Prof. Brian K. Kennedy is one of the world's foremost biologists of aging. He is Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Physiology at the National University of Singapore, and Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at the National University Health System — with a PhD in biology from MIT.
His research helped uncover the roles of the mTOR pathway and the sirtuins in aging — pathways that began, improbably, in yeast cells and turned out to be conserved all the way to humans. Rapamycin, the mTOR inhibitor his field rallied around, is the single most robust intervention known to extend lifespan in animals; Brian now runs human clinical studies (alpha-ketoglutarate, rapamycin) to see what actually moves biologic age.
From 2010 to 2016 he was President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California. He also directs the Asian Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality, tackling ovarian aging and women's health — because the ovary is one of the fastest-aging organs, and menopause accelerates aging across the body.
His message is democratic. "It's not about billionaires — it's about billions": two billion people will be over 65 by 2050. He argues we must fund the basic, curiosity-driven science that answers why we age at all — and hand people back the knowledge to make their own decisions.
NUS · Distinguished ProfessorCentre for Healthy Longevity · DirectorBuck Institute · former CEOmTOR · rapamycin · sirtuins
National University of Singapore
Where we met
From his Singapore lab to Dublin and beyond
We first sat down with Brian in his lab at the National University of Singapore — where he walked us through rapamycin, aging clocks and why longevity is "for billions, not billionaires." Our paths kept crossing across the longevity world ever since: the Longevity Summit in Dublin, the TimePie summit in Shanghai, and — as friends — in the Algarve, Portugal.
Singapore
NUS · Centre for Healthy Longevity
Where we first met — a long talk in his lab on rapamycin, biologic clocks and supplements, plus the Unlocking Healthy Longevity conference at NUS.
Dublin
Longevity Summit Dublin
The stage and halls of LSD, where the longevity field gathers each year — we filmed with Brian here too.
Around the World
Shanghai · Algarve
The TimePie summit in Shanghai — and time together in the Algarve, Portugal, as friends.
"I'm glad you came to Singapore — you can see a little bit of Southeast Asia."
— Brian Kennedy, welcoming us to his lab
On the quest
Moments with Brian
The conversationLongevity Summit Dublin — rapamycin, clocks & the futureIn full flowMaking the case, DublinThe optimist"Billions, not billionaires"Father & son with BrianAt his university — NUS, SingaporeBehind the cameraAlek filming Brian & Marek — NUS, SingaporeIn his labThe interview at NUS, Singapore — 2023
In his words
On aging, honestly
"It's not about billionaires — it's about billions. Two billion people will be over 65 by 2050."
Brian Kennedy · in his lab, Singapore
Pick one or two supplements. Don't go take ten — we just don't know what that's doing.
Brian Kennedy
If we don't fund the scientists that are crazy and ask the crazy ideas, we won't get to those answers.
Brian Kennedy
We need to put money into knowledge for knowledge's sake. It's the curiosity-driven answers that change the world.
Brian Kennedy
It's fine to fail. Just fail quickly.
Brian Kennedy
In his own words
Straight from the interview
Pulled from our conversations with Brian — in his Singapore lab and at the Longevity Summit in Dublin — his science, his own approach, and his hope for the field.
Brian's view on longevity
Rapamycin and the mTOR pathway are the most robust levers we know — but the real prize is the basic science of why we age at all.
"It's the one intervention that seems to work everywhere — right at the center of all the hallmarks of aging."
Singapore · 2023
How Brian does longevity
He does the basics, measures biologic age, and stays disciplined about what he adds — quality over quantity, and know your numbers first.
"Pick one or two supplements. Don't go take ten — we just don't know what that's doing."
In his own practice
His wish for the field
A democratic movement — and the courage to fund curiosity over guaranteed results, because that's what changes the world.
"It's not about billionaires — it's about billions."
The video interview is coming. Recorded interviews go live after the launch of the film & series Live Beyond.
Selected passages from our filmed conversations with Prof. Brian Kennedy — in his lab at the National University of Singapore, and at the Longevity Summit in Dublin.
On rapamycin — the most robust intervention we know
Marek Piotrowski"Everybody's talking about rapamycin — but nobody has done clinical trials on it."
Brian Kennedy"It's extremely robust in the animal models — the one intervention that seems to work everywhere, in different mouse strains and different laboratories, with a significant effect on both healthspan and lifespan. At low, intermittent dosing the clinical studies suggest it doesn't cause side effects above background. So it's imperative we get human data — and we think that within six months we could see changes in biologic-aging markers."
On supplements — one or two, not ten
Brian Kennedy"Don't take a hundred different things. Pick one or two supplements. Don't go take ten — we just don't know what that's doing. In animal models, if you combine interventions it's very unpredictable: sometimes two things that each help on their own give a negative effect together. It's great if you can measure your biologic age before and after, so you know what's actually happening."
On agency — give people the knowledge back
Brian Kennedy"Even with pills — statins have about 40% compliance after a year or two. If someone doesn't understand their body and why they're doing things, they stop taking them. We've taken so much of the knowledge out of the hands of the person. If we reinvest them with that knowledge, they'll make better decisions on their own — with lifestyle and with supplements."
On women's health and ovarian aging
Brian Kennedy"The aging field has largely ignored the ovaries — to our own detriment, because it's one of the fastest-aging organs, and menopause accelerates aging across the body. If you tell people 'we'll make you live ten years longer,' they might not believe it. But 'you'll be able to have a baby at forty or fifty' — that sounds credible, doable. It could improve the health of half the population."
On funding curiosity
Brian Kennedy"When I started, I studied aging in yeast cells — nobody thought we'd learn about human aging from yeast. It gave us the sirtuin and mTOR pathways, conserved in humans. If we don't fund the scientists who are crazy and ask the crazy ideas, we won't get to those answers. We need to put money into knowledge for knowledge's sake — it's the curiosity-driven answers that really change the world."
On failing fast
Brian Kennedy"We're so afraid of failing in science now — grants practically have to be proven to succeed before they're funded. The appropriate failure rate is probably about 20%; if one grant succeeds wildly, it's worth five failed ones. In my own lab I don't mind a crazy idea. It's fine to fail — just fail quickly."
On billions, not billionaires
Brian Kennedy"I've been saying for years: it's not about billionaires, it's about billions. Two billion people will be over 65 by 2050 — it's a global problem for everybody. Pharma has been hesitant because aging isn't classified as a disease, so they couldn't get reimbursed. But you don't need reimbursement if you can slow aging — people will pay out of pocket. The private sector has been a real boost; we need to turn that up ten-X."
More passages from the full interview will be published here.
Continue the quest
More minds on the quest
Brian Kennedy explores Biohacking Upgrades on the Longevity Map — here are others on the same frontier, and the full cast of 100+.
