Dr. Eric Verdin — Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Joining host Dr. Robert Hughes today on this inaugural episode of Translating Aging is our distinguished guest, Dr. Eric Verdin. Dr. Verdin is the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, where his research primarily focuses on the relationship between aging and the immune system, and how immune aging is regulated by nutrition. He is also a Professor of Medicine at UCSF. Dr. Verdin begins by sharing his medical background, including his early research on HIV transcription and what drew him to the field of aging. He discusses NAD Metabolism, its connection to the regulation of sirtuins, and his research on why NAD levels decrease during aging, which has a deleterious effect on a variety of organs. Dr. Verdin answers questions about whether NAD supplementation could be helpful in fighting aging and disease, the emergence of startup companies in the Bay Area that are attempting to address aging directly, and the challenges of conducting research on aging when it is not yet defined as a disease. He talks about establishing the world’s first Center for Female Reproductive Longevity and Equality after being approached by Nicole Shanahan (wife of Sergey Brin) about the connection between early infertility and the aging process. In addition, Dr. Verdin explains why the link between health span and life span may be more connected than we think, whether we can ever reach a life expectancy of 115 years or more in humans, and why he believes this period in time will later be viewed as the birth of a whole new age of biology and health. To learn more about Dr. Eric Verdin, the Buck Institute, and their cutting-edge research to help people live better longer, visit https://www.buckinstitute.org/ (BuckInstitute.org). Episode Highlights: Dr. Eric Verdin’s professional background, medical education and experience Background in virology and evolution to field of aging His work studying HIV transcription led to research on biology of aging Most compelling questions facing aging research  Molecular