Happy New Year, future supercentenarians!
As we look forward to what 2024 has in store for the longevity field, one thing’s for certain: the club is growing. FAST!
Just take a look at the Google Trends chart for the search term ‘longevity’ worldwide over the past five years:
Interest in the longevity movement jumped to grand new heights in 2023. More and more followers are popping up all around the world, seeking new ways to fulfill humanity’s ancient ambition of living long, healthy lives.
These new club members are coming in from all walks of life too. Scientists, entrepreneurs, developers, creatives, lawyers, and pretty much professionals of every sort are chiming in and adding new pieces to the longevity puzzle.
And what’s the best place to meet these eclectic folks and get inspired by their novel ideas? Longevity conferences!
In 2023, the Rejuve team was busy attending some of the field’s most prestigious conferences and connecting with thought leaders across four continents. First and foremost, it was a blast. But of course, we also left with so much to unpack. Numerous insights and developments to watch unfold.
So today, we’re taking you along for the ride, as we revisit the memories from our five favorite longevity conferences in 2023. We’ll recap the highlights, takeaways, and also the unique overall vibe of each conference. Let’s get started!
1- Longevity + DeSci Summit | August 10-12 | New York City, New York
The Lifespan Extension Advocacy’s (LEAF) Ending Age-Related Diseases conference got a new name for its sixth annual edition: the Longevity + DeSci Summit.
As we’re building the world’s first AI-powered decentralized longevity research network, hearing about the name and heightened focus on decentralizing science was music to our ears. So heading into New York City, our excitement was already through the roof.
The experience definitely lived up to that excitement. The venue, a supercentenarian in its own right, offered the perfect ambiance for over 50 speakers to present their cutting-edge work. The thrilling topics included the different theories of aging, repurposed drugs for longevity, multi-species aging clocks, female reproductive longevity, and the art of advocacy.
We were also honored to have our Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Deborah Duong, invited to a star-studded panel about creating comprehensive aging biomarkers. She shared her insights alongside leading figures, such as Harvard Medicine School’s Prof. Vadim Gladyshev and LEAF President Keith Comito.
LEAF continues its heroic mission of educating the public about longevity through several endeavors, including preparing for the 2024 Longevity + DeSci Summit.
2- Longevity Summit Dublin | August 17-20 | Dublin, Ireland
For four action-packed days, the Longevity Summit Dublin defied the chilly weather, heating up with its insightful sessions and superstar speakers — of both the Dr. David Sinclair and Bryan Johnson types. As proud partners and exhibitors, we soaked in every minute of the action.
Amidst potential longevity innovations, the summit also emphasized the vital role of basic research in solving the unanswered questions about aging. Accordingly, anticipation soared for an update on the Robust Mouse Rejuvenation (RMR) experiment led by Dr. Aubrey de Grey, also a conference organizer. RMR aims to double the remaining lifespan of 19-month-old mice, and Dr. de Grey revealed exciting findings from phase one, announcing plans for the second.
Joining in on the fun, Our CEO, Jasmine Smith, took the stage in an insightful panel on intelligent aging. She shared our vision of making AI-led intelligent aging a reality through our Longevity App.
The Summit also led to the conception of the Dublin Longevity Declaration, a global call to action. Released in October and signed by the who's who of longevity scientists, the Declaration advocates for increased research and resources to combat age-related diseases.
The Longevity Summit Dublin is set to return on June 13-16, 2024.
3- International Longevity Summit | August 23-24 | Johannesburg, South Africa
Earlier, we reflected on longevity being an ancient ambition of mankind. So, how could the continent where it all started be excluded from longevity discourse?
Well, our good friends at Afrolongevity simply won’t stand for that. That’s why they invited the world to come and rediscover longevity’s African roots at the International Longevity Summit (ILS) in Johannesburg.
With attendees answering the call from 33 countries, ILS provided an exceptional array of sessions about aging biology, clinical translation, policy, philosophy, entrepreneurship, and much more. Speakers included distinguished scientists, government officials, and even indigenous royals.
