In the final episode of season 3 we answer your biggest aging questions, from whether there is a single root cause of aging to why different organs fail in different ways. We also dig into what it would take to run human trials that prove real healthspan gains while staying honest about biomarkers, animal data, and online misinformation.

Eric Verdin, MD and Brianna Stubbs, PhD

Dr. Eric Verdin is President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of aging, metabolism, and the immune system. A native of Belgium, he earned his medical degree from the University of Liege and completed additional clinical and research training at Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, holds 18 patents, and is a member of several prestigious scientific organizations.

Dr. Brianna Stubbs is a Lead Translational Scientist at the Buck Institute and a world expert in exogenous ketone metabolism and its implications for performance, resilience, and healthy aging. She earned her PhD in metabolic physiology from the University of Oxford and is also a two-time world champion lightweight rower who competed on the British International Rowing Team.

Together, Drs. Verdin and Stubbs serve as co-hosts of Season 3 of the Live Better Longer podcast, bringing their expertise and passion for longevity science to conversations with leading researchers, clinicians, and innovators in the field of healthy aging.

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What if removing and replacing part of your blood could turn back some of the measurable signs of aging? Brianna Stubbs talks with Dr. Brad Younggren — emergency physician, former Army doctor, and CEO of Circulate Health — about therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). They cover how the procedure works, what the blinded Circulate trial found (including an average 2.6-year reduction in biological age over three months), TPE's unique potential to clear microplastics from the bloodstream, and the broader impact of our environment—the exposome—on human healthspan.

Brad Younggren, MD, is CEO and co-founder of Circulate Health, a company dedicated to improving human healthspan. A former U.S. Army physician, Dr. Younggren served as a combat physician in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star and Combat Medical Badge. An emergency medicine specialist and seasoned healthcare executive, Younggren has led teams at the cutting edge of medicine for decades. Most recently, he was President and Chief Medical Officer at 98point6, where he led the development and launch of AI-powered primary care solutions. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Cue Health, Shift Labs, and Mobisante. At Circulate, Younggren leads an expert team of clinicians and scientists working to harness the potential of therapeutic plasma exchange to advance health and longevity.

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In this episode, Buck scientist Brianna Stubbs joins Hanadie Yousef, Co-Founder of Juvena Therapeutics, to discuss the cutting-edge of longevity science. Dr. Yousef shares how Juvena is leveraging AI and the secretome—the proteins secreted by stem cells—to develop therapies that target muscle wasting and promote tissue regeneration. From the potential and risks of GLP-1 drugs to the role of AKT signaling in muscle health, this conversation explores how we can move beyond "snake oil" and into a future where science-based therapies help us stay younger, longer.

Dr. Hanadie Yousef is a scientist, entrepreneur, seasoned executive, and global thought leader in AI-driven regenerative medicine and longevity. With over two decades of experience in biomedical research, she is the Co-Founder of Juvena Therapeutics, where she served as CEO, CFO, and Board Chair from 2017 to 2025. Since the company’s incorporation, she pioneered its evolution from a platform-driven concept into a venture-backed, clinical-stage biotechnology leader. Under her leadership, Juvena secured over $105M in venture capital, non-dilutive grants, and partnerships, and developed a proprietary pipeline of tissue-restorative biologics for muscle and metabolic diseases.

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