21 Best Longevity Experts and Influencers on Twitter/X

Update 2/8/2024: This post has been updated since we originally published it in October 2020 and updated it in September 2021. Several new best longevity experts on Twitter/X have been added to both the main list and honorable mentions sections, and the post has been cleaned up and follower numbers made current.

Twitter/X isn’t exactly known as the best place for reasoned debate and intelligent discourse these days.

In fact, if some people are to be believed, it may very well be responsible for the downfall of Western civilization as we know it.

Which is too bad because, if you do it right, Twitter can be an amazing tool for education, communication, and advocacy.

For instance, if you start following longevity experts instead of all those angry politics accounts you currently hate-read, you can end up learning a ton, while simultaneously staying up-to-date on the most cutting-edge advances in human life extension as they are actually happening.

How exciting is that?

And it turns out #LongevityTwitter is littered with a who’s-who of the most prominent scientists, researchers, and founders on the front lines of developing anti-aging technologies and therapies.

And I’ve gone ahead and collected some of the very best life-extension experts into a handy Twitter list here for you to follow, as well as in the below article.

So do your part to save civilization, unfollow rage-posters, and start following anti-aging experts on Twitter instead.

The best longevity experts and influencers on Twitter

I’ve broken up the below list of top longevity experts by individuals’ accounts vs. organizational accounts. For both lists I’ve used the same selection criteria:

• At least 15,000 followers on Twitter
• Content is primarily about life-extension science and strategies
• Does not promote bad science or life-extension strategies with no scientific backing 
• Cites at least one scientific study in the most recent twenty tweets
• Currently active, meaning at least one tweet within the past month

Individuals are organized alphabetically by last name, and organizations alphabetically by organization name.

Longevity experts: Individuals

1. Peter Attia

Followers: 418,400

Doctor Peter Attia is well-known in longevity circles for his excellent life-extension podcast, as well as his top longevity blog, and his recently released a longevity book, so his inclusion on this list should come as no surprise.

He mainly uses his Twitter account as an update stream for announcing when new articles appear on his blog or new episodes are uploaded on his podcast, and also as a way to mirror his Instagram posts. Nevertheless, it’s a useful way to follow his updates and news (especially if, like myself, you have an irrational aversion to “the ‘Gram,” or whatever kids call it these days).

2. Mikhail Blagosklonny

Followers: 21,200

As editor-in-chief of anti-aging research journals, Aging and Oncotarget, and with hundreds of peer-reviewed papers to his name, Blagosklonny is an accomplished longevity scientist.

His Twitter/X account is a great source for the newest research studies on cancer, longevity treatments, and aging, from his journals and others. He covers everything life extension-related, from rapamycin, to the information theory of aging, to metformin and more.

3. Charles Brenner

Followers: 54,200

A research scientist at the University of Iowa, Brenner and his lab discovered that Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) is a precursor vitamin that makes NAD+ in the body. With the recent focus on NAD+'Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.' A coenzyme present in every cell of your body that transfers electrons to help extract energy from nutrients and help other enzymes, like DNA-repairing sirtuins, do their jobs. as an activator of possible longevity enzymes called “sirtuins” (championed vocally by Dr. David Sinclair, who also appears later on this list), Brenner’s research is of special interest to spanners. Somewhat ironically, in fact, as he seems to be against the hypothesis that sirtuins activate longevity pathways.

He is also the Chief Scientific Advisor of ChromaDex, the company that produces the well-known longevity supplement Tru Niagen (which claims to increase NAD+ levels in the body).

Follow his Twitter account for (sometimes contrarian) commentary and news about the most recent studies relating to NAD+ and NAD+ precursors like NR and NMN.

4. George Church

Followers: 55,000

Harvard researcher George Church, one of the driving forces behind the Human Genome Project, has been involved in human longevity efforts for ages. From founding companies to test anti-aging therapies on dogs, to identifying promising longevity genes, to using gene therapy to treat age-related diseases in mice, Dr. Church is a real longevity expert.

His Twitter/X account mainly covers molecular biology and genetic research news. He also shares updates about recent articles he’d written and interviews he’d appeared in.

5. Laura Deming

Followers: 43,900

Longevity wunderkind Laura Deming founded Longevity Fund, her life extension-focused VC company, in 2011 at the age of just 17 (after finishing graduate-level coursework at MIT, which she entered at 15).

In addition to managing $39 million in investments in the longevity space (including well-known life-extension companies like Unity Biotech), Deming’s Longevity FAQ is also one of the best resources for beginners to learn about the space and she gives a lot of thought and helpful advice for how to enter the longevity industry.

Her Twitter account is a mix of general thoughts on science, with comments about the biotechnology industry and updates about the work of her VC fund.

6. Aubrey de Grey

Followers: 59,500

Possibly the person most responsible for bringing the science of life extension into the mainstream (alongside perhaps Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis), longevity expert Aubrey de Grey with his magnificent beard is a well-recognized face in anti-aging circles.

