Recently graduated senior at McGill, Incoming PhD student at Harvard

Interest Area Keywords: Molecular neuroscience, brain aging, synthetic biology, CRISPR screening & gene editing

Bio: Albert Nitu is an incoming PhD student at Harvard's Program in Neuroscience (PiN), working at the intersection of molecular brain aging and synthetic biology. During his undergraduate studies at McGill University, his work applied unbiased CRISPR screens to uncover the molecular mechanisms of lysosomal dysfunction in Alzheimer's and the aging brain.

His long-term goal is to unravel the cellular and molecular drivers of brain aging — particularly by leveraging multimodal in vivo CRISPR screens — and to translate these discoveries into new therapies that prevent age-related cognitive decline. He is equally passionate about engineering the next generation of synthetic biology-driven "smart" therapeutics — modular, programmable interventions that can fine-tune biological processes to combat aging.

Outside the lab, he is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality, hands-on STEM education, and enjoys organizing community initiatives that spark curiosity and empower the next generation of scientists.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I love exploring and learning about the world! I would spend my extra healthy years discovering how the universe ticks, from molecules to cells to galaxies, while also exploring the planet’s incredible natural beauty and cultural richness with the people I love.

Recently graduated senior at Wellesley College; Incoming PhD student at Carnegie Mellon

Interest Area Keywords: Statistical Machine Learning, Precision Medicine, Brain aging

Bio: Alice Zhang is a senior at Wellesley College majoring in Data Science. She will be pursuing a PhD in statistics at Carnegie Mellon University in the fall. Her research interests are developing statistical tools to understand complex genetic patterns and help translate precision medicine into clinical practice. She is particularly interested in studying social, cultural, and biological variation across populations that can inform more inclusive and effective approaches to human health.

Her work as a TIME fellow includes working as a research assistant in the Kellis Lab, where she modifies polygenic risk score models for diverse ancestries to study brain MRI-derived traits linked to neurodegeneration. She also completed her senior thesis in the Tetel Lab, analyzing hormonal dynamics in the gut and vaginal microbiome in healthy college women. Additionally, she conducts research in the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Lab and the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Project to explore how identity, culture, and lived experience can influence health outcomes.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I would spend my time being with my friends and family. I would also continue to working on tackling human consciousness from a biological perspective, developing greener technologies, and finding ways to translate discoveries across disciplines.

Harvard grad, incoming PhD Student @ MIT CSB

Interest Area Keywords: reproductive aging, regulatory genomics, healthspan, resilience, 3D genome

Bio: Amulya is a recent graduate who studied Computer Science at Harvard University. She is currently exploring chromatin conformation as a form of epigenomic regulation, and aims to characterize how chromatin conformation and other physical aspects of the genome change through age. She is interested in using innovative computational and machine learning approaches to study the 3D genome and other fundamental characteristics of cells, especially leveraging in silico screening methods. She will be pursuing her PhD in Computational and Systems Biology at MIT this fall.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life?
Spend time with my family, especially my grandparents!

Rising junior at Caltech, BS in Computational Neural Systems, BS in Business Economics and Management, minor in Computer Science

Interest Area Keywords: Neurotech. Longevity Medicine. Digitalization. Zero to One.

Bio: Founder and team leader with a technical background in computational neural systems from Caltech, biomedical research from human neuroscience laboratories, AI drug discovery from Insilico Medicine, and startup investing background from Frontier Ventures. A published peer-reviewed publications author since the age of 15 and featured in Forbes Magazine as a pioneering young scientist in the longevity space. Founder of Caltech Longevity Club.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Build longevity startups, organize conference, develop the most futuristic neurotech in the realm of consciousness uploading and digital twins. Enhance patient experience in clinics and build communities of driven leaders.

Rising sophomore at Harvard

Interest Area Keywords: Neurodegeneration, cognition, biotech, philosophy, education

Bio: Avery is a rising Harvard Sophomore studying neuroscience on the Mind, Brain, Behavior track. She is fascinated with the intersection of the narrative self and the brain: how does our identity change with brain aging? Starting at 16 as a National Science Foundation Funded Fellow studying Alzheimer's Disease at the University of California, Irvine, she now is an undergraduate researcher at the Hamilos Lab at MIT. There she specializes in stochastic cognition and how decision-making changes in different models with age. Her dream is to cure the ailments that plague the self, by targeting and preventing the underlying mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration -- using synthetic biology, AI, and the newest therapeutic approaches. When she is not in the lab, you can find Avery dancing, hiking, or creating some random art piece.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Learn everything I possibly can! Ex: backflip, the harp, play pool, cultivate poisonous plants, become expert skydiver, etc...

