This week’s conversation is with Dr. David Sinclair, a professor in the Department of Genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, where he and his colleagues study longevity, aging and how to slow its effects.

More specifically, their focus is on studying sirtuins—protein-modifying enzymes that respond to changing NAD+ levels and to caloric restriction—as well as metabolism, neurodegeneration, cancer, cellular reprogramming, and more.

David is the co-creator and co-chief editor of the journal Aging, has co-founded several biotechnology companies, and is an inventor on 35 patents.

Among the honors and awards he’s received are his inclusion in Time Magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” and Time’s “Top 50 in Healthcare”.

In addition, David is the author of the new book, Lifespan: The Revolutionary Science of Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To.

I wanted to speak with David because he’s pushing the boundaries of what we understand to be possible for humans – and if he’s successful it will change the world as we know it.

“I am searching for the ultimate cause of why we grow old at the molecular level. Can we understand it in enough detail to be able to slow it down or reverse it?”

In This Episode:

• Grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, lived on the edge as a child, exploring the outdoors
• What captivated him about the early explorers of the world and why he’s sees similarities in himself
• Exploring longevity: can we stop the aging process?
• The impact his grandmother had on him: it’s your job to make humanity the best it can be
• His quest to reverse aging
• Is legacy important to him?
• How he grapples with spending less time with his family on his mission to reverse aging
• The difficulties he faced getting to the U.S. for his post PhD studies and the big risk he took to get there
• Arriving at MIT to solve aging and immediately getting “scooped”
• What he’s searching for: why we get old at the molecular level
• His views on technology and if it’s dangerous for the future of humanity
• Why it can be tough being a rebel in his field of work
• The darkest days of his career and how he bounced back
• What he’s discovered about the aging process and why he believes it’s possible to reset your “internal clock”
• Treatments currently available: Resveratrol (the accelerator pedal), NAD boosters (the gasoline), and Metformin (manages blood sugar)
• Lifestyle approaches to living longer: exercising and intermittent fasting
• His definition of mastery