for personalized medicine and trials, and champion novel AI-based computing challenges and biotech advancement to support better health outcomes for everyone.

Léo Pio-Lopez is a computational biologist and affiliate Senior Scientist at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University. He earned a dual Ph.D. in Electronics and Systems from Blaise-Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and in Psychology and Cognitive Science from La Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, focusing on brain-inspired predictive control in artificial and biological systems. He then pursued a postdoctoral position on the development of new machine learning methods for network medicine and drug discovery at the Institute of Mathematics in Marseille, France. In 2021, he joined the Levin Lab, where his research came to focus on three primary areas of life and cognition. * The evolution and basal cognition of morphogenetic systems: He investigates the computational properties that govern the scaling of cognition through homeostasis and bioelectricity. He uses machine learning, neural networks, and evolutionary algorithms to elucidate the principles of collective and multiscale computation that lead to higher cognition. * The bioinformatics of xenobots, regeneration, cancer, and aging: He collaborates closely with biologists, using machine learning and data science to understand the genetic and bioelectrical dynamics underlying these biological processes. * The development of new AI methods for biology and drug discovery, and the integration of biological principles into new AI architectures with implications for AI alignment.

Raiany is the CEO and founder of the Florens Institute, a nonprofit focused on frontier ethics, policy, and science. She helped design and launch the $101M Healthspan XPRIZE, and is the author of Redesigining Aging: The Ethics and Economics of Human Longevity, upcoming with Harvard University Press. Raiany’s research has appeared or is forthcoming in publications like The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Quillette, Forbes, ABC, and Bloomberg. She received the world’s first-ever PhD on the Ethics and Economics of Human Longevity (which she designed) under George Church, Oded Galor, and Steven Pinker. Before that, Raiany was based at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.

Dr. Nir Barzilai is the Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair of Aging Research, Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Director of the Institute for Geroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Director of several Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, including the BIO-Vital Program. He is a leading figure in geroscience and serves as the elected President of the Global Academy of Geroscience. His work has helped advance a major shift in medicine: moving beyond treating individual diseases to targeting the biology of aging itself to extend healthspan. Dr. Barzilai’s research focuses on fundamental mechanisms of aging, including the biological effects of nutrients on lifespan and the genetic determinants of exceptional longevity. His studies of centenarians helped establish the concept that exceptionally long-lived individuals may carry protective genes that delay aging and reduce vulnerability to age-related diseases. He has identified several human longevity genes and continues to characterize the phenotypes and genotypes of people with exceptional longevity through an NIH-supported Program Project. These discoveries have also informed therapeutic development, including CETP- and APOC3-targeted approaches. He also leads major translational initiatives in aging research. Under the auspices of AFAR, he launched the SuperAgers Family Study, which aims to recruit 10,000 families of centenarians. He is Principal Investigator of the FAST initiative, a collaboration between AFAR and ARPA-H designed to identify biomarkers of aging from existing clinical trials and determine which markers change in response to gerotherapeutics. Dr. Barzilai also conceived the multicenter TAME (Targeting Aging with Metformin) study, a landmark effort to establish biological aging as a target for therapeutic intervention. Dr. Barzilai has received numerous grants and awards from organizations including the National Institute on Aging, AFAR, ARPA-H, and the Ellison Medical Foundation. He has published more than 380 peer-reviewed papers, reviews, and textbook chapters, and has advised the NIH on multiple projects, initiatives, and study sections, including NIA Biology. He serves on the AFAR Board, previously served as its Scientific Director, and is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Longevity Biotech Association and the Council of the Healthy Longevity Medicine Society. He is a Fellow of the Association of American Physicians and the New York Academy of Medicine, and his honors include the Beeson Award, Senior Ellison Foundation Award, Paul Glenn Foundation Award, NIA Nathan Shock Award, Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction in Aging Research, Rifkin Lectureship, and the IPSEN Longevity Award, 2026 George M. Martin Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award. (AFAR) His work has been featured widely in major newspapers, magazines, podcasts, television programs, documentaries, and TEDx and TEDMED talks. He appears prominently in Ron Howard’s National Geographic documentary “The Age of Aging” and has advised or presented on the promise of targeting aging to leaders in government, industry, finance, and faith-based institutions, including the Prime Minister’s Offices of Singapore and Israel, the Vatican, the Milken Institute, and the World Economic Forum in Davos. His book, Age Later, was published in 2020.

