Thomas considers the unknown to be the most intriguing part of biology and believes that many promising avenues for research in human health are currently unexplored. To understand where and why biomedical research can miss promising new research directions, he contrasts the findings of thousands of distinct large-scale experiments with around hundred of different data sources that quantify and integrate most aspects of biomedical research – including the chemical properties of proteins, the careers of all scientists, the content of all biomedical publications, and historic documents. In particular, he applies these insights towards opening novel research directions for understanding and ultimately mitigating human aging.