Recently graduated from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Interest Area Keywords: Microbiology, Extremophiles, Microbiome, Telomeres, Stem Cells

Bio: Cynthia Valenzuela is a recent graduate in Genomic Biotechnology from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Mexico. She is passionate about the intersection of aging and microbiology, particularly the potential of extremophiles as tools to delay aging—either through their unique biomolecules or as model organisms, such as tardigrades, whose use in aging research is just beginning to emerge.

Cynthia is especially interested in age-related diseases like osteoporosis. Motivated by this, she developed Astromycota, a project aimed at creating a nutritional solution to prevent bone loss in astronauts and bedridden patients on Earth. Currently, she is also working on engineering a biomaterial using the extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans to shield lunar bases from radiation—a project scheduled for testing aboard the International Space Station in Spring 2026.

In the future, she plans to develop an open-access database of extremophile genes, enzymes, and peptides to help researchers identify new targets to slow down aging.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? With extra healthy years of life, I would dedicate more time to advancing space biotechnology to help make humanity become an interplanetary species. I would focus on developing aging-related therapies and biotech solutions—such as radioresistant crops and treatments for space-induced illnesses—to support long-term human survival on Mars and beyond.

Rising junior at Harvard College

Interest Area Keywords: T cell epigenetics and reprogramming

Bio: Building and harnessing next-generation epigenomic tools to decode how aging skews T cell identity—and uncovering new levers to reprogram immune fate and restore resilience across the lifespan.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? As a scientist who wrestles with the mysteries of death and what it means to be human and happy, I’m driven to slow aging not just for more health—but for more meaning. I dream of spending those extra years biking across the world, learning how different cultures grapple with life’s big questions, and ultimately settling in the Himalayas to seek a little peace between science and spirit.

University of Pennsylvania, University of Cambridge, WashU in St. Louis School of Medicine

Incoming M1 at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Interest Area Keywords: Oncology, Oncogeriatrics, Cancer Survivorship, Regenerative Medicine, Aging Biology

Bio: George Morcos is a master’s student at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on therapeutic toxicities in cancer– in other words, the negative side effects of radio, chemo, and immunotherapies on normal tissue. In undergrad, George studied radio toxicities in the heart and head and neck (HNC), contributing to studies that demonstrated that the delivery of high dose-rate proton radiotherapy "FLASH" can reduce toxicities of thoracic and HNC radiation in mice. His project at Cambridge follows up on this work by studying the effects of chemoradiation on normal HNC tissue in 3D epithelial tissue cultures. George is particularly interested in therapeutic aging and its implications for the rapidly growing number of cancer survivors globally. Please reach out with questions, mentorship requests, and opportunities for collaboration.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I would become a field archeaologist and work in the Middle East, Greece and/or Rome!

Rising senior at Harvard College

Interest Area Keywords: neuroscience, imaging, microbiology, evolution

Bio: Hannah Park is a senior at Harvard College studying Integrative Biology and Mathematics. She is excited about developing molecular and optical tools to map, better understand, and uncover new biology in fine-scale systems. At Xiaowei Zhuang’s lab at Harvard University, she applies spatially resolved multi-omics technologies to the brain, with a current focus on multiplexed synapse mapping and profiling. Previously, she conducted research in Soumya Raychaudhuri’s lab at Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, studying the relationship between human genetics and T cell functional traits. Outside the lab, Hannah enjoys teaching optics. She is currently developing a microscopy mini course with MITxBiology, where she covers the physics behind biological imaging as well as practical troubleshooting tips.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? With extra healthy years, I’d finally have the time and energy to adopt all the rescue cats and dogs I’ve ever dreamed of—turning my home into the coziest, treat-filled sanctuary on earth.

undergrad: UC Berkeley
currently: RA position - Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Interest Area Keywords: neurobiology, physiological resilience, aging

Bio: Heidi Huang is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Molecular Therapeutics. At the Innovative Genomics Institute, she optimized non-viral CRISPR delivery systems for neuronal editing in models of neurodegenerative disease. Previously, she also studied how neural circuits regulate hunger and energy balance at UCSF, deepening her interest in the brain and how it maintains physiological homeostasis. As a TIME Fellow in Feng Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Heidi will explore how sleep protects against systemic stressors, with the long-term goal of understanding resilience pathways that could guide strategies to extend healthspan.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d spend more time with the people I love—traveling, hiking, playing sports, and making music. I’d keep learning about biology, dive into fun rabbit holes, catch up on my never-ending book list, and share what I’ve learned with younger scientists.