After the summit, the Afrolongevity team graciously arranged an enlightening trip to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site for all ILS participants. As we took in the sheer grandeur of the history we were witnessing, we couldn’t help but be thrilled about the future breakthroughs that will emerge from the Mother Continent, especially with organizations like Afrolongevity at the helm.
ILS will come back on October 10-11, debuting in Lagos, Nigeria with a mission of unlocking revolutionary health and med-tech vistas for human longevity and wellbeing. We were proud sponsors of ILS 2023 and anticipate even greater achievements for ILS 2024.
4- Wonderland | November 9-11 | Miami, Florida
You know the longevity field is growing when you start seeing conferences tackling subthemes of it. For Wonderland in Miami, it was all about the intersection between psychedelics, mental health, and longevity.
The talks were remarkable, spotlighting intriguing scientific discoveries. Exploring the impact of psychedelic therapy on enhancing well-being and fostering healing, along with the tangible alterations in brain function and neuroplasticity, the insights presented were truly mesmerizing.
Our CEO Jasmine graced the stage, shedding light on how AI and decentralized science could accelerate breakthroughs in psychedelics and longevity research. It will be interesting to follow the developments in these two branches of science, which Bryan Johnson called “long-lost best friends” at the conference.
5- Global Healthspan Summit | November 29-30 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Capping off our year of fantastic longevity events was none other than the Global Healthspan Summit (GHS) by the Hevolution Foundation.
The summit saw the convening of over 120 speakers and nearly 2,000 delegates representing all corners of the globe. All came in the name of pushing the boundaries of human healthspan — the portion of life that one spends free of age-related diseases.
The GHS team led a luxurious yet warmly welcoming atmosphere with a panel-heavy agenda, emphasizing the theme of bringing experts of different disciplines together to discuss areas of collaboration and identify potential solutions to the challenges on the road to healthspanned societies. Among the unique solutions discussed to countermeasure aging were space travel and gaming, which both had fascinating dedicated sessions.
Of course, GHS was also the birthplace of what’s become the major talk of the longevity world today: the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan. Announced as the biggest prize in history, the XPRIZE Healthspan challenges participants to restore muscle, immune, and cognitive function by at least ten years in people aged 65-80 years. Teams from the world’s most renowned research institutes have already enrolled.
We eagerly look forward to future updates about the competition. And we’re similarly excited about the release of the official GHS 2023 report en route to GHS 2024.
BONUS ENTRY: Healthy Longevity Talent Incubator | July 1-13 | Singapore
While technically not a conference, the National University of Singapore’s Healthy Longevity Talent Incubator (HLTI) earns a spot on this list for being an unparalleled longevity experience.
Our Medical Content Writer, Hussein Elwan (that’s me waving at you through the fourth wall), was honored to be among the 40 participants worldwide selected for the inaugural HLTI.
Organized by the newly founded Academy for Healthy Longevity, HLTI aimed to attract new talents to the longevity field and bring them under the learning trees of world-class mentors for ten days, planting seeds for a new, diverse generation of leaders on the scene.
In addition to six dedicated mentors, HLTI invited 19 guest lecturers of different disciplines to collectively narrate the longevity story. At the conclusion of the program, participants got to apply what they learned, presenting their graduation projects at the HLTI closing ceremony in front of a diversified audience that included an active member of the Parliament.
All in all, HLTI proved a transformative journey for participants, helping them forge a solid foundation in longevity science.
Conclusion
From the resounding echoes of a global declaration to the thunderous announcement of the world's biggest-ever prize, longevity conferences in 2023 were nothing short of groundbreaking, shaping the future of human health and lifespan.
As we reflect on our experiences attending these conferences, we're grateful for every insightful presentation, engaging panel, and meaningful connection we made.
The diversity of locations we visited, from the bustling streets of New York City to the historic landscapes of Johannesburg, reflects the universal resonance of the longevity message. The field is evolving rapidly, welcoming contributions from people of every background.
So, with bags packed and aspirations high, we can't wait to see which city our passion for longevity will take us to next. Safe travels and see you at the next longevity conference!
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