On Sunday, July 5, 2026, at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time, watch a compilation stream of four additional presentations from the May 2–3, 2026, sessions at the University of California, Berkeley Conference on Aging and Longevity (BerkeleyCAL), hosted by Professor Steven A. Garan, Director of Bioinformatics at the Center for Research and Education on Aging.
These presentations focus key insights in geroscience, both from its history and in regard to promising future directions and some implications for effective advocacy; they are delivered by some of the leading researchers in longevity science – Aubrey de Grey, Brendan Hughes, Felipe Sierra, and Michael West. Three of the presentations include question-and-answer sessions.
Dr. Aubrey de Grey of the Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation (LEVF) discusses the historical approaches to viewing aging and their shortcomings, as well as the damage-repair approach that he has championed and its prospects for rejuvenating the body. He also discusses implications for advocacy and which tactics could be more effective in bringing the public on board. Note: This presentation is an excerpt, captured by USTP Chairman Stolyarov on his phone camera. It is being made available due to the official recording having been lost.
Dr. Brendan Hughes from the Buck Institute discusses his thesis research on how DNA damage shapes unique, disease-relevant senescent cell states in neurons and other brain cell types. He details a methodology involving the direct differentiation of fibroblasts into neurons and oligodendrocytes to better understand aging-related cellular responses and potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Hughes also highlights the importance of basic research in developing future interventions, such as senescence-targeted therapies or DNA repair modulations. The question-and-answer session includes a question from USTP Chairman Stolyarov to Dr. Hughes.
Dr. Felipe Sierra advocates for a shift in geroscience from solely targeting age-related diseases to focusing on maintaining intrinsic health and functional capacity. He proposes that molecular resilience acts as the crucial link between aging biology and long-term health, suggesting that strengthening this resilience could prevent the onset of multiple morbidities. Ultimately, he calls for more robust longitudinal studies and clinical trials that prioritize health-span metrics over the traditional, disease-centered approach to geriatric medicine.
Dr. Michael West explores the biological dichotomy between mortal somatic cells and the immortal germline to explain the fundamental mechanisms of aging and cellular regeneration. He discusses the history of stem-cell research and his work on telomeres and nuclear transfer, which demonstrated that developmental aging and cellular differentiation are reversible processes. Dr. West proposes a new approach to regenerative medicine that focuses on unlocking the body’s innate potential by targeting heterochrony genes to combat chronic degenerative diseases.