Dr. Lyu is a rising leader in the field of longevity biotechnology, dedicated to deciphering the biological mechanisms of ageing, with a specific focus on sex-based differences, and developing novel nutraceutical and pharmaceutical interventions and platforms to promote healthy longevity. Currently, he serves as a Research Assistant Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and as the Director of the Sirio Institute on Ageing (SIA) in China. He also holds positions as a Researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), and as a faculty member at the Geneva College of Longevity Science (GCLS). Prior to his current appointments, Dr. Lyu was a Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Germany. His international contributions earned him the title of "European Future Research Leader" and recognition as a top-tier international talent in Germany. Dr. Lyu has authored multiple high-impact studies in leading journals, including Nature, Nature Aging, Ageing Research Reviews, and eLife. His landmark research, the "Rapamycin for Ageing Trilogy," was honored by the Max Planck Society as an Annual Research Highlight. His findings have been cited in official United Nations reports and featured in Nature research highlights. Furthermore, his work has garnered significant media attention from prominent international and domestic outlets, including Germany’s ARD television network, EurekAlert!, and DeepTech, etc. Beyond his academic pursuits, Dr. Lyu is deeply committed to the industrial application of longevity science. He actively works to translate laboratory innovations into commercial development, driving the creation of new ageing intervention discovery platforms. His current research focuses on critical areas such as metabolic health, immune homeostasis, and the development of natural products as viable ageing interventions. Expanding his impact into the "One Health" domain, Dr. Lyu initiated a pioneering domestic dog ageing project in China, which aims to promote the health and longevity of both humans and their beloved pets.

S. Jay Olshansky received his Ph.D. in Sociology/Demography from the University of Chicago in 1984. He is Emeritus Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago, a Research Associate at the Center on Aging at the University of Chicago, and former Chief Scientist of Lapetus Solutions, Inc., a company he co-founded. Dr. Olshansky’s research has focused on the biology and demography of human aging, including estimates of the upper limits to human longevity, the health and policy implications of population aging, forecasts of population size and age structure, and the scientific pursuit of interventions designed to slow aging in humans. His work also examines the societal and economic implications of longevity science, including applications to mortality and longevity-related financial products, as well as the global effects of emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases. Over the past four decades, Dr. Olshansky and colleagues helped develop the modern biodemographic paradigm of mortality, emphasizing the biological foundations of survival, aging, and the dying-out process in living organisms. His work has contributed substantially to contemporary scientific understanding of aging as a biological process and to the emerging field of geroscience, which links the biology of aging to chronic disease risk and public health outcomes. Dr. Olshansky is the author or editor of several influential books on aging and longevity, including The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging (Norton, 2001), A Measured Breath of Life (2013), The Rise of Generians (2020), and Pursuing Wealthspan (2020). He also co-edited Aging: The Longevity Dividend (2015) and Aging: Geroscience as the New Public Health Frontier (2024). His scientific and public-policy contributions have earned numerous honors and awards. These include the Donald P. Kent Award from the Gerontological Society of America, the Irving S. Wright Award from the American Federation for Aging Research, the Alvar Svanborg Award, the Glenn Award from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, and the Kathy N. Johnson Achievement Award from Home Care Assistance. He was also named a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging, served as a Senior Fulbright Scholar in France, and was recognized by the Mayo Clinic with the George Randolph and Patricia Scott Visiting Professorship on the Physiology of Aging. Dr. Olshansky has held leadership and advisory roles in both scientific and private-sector organizations. He served on the boards of the American Federation for Aging Research and U.S. Preventive Medicine, and on the Board of Scientific Advisors for PepsiCo. His recent work has increasingly connected aging science with finance, insurance, and longevity-risk assessment. In 2022, Dr. Olshansky testified before the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on aging and geroscience, discussing how advances in the biology of aging may transform medicine, public health, and the experience of growing old. He has also served as an expert legal witness on lifespan estimation and mortality assessment for individuals and populations.

Karl Pfleger received his PhD from Stanford in Computer Science focused on AI & machine learning, especially deepening neural networks. He worked on practical big-data & AI problems in industry: first briefly at mySimon, the then-biggest comparison shopping website, then for a decade at Google before switching to focus entirely on the aging/longevity field. Karl founded AgingBiotech.info, a free, open, nonprofit resource that serves as the internet's most thorough, organized & structured repository of everything important in the aging field (outside of academia). He is one of the most prolific early-stage investors in the sector, with a focus on rejuvenation biotechs. He is also a dedicated philanthropist for the field with a dozen years of donations to the Buck Institute and other aging-related nonprofits and serves on the board of directors of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI).

