This episode features Andrew Steele, a Briton now based in Berlin. After earning a PhD in physics at the University of Oxford and transitioning to computational biology, he worked at Cancer Research UK and the Francis Crick Institute. Passionate about ageing as the greatest scientific challenge, Andrew authored Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old, a widely praised introduction to longevity science.

Key Points:

In this podcast, Andrew Steele, a physicist-turned-biology advocate, discusses the science behind slowing, stopping, and reversing ageing. Steele explores the biological hallmarks of ageing, potential interventions, and the ethical implications of extending human lifespan.

• The Hallmarks of Ageing: Steele explains the biological processes that contribute to ageing, such as senescent cells, epigenetic changes, and collagen damage. He advocates for addressing all hallmarks to create comprehensive anti-ageing treatments.
• Lessons from Nature: Animals like tortoises exhibit negligible ageing, providing proof that ageing is not an immutable law of biology. Learning from these species could inspire breakthroughs in human longevity.
• Calorie Restriction and Rapamycin: Dietary restriction is one of the most effective methods for extending lifespan in lab animals. Rapamycin, a drug mimicking these effects, shows promise for human anti-ageing therapies.
• Population and Ethics: Steele addresses ethical concerns like overpopulation, arguing that the benefits of healthier, longer lives outweigh potential resource challenges, particularly with improved sustainability practices.
• Optimizing Science Funding: He emphasizes the need for greater investment in ageing research, suggesting that solving ageing-related diseases could provide massive societal and economic benefits.
• Future of Ageing Research: Steele advocates for using computational biology to model complex biological interactions and accelerate discoveries, moving toward practical interventions for human ageing.