WIB-San Francisco Bay Area: Decoding Aging – Translating Longevity Research into Therapies

What an inspiring evening at our Women In Bio San Francisco Bay Area event, Decoding Aging: Translating Longevity Research into Therapies, hosted at MBC BioLabs! A heartfelt thank you to our moderator Brenda Eap (A4LI) and our incredible panelists — Susanna Rosi (Altos Labs), Priya Handay (Juvena Therapeutics), Lisa Ellerby (Buck Institute), and Janine Sengstack (Junevity) — for leading us through a thoughtful and energizing conversation on how cutting-edge science is shaping the future of longevity therapeutics.

Brenda opened the discussion with a deeply personal question: What first shifted your perspective on longevity? The panelists’ responses — from witnessing family illness to caring for patients with cognitive decline — grounded the evening in human experience and reminded us why this work matters. From there, the conversation explored the frontier of aging biology, showcasing technologies such as:

• transcriptomic and siRNA-based reprogramming
• stem-cell secretome platforms
• iPSC-based human aging models
• AI-driven phenotype imaging and biomarker discovery
• Advanced in vitro, in vivo, and computational paradigms that are redefining how we study aging.

A major theme was the importance of choosing the right model for the right scientific question — whether organ-on-a-chip, spatial tissue analysis, computational modeling, or non-human primates. While human-relevant systems are rapidly advancing, the panel emphasized that some molecular and regulatory pathways still require animal models, underscoring the field’s complexity.

The discussion also highlighted several essential themes:

• the need for robust, translatable biomarkers and earlier readouts
• sex differences in aging and cognition, including menopause and estrogen biology
• the historical underrepresentation of women in research and the momentum toward more inclusive study designs
• scientific barriers such as delivery, model selection, and scalable manufacturing
• major regulatory challenges — particularly the fact that aging is not yet recognized as a disease

During Q&A, attendees engaged the panel on topics such as aged vs. diseased tissue, menopause modeling, the future of non-animal systems, and ethical considerations surrounding longer lifespans. Together, the speakers painted a picture of a future where healthier, longer-living societies could unlock tremendous human and economic potential.

Brenda closed with a beautiful question: What would you do with 20 extra years of healthspan? The answers — traveling, deepening family connections, pursuing creativity, expanding scientific curiosity, practicing yoga, painting, even conquering a fear like going into space — made one thing clear: extending healthspan is not just a scientific goal, but a profoundly human one. Thank you to our sponsors, to MBC BioLabs for hosting, and to our wonderful WIB community for showing up with curiosity, energy, and great questions.

Submitted by Rosalba Perrone