Adam Gries is a serial tech entrepreneur and founder of Vitalism, a movement focused on ending aging and advancing indefinite healthy human lifespan. He is an experienced tech founder and operator who has built and sold multiple software companies, collectively reaching more than 80 million users. His background spans neuroscience, software, product, and growth, with earlier research experience at Mass General Hospital. He now focuses on building institutions, networks, and ventures that can accelerate progress in longevity biotechnology and related systems change.

Dominik Thor is President of the Geneva College of Longevity Science (GCLS), the world's first higher education institution dedicated exclusively to longevity science. Under his leadership, GCLS has built a portfolio of pioneering academic and clinical education programmes, including one of the first Executive Master of Science degrees in longevity science, internationally attended physician education initiatives, and CME-accredited continuing medical education in preventive and healthspan-oriented medicine. Together with Ovidius University of Constanța, GCLS has launched the world's first doctoral programme in Medicine with a specialization in Longevity Sciences. GCLS has also become a collaborative institution within the Qatar National Precision Ageing and Functional Longevity Programme for Healthy Ageing, where Dominik leads the education and framework development workstream. An internationally recognized speaker on longevity innovation, technology, and policy, Dominik is actively shaping the academic, clinical, and strategic development of the field. His work centres on building the institutional and clinical frameworks needed to advance longevity medicine into a credible, scalable, and evidence-based medical discipline — bridging academia, healthcare systems, and policy across regions. He serves as Chair of the GCLS Semester Symposium and Co-Chair of international scientific events connecting experts across Europe, Asia, and the GCC. He holds the position of Professor of Pharmacy at GCLS, Visiting Professor at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila in Bucharest, and Co-Director of the first PhD programme in Medicine specializing in Longevity Sciences. Dominik holds a background in biomaterials and regenerative medicine and is an active scientific author and contributor to the development of longevity education and policy internationally.

Yuta Lee is the Founder and CEO of Accelerated Bio, a pioneering biotech company at the forefront of regenerative medicine. With a bold mission to extend human healthspan and reverse biological aging, for more than 20 years, Yuta has led the commercialization of human Trophoblast Stem Cells (hTSCs), the earliest ethically sourced cells from the embryonic stage to unlock transformative therapies for age-related decline. Under Yuta’s leadership, Accelerated Bio is redefining the future of cell and gene therapy through its proprietary use of the hTSC secretome, a powerful exosome-based platform shown to systemically downregulate inflammation and combat cellular senescence. In a recent breakthrough collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (NIH), Accelerated Bio demonstrated that hTSC-derived exosomes significantly reduce Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotypes (SASPs), a major driver of aging and chronic disease. These results mark a critical step toward developing preventive therapeutics that target aging at its root - cellular dysfunction. Yuta’s passion lies in democratizing access to cutting-edge regenerative technologies and making longevity science both scalable and accessible. With a clear vision, he is accelerating the next generation of therapeutics that go beyond symptom management to restore youthful biological function and bring the promise of extended healthspan closer to reality. Previous to Accelerated Bio, Yuta worked in risk management for insurance giants such as AIG, Chubb, and ULLICO. Yuta holds dual B.A. degrees in Economics and Law from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned his Executive MBA from the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, where he was honored as the Outstanding Graduate of the Year in 2009. As a thought leader in longevity innovation, Yuta Lee is not only building a company, he is helping shape a new paradigm in prevention and healthspan.

Prof. Evelyne Bischof, MD, PhD Healthy Longevity Medicine Society, co-founder and President Academia Professor of medicine at Shanghai University of medicine and Health Sciences Clinic Medical Director Sheba Longevity Department at Sheba Medica Center Part-time physician at Department of Smart Hospital and AI at University Hospital Renji of Jiaotong University, Shanghai Healthy Longevity Medicine: Healthy Longevity Medicine Society, co-founder and President ARDD conference Longevity Medicine Day at - organizer Longevity Education Hub: co-founder and leader of the first accredited curriculum of Longevity Medicine courses integrated at medical schools, for physicians and managing over 10 000 certified physicians in the network Prof. Evelyne Bischof, MD, PhD, Dr. Evelyne Bischof is a clinician and a full professor. In addition, Dr. Bischof is the President of Healthy Longevity Medicine Society. Evelyne underwent her training at Harvard Medical School affiliated hospitals (Mass General. Beth Israel, Brigham's and Dana Farber), Columbia University and Basel University Hospital. Frequent keynote speaker at global conferences, such as Milken Institute event, ARDD, Arab Health, Longevity Investors Gstaad, Founder’s Forum, Future Health Summit UAE, China Daily summit etc. Her specialization lies in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and her scientific work focuses on healthy longevity medicine, AI and digital health with a research focus on oncology, preventative and precision medicine and gerontology. Prof. Bischof spent a decade practicing medicine, lecturing at medical schools and performing clinic and translational research in New York, Shanghai and Basel, Switzerland. She has extensive experience in scientific research and clinical practice at highly reputable institutions including the Fudan Cancer Institute and Hospital in Shanghai, Renji Hospital (Jiaotong University). Dr. Bischof has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers and is a member of the European Federation of Internal Medicine, the Royal Society of Medicine, the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine and more.