University of Toronto, MIT

Graduated Senior, Grad School on Pause

Interest Area Keywords: Geroscience translation, funding models, science communication

Bio: Jolie Gan is a recent grad from the University of Toronto focused on the intersection of brain health, biotechnology, and public trust in science. She researched comparative approaches to neurodegenerative disease treatment across Southeast Asia with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and most recently with the MIT McGovern Institute working on computational models of the brain, exploring how we might unlock new treatment pathways for neurodegenerative disease.

Beyond academia, Jolie worked with Health Canada and early-stage biotech startups in Singapore, Berlin, and San Francisco. Today, she’s focused on how we translate and communicate science more clearly and credibly amidst growing public skepticism. Her work aims to rebuild the connective tissue between researchers, institutions, and the public, bridging the gap between discovery and cultural traction.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d build libraries featuring mixed media collections that digitize our senses and preserve what it means to feel, not just know. More years would mean more chances to turn sensory science into shared cultural infrastructure.

Stanford University

Incoming Senior & Co-Terminal Master's Student

Interest Area Keywords: Neural organoids, bioethics, aging biology, regenerative medicine, policy

Bio: Investigating how tissue-specific aging and regenerative potential vary across individuals and species by integrating neural organoid development with ethical and policy frameworks

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Build bridges between science and law, and choreograph a full-length ballet on what it means to age!

Rising Senior at Princeton University

Interest Area Keywords: regenerative biomaterials, tissue engineering, squishy engineering

Bio: Margaret is a rising senior at Princeton University studying Mechanical Engineering with minors in bioengineering and material science. Her main interests are applications of regenerative medicine and aging utilizing material science through tissue engineering, nano-structures, bio-printing, and squishy engineering that promotes faster wound healing. She is working at the Cohen Lab at Princeton University where she worked on cell-compatible nano-tunnel structures that promotes better cell adhesion that can be useful for implants as well as worked on the development of dissolvable transdermal microneedles that can be used for clinical applications and better efficient drug delivery. Previously, Margaret has also worked with Lewis Lab on creating printable hydrogel-based bio-inks for cell growth and organ printing. As a TIME fellow, Margaret is looking forward to combine all these past interests to develop micropatterned nanostructures that induces cells wound healing/regeneration and differentiation as well as further developing her microneedles to deliver gerotherapeutic drugs.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I would create more art with some extra healthy years of life. Painting always allows me to slow down and appreciate the little details in life.

Columbia University (Neuroscience) & Tel Aviv University (Life Sciences)

Recently graduated dual-degree senior; gap year before starting MD/PhD training in Fall 2025

Interest Area Keywords: Translational Geroscience, Cognitive Resilience, Preventative Neurology, Sex-Specific Aging Patterns

Bio: Maya Gal is a recent graduate of the Dual Degree Program between Columbia University and Tel Aviv University, where she majored in Neuroscience and Life Sciences, respectively. Drawing on her clinical experiences as an EMT and her volunteer work in inpatient delirium and outpatient dementia programs, she is driven to preserve patient agency through early, scalable preventive interventions. At Tel Aviv University she studied hyperbaric oxygen’s effects on Alzheimer’s pathology in rodents; at Columbia she explored a web-based cognitive intervention and probed how menopausal status shapes exercise-driven cognitive benefits; and at Einstein she’s assisted in cohort analyses of exceptional longevity and preclinical screens of gerotherapeutics for AD and cognitive resilience. With MD/PhD training on the horizon, she aspires to translate these insights into accessible, evidence-based solutions that sustain cognitive function well before decline emerges.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d start each day with riverside yoga, then Portuguese practice with my husband (hopefully by then more languages), then we are off in our mobile clinic van stocked with all the latest innovations. We’d travel the world, bringing with us the latest therapies and running community-based workshops, making sure everyone can age with curiosity and dignity.

