Longevity by Design
Longevity by Design
Gil Blander PhD
Longevity by Design is your go-to podcast for unlocking the secrets to a longer, healthier life. Hosted by Dr. Gil Blander, a renowned scientist and entrepreneur in the fields of aging, nutrition, and personalized health, this show dives into cutting-edge research and practical strategies for optimizing your healthspan and lifespan.In each episode, Dr. Blander sits down with leading longevity and health scientists to explore how we can live better, longer lives. From unpacking complex scientific concepts to sharing the latest advancements in aging research, Longevity by Design offers science-backed insights and actionable advice to help you add years to your life—and life to your years.Dr. Blander is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of InsideTracker, a healthspan company that leverages blood tests, DNA analysis, fitness tracker data, and other biomarkers to deliver personalized health recommendations. With a Ph.D. in biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and postdoctoral research at MIT, Dr. Blander brings decades of expertise and passion to every conversation.Tune in to Longevity by Design and discover how to live a longer, healthier, and more vibrant life.
Do Longevity Supplements Really Work?
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Andrea Maier, Professor in Medicine and Director of the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore’s School of Medicine. They explore what the evidence shows on supplements, and why “test, then treat” beats guesswork. Andrea unpacks a review of over 5 million people: multivitamins may support memory and lower systolic blood pressure in some older or at-risk groups, but offer little ...
Mar 30
1 hr 9 min
What Houses, Garbage, and Trucks Teach Us About Aging with Dr. Uri Alon
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Uri Alon, Professor at Weizmann Institute of Science. They explore a systems view of aging that treats longevity as a solvable model, not a grab bag of disconnected theories. Uri explains aging with a simple story: houses make garbage, trucks remove it, and the village has a threshold for how much damage it can handle. In the body, “garbage” can include damaged and senescent cells, “trucks” can include immune cle...
Mar 28
1 hr 4 min
Born to Live Longer? Inside the Genetics and Biology of Centenarians
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Paola Sebastiani, Professor of Biostatistics at Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute. They explore what centenarians reveal about reaching 100, and why there’s no single longevity gene. Paola explains that studies keep finding many small genetic effects, which makes polygenic risk scores hard to use for personal prediction. She says progress depends on bigger cohorts and new analyses that include st...
Mar 26
1 hr 1 min
Age Faster or Slower? The Surprising Role of Mental Health and Self-Control
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Terrie Moffitt, University Professor at Duke University. They explore the deep link between mental health, self-control, and the pace of biological aging, showing how early-life mental disorders can shape health decades later. Terrie describes her work with the decades-long Dunedin study, which tracks health from birth through midlife. She explains how people age at different rates, even when born in the same yea...
Mar 18
1 hr 3 min
Why Most Longevity Advice Gets Weight and Exercise Wrong
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. David Allison, Director of the USDA Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they examine what it takes to build public trust in nutrition and longevity science, and why clear, reproducible evidence matters more than ever. David highlights how public perception and scientific rigor can drift apart, especially in fields crowded with strong opinions and shifting trends. David sh...
Mar 4
1 hr 10 min
Can Psychedelic Mushrooms Slow Aging?
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Louise Hecker, Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Together, they dive into Louise’s recent research exploring how psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may influence aging biology at the cellular and organismal level. Louise shares the story behind her curiosity about psilocybin, sparked by conversations with a friend and fueled by a lack of scientific answers. She e...
Feb 18
52 min
Engineering Healthspan with Dr. Nathan Price: Is It Finally Possible?
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Nathan Price, Professor and Co-Director at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Together, they explore how systems biology, artificial intelligence, and deep health data are changing the way we approach aging and prevention. Nathan explains why looking at single biomarkers falls short and why a network view of biology gives a clearer path to understanding disease and resilience. Nathan shares how new tools, ...
Feb 4
1 hr 4 min
How AI Is Redesigning Longevity | Systems Thinking with Dr. Ronjon Nag
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Ronjon Nag, Adjunct Professor in Genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and President of the R42 Group, for a wide-ranging conversation on how artificial intelligence is reshaping health, medicine, and longevity science. Ronjon makes the case for systems thinking as a necessary framework for understanding aging, arguing that health emerges from complex interactions rather than isolated interventions. He explain...
Jan 21
1 hr 17 min
From Genomics to Healthspan: Dr. Wei-Wu He’s Vision for Preventing Disease
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dr. Wei-Wu, Executive Chairman at Human Longevity, Inc. Together, they explore how advances in genome sequencing, AI, and multi-layered diagnostics are changing the fight against age-related diseases. Wei-Wu shares why understanding your own genetic risks and combining them with other health data leads to better prevention and a longer healthspan. Wei-Wu explains the value of integrating genome sequencing, advanced i...
Jan 7
1 hr 20 min
What Keeps You Strong at 90+: Real-World Longevity Lessons From Gil’s Parents
In this episode of Longevity by Design, host Dr. Gil Blander sits down with Dalia Blander and Eprihm Blander, his parents, who are thriving in their nineties. Gil explores the daily routines, food choices, and mindsets that have kept Dalia and Eprihm active, independent, and healthy well into later life. Dalia and Eprihm share how simple habits like regular movement, home-cooked meals, and a Mediterranean diet have shaped their health. They talk about the power of walking, gardening, and sta...
Dec 17, 2025
21 min
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