Dr. Dudley Lamming is a Professor and Vice Chair for Biomedical Research of the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he serves as co-Director of the Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging. He also serves as the Director of the UW-Madison Comprehensive Diabetes Center Mouse Phenotyping and Surgery Core. Dr. Lamming received his PhD in Experimental Pathology from Harvard University in 2008. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, where he discovered that many of the deleterious effects of rapamycin, a pharmaceutical that extends lifespan by inhibiting the protein kinase mTORC1, were mediated by “off-target” inhibition of a second complex, mTORC2. Dr. Lamming is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed papers and the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2018 Nathan Shock New Investigator Award from the Gerontological Society of America. He is a fellow of the American Aging Association and of the Gerontological Society of America, and served as President of the American Aging Association from 2023-2024. His NIH-supported laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studies how diets with altered levels of specific dietary macronutrients can promote healthy aging and be used to prevent or treat age-associated diseases, including diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Yuri Deigin is co-founder and CEO of YouthBio Therapeutics, a gene therapy company developing partial cellular reprogramming treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases of aging. The central argument of his chapter in this volume — that aging is an evolved, centrally coordinated program rather than a consequence of stochastic molecular damage — reflects a conviction he has pursued experimentally since founding Youthereum Genetics in 2017, the first company dedicated to translating partial cellular reprogramming as a therapeutic modality. Deigin is a biotechnology entrepreneur and longevity researcher whose work focuses on epigenetic rejuvenation, tissue-specific gene therapy, and the therapeutic potential of transient Yamanaka-factor-based reprogramming. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He began his career in software engineering at IBM before moving into biotechnology, where he has spent more than 15 years building and leading early-stage therapeutic ventures. He invented YouthBio’s tissue-specific, inducible OSKM gene therapy platform, which is designed to restrict reprogramming-factor expression to defined cell types in order to improve safety and therapeutic precision. He also conceived YouthBio’s brain-specific partial reprogramming therapy and led the program from concept through preclinical validation and an FDA INTERACT meeting. YouthBio’s current programs include YB002, a brain-targeted partial reprogramming approach for Alzheimer’s disease, and YB001, a progeria program that received FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designation. Deigin is also an inventor on multiple patents spanning gene therapy, biotechnology, and therapeutic applications. Across his biotechnology career, Deigin has contributed to preclinical and clinical-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease, CNS disorders, and rare disease. His work has centered on translating ambitious biological concepts into practical therapeutic strategies, particularly where aging biology, gene regulation, and regenerative medicine intersect. He is known for advancing the “Strong Epigenetic Theory of Aging,” which proposes that aging is not primarily the passive accumulation of stochastic molecular damage, but rather a programmed, adaptive continuation of development mediated through epigenetic regulation. He introduced the distinction between the Strong and Weak Epigenetic Theories of Aging, contrasting programmatic cellular decline with models that treat age-related epigenetic change primarily as a response to accumulated molecular damage. His writings have explored DNA methylation clocks, hypothalamic regulation of aging, transposable elements, menopause as programmed reproductive aging, and partial reprogramming as a route to epigenetic rejuvenation. Deigin has authored and co-authored publications and long-form analyses on aging biology, epigenetics, gene therapy, and biotechnology. He is also a public-facing scientific writer and frequent invited speaker, with more than 30 invited talks on aging biology, epigenetic rejuvenation, and gene therapy. He serves as a peer reviewer, and has been selected for longevity-focused communities and fellowships including the Foresight Institute, the Longevity Biotech Fellowship, and BrainMind. His current work focuses on translating epigenetic rejuvenation technologies into clinically actionable therapies while developing a broader scientific framework for aging as a regulated biological process rather than an immutable consequence of wear and tear.