New York University

Recently Graduated Master's Student

Interest Area Keywords: Machine Learning, Biomarkers, Developmental Aging, Mechanisms of Aging, Causal Inference

Bio: Regardless of the environment’s influence, people will age. And I want to understand what drives this baseline aging phenotype and find targets to inhibit it. To do that I am working on developing machine learning models to understand how different genes regulate aging and find effectors that directly control aging. This will help us in determining new targets for aging drugs and therapeutics, and allow us to discover novel (composite) biomarkers to speed up aging trials. Additionally, it will allow us to build a genetic regulatory network of genes that directly control aging, which will further advance our understanding of mechanistic (baseline) aging biology.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Beachgoer by day, paranormal investigator by night!

Rising junior at Princeton

Interest Area Keywords: Molecular simulation, biophysics, control theory

Bio: Mihir Rao is a junior at Princeton studying physics. He is interested in using approaches to understanding and engineering complex dynamical systems that have worked in other verticals to develop aging interventions. To this end, Mihir has worked on biology at multiple length scales, from molecular simulation research at Princeton, to spatial omics technology at Havard Medical School, to clinical AI and statistical methods at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Mihir's current focus is on building AI-native systems with physical priors that have the capacity for integrated multiscale modeling of biology. He is optimistic about quantitative approaches to geroscience that can push healthy lifespan extension further into society's Overton window, and he's excited to be doing this work with the support of the Time Initiative.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Do math and physics research, spend more time jazz drumming, and maybe finally find Waldo.

Recently graduated senior at University of Michigan, Incoming PhD at Stanford University

Interest Area Keywords: Statistical genetics, transcriptomics, immunology

Bio: Mukundh is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and an incoming PhD student in Genetics at Stanford University. His research lies at the intersection of immunology, statistical genetics, and aging biology. At the Broad Institute, he led a large-scale single-nucleus transcriptomic analysis of blood samples from a longitudinal birth cohort to uncover transcriptional signatures of aging present as early as age 26. His work included dissecting transcription factor regulons and transposable element activity associated with individual variation in the pace of aging. He also contributed to the development of TRADE (Transcriptome-wide Analysis of Differential Expression), a statistical framework for quantifying the aggregate impact of genetic perturbations across the transcriptome. Through the TIME Fellowship and his doctoral training, Mukundh plans to focus understanding how variation in immune regulatory loci—interacting with environmental exposures such as latent viral infections—drives early immune dysfunction upstream of aging and predisposes to autoimmune disease. More broadly, his research interests center on decoding the “genomic” regulatory code of the immune system using computational and single-cell genomics, with the ultimate goal of integrating data-driven discovery and mechanistic perturbation to advance therapeutic insights into immune aging and autoimmunity.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d spend my extra healthy years chasing every adventure sport I haven’t yet tried, traveling the world with friends and family, and rebuilding every single origami structure and lego set from my childhood.

Fourth-year medical student at the Autonomous University of Madrid

Interest Area Keywords: neurodegeneration, neurogenesis, stem cells, Alzheimer's disease, synaptic dysfunction.

Bio: Pablo is a fourth-year medical student with a strong interest in the effect of aging in the brain and neurodegenerative diseases. He has conducting research on Alzheimer's disease as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge, trying to uncover the mechanisms behind synaptic dysfunction and misfolded protein aggregation, which are hallmarks of this diseases. More recently, his interest areas involve the use of stem cells for brain repair, as well as neurogenesis. Aside from research, he also has a strong interest in volunteering, sport, and learning languages.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I would aim to collaborate with the WHO and other actors in the field of health to research and develop initiatives (such as the COVAX initiative during COVID) which allow for a more equitable access to the the advances in healthcare which are allowing us to live more healthy years of life.

Rising fifth-year student in the six-year BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

Interest Area Keywords: Cardiac senolytics; Epigenetic clock reprogramming; Mitochondrial calcium modulation; Precision geroscience therapies

Bio: Sarah Jiang is a BA/MD candidate at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC), which offers the nation’s only accelerated six-year program that combines a bachelor’s degree with a medical doctorate. Her academic focus is in cardiovascular aging, where she leads a research team analyzing large-scale imaging and clinical datasets. Her work investigates the contributions of hypertension, endothelial senescence, and related age-associated factors to the progression of heart failure. Findings from this research have been presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and the American College of Cardiology Conference and are currently being prepared for publication. She also collaborates on studies examining the impact of chronic inflammation on vascular aging in rheumatologic diseases, with ongoing efforts to identify molecular biomarkers of cellular senescence.