From his landmark 2007 longevity book, Ending Aging, to his founding of the SENS Research Foundation, the Rejuvenation Research scientific journal, the Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation, and the Methuselah Foundation, and his serving on the boards of numerous anti-aging organizations and companies like AgeX Therapeutics, not to mention his numerous public interviews and speeches, everywhere you look in the longevity space you’ll see the indefatigable de Grey.

And for longevity enthusiasts, his Twitter account does not disappoint. In addition to sharing news about his own recent interviews and appearances, and new ventures he’s supporting, he also helps to signal-boost positive messages and events from others related to life extension.

7. Celine Halioua

Followers: 29,900

Founder of dog longevity company Loyal, Celine is pioneering the research to help our canine friends live longer. In fact, the very first drug approved by the FDA specifically for longevity may be Loyal’s LOY-001 for large-breed dogs. Based on studies her company has done, the inhibition of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) in big dogs may help them live longer (the same might also be true of humans) and LOY-001 could be the molecule that achieves that.

Celine’s philosophy is that what works in dogs to extend lifespan, may work in humans as well. As she says, “Dogs-first to extend human lifespan. Save the dogs, save the world!”

Her Twitter/X account covers the gamut of dog longevity topics, including the best diet for dogs, studies that she and her team have done, and the process of building a longevity biotech company.

8. Matt Kaeberlein

Followers: 21,300

Matt Kaeberlein has almost too many longevity-related positions to list, but I’ll give it a try. CEO of the American Aging Association, Co-Chair of the Dog Aging Project (which appears here in the honorable mentions section), head of the Kaeberlein Lab at the University of Washington where he investigates rapamycin and conserved mechanisms of aging across species, and recently founder and CEO of Optispan, a concierge medical company focused on improving healthspan, Kaeberlein certainly stays busy.

Also somewhat a contrarian in the longevity space, Kaeberlien doesn’t hew to popular opinions and his feed can often be him criticizing theories of aging including Dr. Sinclair’s proposed role of sirtuins as anti-aging targets. Recently, with the worrying news that the NIH may pull funding to the Dog Aging Project, he’s been focusing activism on saving such a valuable research resource for life extension scientists.

9. Morgan Levine

Followers: 17,900

Levine is the scientist behind the low-cost Levine’s Phenotypic Age Clock, a biological age test which uses a simple blood draw (which you can often buy for as low as $75), and is almost as precise as the much more expensive tests that rely on DNA methylation markers.

Since that successful discovery, she’s gone on to investigate biological age clocks in greater depth (a topic on which she’s also written a best-selling longevity book) to develop more precise ways to measure how longevity interventions are impacting human health.

Her Twitter account mostly talks about the science behind different aging clocks, but she also links to and discusses longevity events, talks, and other research.

10. Rhonda Patrick

Followers: 545,400

Known for her popular podcast (and website) Found My Fitness, anti-aging expert Doctor Rhonda Patrick covers aging and longevity with discussions on everything from genetics, to diet and fasting, supplementation, to even sauna use.

She uses her Twitter account not only to share updates of her own articles and content but also to alert her followers to news and interesting recent studies related to health and longevity.

11. David Sinclair

Followers: 433,700

Harvard medical researcher and author of the recent longevity book, Lifespan, Doctor Sinclair is a powerhouse in the life-extension space. He’s seemingly everywhere you look these days doing interviews, AMAs on Reddit, and giving talks to scientific and non-scientific audiences alike.

Known initially for his work on the possible longevity compound resveratrol (found in red wine and blueberries), Sinclair and his lab at Harvard have since gone on to research NAD+ precursors like NMN, DNA repair enzymes called sirtuins, and have even used stem cells injected into the crushed optic nerve of a mouse to enable it to see again (a process Sinclair believes could eventually be extended to the entire body to reverse aging).

On Twitter, he shares updates about his own research findings, helpful analyses of longevity research performed by others, and news about his recent interviews and appearances.

12. Brad Stanfield

Followers: 23,700

Best known for his popular longevity YouTube channel, Stanfield is a medical doctor with an interest in longevity science. Like some other folks on this list of longevity influencers, Stanfield can be a bit iconoclastic, challenging orthodoxy on things like resveratrol and fisetin.

Just like in his well-sourced videos, Stanfield’s Twitter feed is heavy with links to research papers and studies on longevity-related topics, from recent mouse studies out of the Interventions Testing Program, to threads on diet based on new trials. The downside is in his Twitter feed you don’t get to hear that sweet Kiwi accent you get from his videos.

13. Alex Zhavoronkov

Followers: 24,000

Founder and CEO of AI drug discovery Insilico Medicine (which has raised over $400 million under his leadership), Alex Zhavoronkov seems to be everywhere in longevity circles. From serving on the board of Peter Diamandis’s X-Prize Foundation (which recently announced its longevity X-Prize), to founding biological age testing company Deep Longevity, to somehow having the time to publish over 170 peer-reviewed studies.

His company, Insilico, recently announced the first AI-discovered drug, to treat pulmonary fibrosis, is already in human trials.

Zhavoronkov’s feed covers everything from anti-aging news to highlights of new studies on longevity drugs like rapamycin, to news of his own company’s research.