Dr. Steven A. Garan is a scientist known for his interdisciplinary contributions to bioinformatics, systems biology, and aging research. He serves as Director of Bioinformatics at the Center for Research & Education on Aging (CREA) and is affiliated with University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where his work focuses on understanding the biological mechanisms of aging through computational modeling, advanced imaging, and systems-level analysis. Throughout his career, he has sought to bridge experimental biology with quantitative science, helping researchers better understand how complex biological systems change over time. Dr. Garan established the field of “Phenomics” in 1996. Phenomics is the large-scale study of observable traits—such as physical characteristics, metabolism, behavior, cellular function, and aging-related changes—and how they are shaped by genetics, environment, and lifestyle. While genomics focuses on genes, phenomics examines how those genes are actually expressed in real biological systems, helping explain why organisms with similar genetic information can develop very different outcomes. A classic illustration is the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation: the same underlying genetic material produces dramatically different forms and functions at different stages of development, showing how phenotype changes over time. Using tools like bioinformatics, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling, phenomics allows scientists to measure and analyze these complex changes across entire organisms and populations. It plays a key role in personalized medicine, systems biology, disease research, drug development, and aging studies by linking genetic data to real-world biological function and health outcomes. One of Dr. Garan’s most recognized contributions is his role in developing the Automated Imaging Microscope System (AIMS) during his time at the University of California, Berkeley. This high-throughput imaging platform enabled researchers to quantify cellular structures with greater precision and provided new insights into age-related biological changes. Working alongside neuroendocrinology laboratories, he studied how caloric restriction affects receptor expression in mouse brain tissues, contributing to broader understanding of metabolism, hormone regulation, and longevity. His research demonstrated how computational methods and imaging technologies could uncover subtle biological patterns associated with aging. Over the course of his career, Dr. Garan has authored or co-authored approximately two dozen scientific publications spanning neuroendocrine aging, immune modeling, glucose metabolism, hormonal dynamics, and computational simulations of biological systems. His work often combines biology, mathematics, and computer science to model how signaling networks and physiological systems evolve with age. He has also collaborated internationally on longevity research, including projects with researchers at the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora in Brazil. These collaborations produced mathematical models of hormonal cycles and age-related disease vulnerability, exploring computational approaches as alternatives to some in vivo experimentation. Beyond his own research accomplishments, Dr. Garan is recognized for mentoring students and early-career scientists in bioinformatics, mathematical modeling, and translational biology. His work developing technologies such as AIMS and Internet-of-Medical-Things methods has helped improve the reproducibility and practical application of biological data in both research and clinical settings. Across his scientific, technological, and educational efforts, Dr. Garan has consistently pursued a central goal: advancing understanding of human aging while contributing to strategies that may extend healthy lifespan and improve quality of life.

Dr. Anmol S. Kapoor is a cardiologist, precision health and longevity physician, entrepreneur, and innovator focused on the integration of cardiovascular medicine, genomics, multiomics, and artificial intelligence. His work emphasizes predictive and personalized healthcare, with interests in AI-driven diagnostics, longevity science, digital health, and biomedical innovation. Dr. Kapoor is actively involved in advancing precision medicine platforms and exploring how emerging technologies can improve prevention, healthspan, and individualized patient care.

Dylan V. Livingston is the founder and President of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI), the first 501(c)(4) organization in the U.S. devoted exclusively to advancing longevity science through public policy. He launched A4LI in 2022 to combat age-related diseases—including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s—by connecting scientific research with legislative action. For his work, Livingston was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 for Social Impact and recognized as one of Business Insider’s 2026 Rising Stars of Longevity.

Marc P. Bernegger is a serial-tech entrepreneur who has been following developments in the field of longevity since 2009. Besides co-founding the longevity company-builder Maximon and Longevity Investors, he is in the board of many companies. Marc started his entrepreneurial journey by founding the party platform usgang.ch right after college (acquired by Axel Springer Media). He is also a co-founder of amiando, a ticketing platform, which was purchased by Xing and named “Global Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Tina Woods is a longevity expert and social entrepreneur working at the intersection of science, technology and policy - and a leading voice in the emerging field of the human exposome, understanding how environment, lifestyle and connection shape long-term health, wellbeing and flourishing. She is Founder and CEO of Collider Health, Business for Health & Longevity Rave, Executive Director of the International Institute of Longevity (IIOL) and a Steering Committee member of the Human Exposome Project.

Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is the founder, CEO and CBO of a clinical-stage generative AI-powered global biotechnology company Insilico Medicine, which raised over $800 million, nominated 27 preclinical candidates, 11 reached clinical stage. He is also an adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Since 2014, he published over 300 peer-reviewed academic publications and 3 books.