Beyond the lab bench, Sarah is actively engaged in health policy and advocacy. She serves on the American College of Cardiology’s Medical Student Leadership Group, where she facilitates journal clubs and supports national student initiatives. At UMKC, she founded the Aging Medicine Interest Group to address gaps in geroscience medical education. She currently serves as Chair of the Missouri State Medical Association medical student section and as a student delegate to the American Medical Association, where she contributes to the development of resolutions and policy proposals that frame aging as a modifiable risk factor and advocate for increased federal funding in geroscience research.

A dedicated science communicator, Sarah founded and directed a TEDx conference in high school and recently TEDxUMKC. These experiences strengthened her ability to translate complex biomedical topics for public audiences, skills she now applies to policy and advocacy. Her long-term goal is to integrate clinical practice, data science, and advocacy to develop therapies that extend not only lifespan but, more importantly, healthspan.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d spend my bonus years as a cartographer of the aging human body–mapping how diet, microbes, and mitochondria shift year by year inside my own body, ultimately turning this info into a living map to guide future therapies. Forever curious, forever creating because extra years are not just a gift, but a call to live expansively.

Rising Senior at Harvard (‘26)

Interest Area Keywords: Neurobiology, bioengineering, optogenetics, microglia

Bio: Sean Meng is a rising senior at Harvard College studying Neuroscience, with a focus on the molecular and circuit-level mechanisms underlying cognitive aging. Sean is conducting research in the labs of Bernardo Sabatini at Harvard Medical School and Beth Stevens at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he investigates how aging alters thalamocortical circuit dynamics and decision-making behavior. By combining fiber photometry, Neuropixel electrophysiology, and optogenetic circuit manipulation in aging mice, Sean aims to identify neural signatures of cognitive resilience and vulnerability across the lifespan.

In parallel, Sean works in the George Church lab, where he is contributing to the development of a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-based multi-gene delivery platform designed to overcome current barriers in gene therapy, enabling multiplexed interventions for complex brain disorders.

Beyond the lab, Sean serves as Co-President of the Harvard Undergraduate OpenBio Laboratory, an initiative dedicated to democratizing access to biology. Through project incubation, fellowships, cross-institution collaborations, hands-on scientific training, and educational programming, OpenBio seeks to empower this up and coming generation to use biology to move the world forward. 

Sean is excited to join the TIME Initiative community and advance the future of aging biology not only through interdisciplinary research, but also through efforts to build a more inclusive and collaborative scientific ecosystem.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d treasure those years for my family. I dream of opening a small restaurant—a place where the aroma of family recipes fills the air, and laughter and stories are shared over meals. It would be a space to preserve traditions of those past and to create new memories with those I hold most dear.

Aging research is about more than adding years. It’s about enriching moments that make life meaningful.

Eng. Biotechnology, now co founder at Homeos, used to study and research at Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ

Gap year before grad school (not applying to PhD or Master's programs this year; focusing on startup and research work)

Interest Area Keywords: Biomarkers, Senescence and Cell & Gene Therapy

Bio: Sebastian Peñaherrera, an Ecuadorian passionate about creating science, sharing kindness, and spreading love—on a mission to live beyond 100 years. Sebastian is a scientist and entrepreneur from Ecuador, with a strong passion for making health more preventive, accessible, and personalized. He has authored over seven scientific publications and has summited two patents in the fields of regenerative medicine and biotechnology. His research has focused on cutting-edge therapies, including mitochondrial transfer and cell therapy for tissue regeneration. Sebastian is also the founder and CEO of Homeos, a health tech company that helps people detect early signs of chronic diseases through an effective blood test—making wellness tracking easier and more actionable for everyone.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I choose to love more—deeply, intentionally, and without rushing. I replace the fear of missing out with the intention to live fully through love and presence.