Longevity experts: Organizations

14. Aging Science News

Followers: 24,000

Aging Science News is a timely longevity news account run by João Pedro de Magalhães, an anti-aging researcher and longevity expert at his own lab at the University of Liverpool.

This life extension Twitter account primarily posts links to new and cutting-edge longevity research, from new biological age clocks to overviews of anti-aging drugs, to the impact of the immune system on aging, and much, much more.

15. Blue Zones

Followers: 43,700

This is the official account for the Blue Zones company, founded around National Geographic writer Dan Buettner’s research on regions that boast the most long-lived people, and his bestselling book of the same name.

While some of the tenets behind centenarian research have been questioned, the approach is nevertheless worth exploring (and the Blue Zones Diet is a popular one amongst life extensionists) and the Blue Zones Twitter account shares health and diet recommendations based on original surveys.

16. Buck Institute

Followers: 16,100

The Buck Institute on Aging will likely be familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of the life extension research landscape.

Based out of California the Institute runs and funds several aging research labs, and their faculty boasts a bevy of longevity heavy-hitters including Judith Campisi, Gordon Lithgow, and Alex Zhavoronkov (who founded Insilico and also appears above).

Posts on the Buck Institute Twitter account are mainly notifications of new papers their faculty and fellows have published, as well as news of events and talks that their members are participating in.

17. Human Longevity, Inc.

Followers: 19,400

Human Longevity, Inc. is a company started by Craig Venter to help people track their biometrics for life extension. We’ve actually mentioned them before when discussing the best longevity blood testing companies (scroll down to the honorable mentions).

Despite being a for-profit company their Twitter account is hardly promotional at all, and is instead a wealth of helpful longevity and anti-aging news and research. They share relevant life-extension studies, as well as applicable tips to be healthier using that research.

18. Lifespan.IO

Followers: 20,100

Probably the most active media and content organization in the longevity space, Lifespan.io, a creation of the Life Extension Advocacy Foundation (LEAF), does it all. 

Not only do they run a top longevity conference, but they also track and report on new research findings about life extension, interview key players in human longevity, host webinars and panel discussions, support and promote other anti-aging advocates, and even directly fund life-extension research through their own crowdfunding platform (over $500,000 raised for longevity medical studies so far!).

The Lifespan.io Twitter account is a useful blend of all of the above, providing updates on new content and interviews they’ve done, plus links to recent studies and other anti-aging initiatives. If you want a one-stop shop for all the latest and greatest in the longevity community, you could do worse than the Lifespan.io Twitter account.

19. Methuselah Foundation

Followers: 19,000

JThe Methuselah Foundation is another heavy-hitter in the anti-aging space. Founded by Aubrey de Grey, Methuselah is a “biomedical nonprofit charity” that focuses on funding longevity research in a variety of forms, from labs to private companies with innovative techniques.

Their Twitter account shares initiatives they’re part of, as well as recent research and events they’ve funded or have members attending.

20. Nature Aging Journal

Followers: 15,200

We covered this life extension research journal when it had just launched in our article on the top longevity research journals, and it’s heartening to see it gain so many subscribers on a popular platform like Twitter/X in the two years since we last updated this list.

As you can imagine, the Nature Aging Twitter account mostly posts about the longevity research happening in its journal. With topics like epigenetic aging clocks, to the information theory of aging, if you want to keep up on the newest findings and breakthroughs in aging research you could do worse than give Nature Aging a follow.

21. SENS Foundation

Followers: 25,200

Also founded by Aubrey de Grey (who appears higher up on this list), SENS is a crucial research, funding, and advocacy organization in the movement to increase healthy human lifespan. In addition to the direct anti-aging research they do themselves, SENS also funds longevity research studies at outside universities and labs, runs an annual life-extension conference, and runs extensive education and advocacy efforts.

The SENS Twitter account tweets out updates on talks and interviews with its staff, events, and new longevity research papers and reviews.

Honorable mentions for longevity experts

The below Twitter life-extension experts and organizations didn’t quite meet the follower threshold to be included in the above list, but still provide valuable longevity news and content, in my opinion.

These honorable mentions were selected by me in a totally subjective fashion and only represent accounts I’ve found useful or interesting, so take the list with a grain of salt. 

I’ve organized them alphabetically by organization name or individual last name.

• Aging Highlights
• Aging Science Talks
• Aging-US Journal
• David Barzilai
• Nir Barzilai
• Nathan Cheng
• José Cordeiro
• Dog Aging Project (have I told you about my puppy yet?)
• Nick Engerer
• Forever Healthy
• TheHumanAgingProject
• Frontiers in Aging Journal
• Geroscience
• Steve Horvath
• Bryan Johnson
• Brian Kennedy
• Maria Konovalenko
• Siim Land
• Longevity.Technology
• Longevity Escape Velocity Foundation
• Mike Lustgarten
• João Pedro de Magalhães
• Liz Parrish
• Karl Pfleger
• Michael Ristow
• David Stănete
• Sergey Young

Any other top longevity experts on Twitter?

Who’d we miss? 

And how have you (yes, you!) helped to preserve civilization by unfollowing angry political social media accounts?

Let us know what other longevity experts we should be following (or unfollowing) in the comments.