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.