Recently Graduated University of Michigan (Undergraduate)

next: University of Michigan (PhD)

Interest Area Keywords: Cellular Regeneration, Venture Investing, Health Policy, Biotech Financing

Bio: Siddharth is a recent University of Michigan graduate where he earned degrees in Biology and Economics. Broadly interested in life sciences innovation, science communication, and health policy, he helped build Nucleate's Michigan Chapter—a biotech venture accelerator—worked on Health Policy in the Michigan Legislature and at the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C., and also spent time doing investment banking in New York City. In research, Siddharth is working in Dr. Indika Rajapakse’s lab at the University of Michigan on directly reprogramming human fibroblasts into hematopoietic stem cells. By integrating multimodal sequencing, imaging, and LLM‑based predictive models, this work seeks to accelerate discovery in genome function and control. Siddharth aims to leverage these AI‑guided insights to design targeted interventions that mitigate accelerated cellular aging in military personnel and veterans.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I'd try to make it as an actor and/or late night talk show host, would give me a chance to pursue my childhood dream of being on SNL!

McMaster University, BSc Honours. Transitioning to law school (JD) this September

Interest Area Keywords: Reproductive Longevity, ReproTech, Ovarian Aging

Bio: Victoria Dmitruczyk is a researcher, writer, and builder focused on accelerating R&D in women’s health. She is currently part of the core team at AthenaDAO, the world’s largest decentralized collective funding projects across ovarian aging, endometriosis, PCOS, gynecological oncology, ReproTech, and more—where 70% of treasury resources have gone directly into women’s health R&D. Her work spans from advancing biotech funding models like IP-NFTs to producing open-access reproductive health reports.

Victoria is also a Cansbridge Fellow working in Tokyo this summer, a Time Fellow assessing ovarian aging, and a Life Sciences undergrad preparing to begin law school in the fall. She’s led global health initiatives like the ECA Initiative to expand access to contraception in Uganda and has consulted for organizations like Alphabet Inc., Kidogo, and Zappos on topics ranging from non-invasive monitoring to antimicrobial resistance.

In the past, she has published on entomoculture for lab-grown meat, worked on more efficient solar cells, and nuclear fusion.

Above all, she’s interested in building cool, weird, impactful things—with friends, if possible.

 What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I would love to completely disconnect from the world I'm used to and sail the seas as a fisherman. Once I'm done with that, I'd probably run over to the jungle and try to explore the world more.

BS Biology Stanford

currently Co-founder at Oncko

Interest Area Keywords: CRISPR, Gene Therapy, Prevention, Oncology

Bio: Wyatt optimized a combinatorial CRISPR system to study blood cancers during high school in Ari Melnick’s lab at Weill Cornell. He graduated Stanford in two years while working at Gordian Biotechnology, becoming the first RA to make scientist while leading development and implementation of an in vivo AAV CRISPR screening platform. Most recently, Wyatt co-founded Oncko with his former boss Atray, and pharma legend Bill, to develop combination therapies for non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? Work on other problems: energy, space exploration, consciousness!

Harvard College (AB, 2025), Incoming PhD student in Bioengineering at Stanford University

Interest Area Keywords: Synthetic Biology, In Vitro Gametogenesis, Reprogramming-based Cell Rejuvenation, AI Foundation Models, Multi-Omics

Bio: Zijian (Carl) Ma is a graduating senior at Harvard studying Chemical and Physical Biology and Computer Science, and an incoming PhD student in Bioengineering at Stanford University. At Harvard, Carl conducted thesis research in the George Church Lab, where he focused on in vitro gametogenesis and transcription factor-based reprogramming to develop alternative sources of human gametes as potential treatments for infertility and reproductive system rejuvenation. His broader interests include integrating synthetic biology, multi-omics, and AI foundation models to better understand cellular identity and the mechanisms of aging. Beyond the lab, Carl co-founded the Aging Initiative at Harvard to support student-driven aging biology projects and leads efforts at the Harvard Undergraduate OpenBio Laboratory and the Tech and Global Health Initiative to make science more accessible and collaborative. At Stanford, Carl hopes to strengthen his foundation in computation and engineering to build tools that advance regenerative and translational medicine.

What would you do with extra healthy years of life? I’d organize transgenerational dinners—spaces where people across all age groups, including those gifted with extra healthy years, could gather to share stories, insights, and hard-earned wisdom. With more time, I’d focus on building intergenerational understanding and exploring what it truly means to age well—together.