From Dogs to Humans: Matt Kaeberlein on Translational Aging Insights | Longevity Summit Dublin 2025

How do we translate breakthroughs in the biology of aging from model organisms into real-world impact for both pets and people? At Longevity Summit Dublin 2025, Dr. Matt Kaeberlein (CEO, Optispan; Affiliate Professor, University of Washington; Co-Director, Dog Aging Project) shares insights from two decades of work in geroscience. He takes us from the Dog Aging Project — the largest longitudinal study of canine aging, including the first randomized rapamycin trial in companion dogs — to the next frontier: Medicine 4.0, a framework for rigorous, evidence-based healthspan medicine in humans. Key highlights: Why companion dogs are powerful models for human aging Surprising insights on feeding frequency, cognitive decline, and dementia risk in dogs The TRIAD rapamycin trial: design, progress, and outcomes so far Challenges in today’s longevity medicine (supplements, biological age tests, uneven standards) What “Medicine 4.0” could mean for scalable, ethical, and rigorous healthspan care Matt’s vision connects rigorous science, translational models, and healthcare innovation — aiming to move from lifespan to true healthspan. 🔗 Learn more: Dog Aging Project → www.dogagingproject.org Optispan → www.optispan.life Chapters 00:00 – Opening remarks & framing translational aging 01:00 – From yeast, worms, and mice to companion dogs 01:55 – Founding the Dog Aging Project 03:10 – The lightbulb moment: rapamycin in dogs 04:01 – Scaling up: NIH funding, database, and 45,000+ dogs 05:57 – Why dogs? Biology, diversity, and shared environments 07:36 – The DAP structure: Pack, Foundation, Precision, Brain Health, TRIAD 09:10 – Open science & public engagement 09:44 – Insights: feeding frequency and age-related disease 10:30 – Cognitive decline, dementia, and body size effects 12:13 – Epigenetic clocks, transposable elements & microbiome data 14:00 – TRIAD rapamycin clinical trial design & progress 16:30 – Current numbers & challenges in the trial 16:51 – Transition to human healthspan: Optispan & Medicine 4.0 18:06 – Why Medicine 2.0 & 3.0 are insufficient 19:43 – Creating Medicine 4.0: rigor, AI, gero-science 21:13 – Scaling healthspan medicine: affordability & ethics 22:30 – Tools that work today (bloodwork, imaging, lifestyle pillars) 24:02 – Tools that don’t work yet (biological age tests, microbiome kits) 25:40 – The gray zone: supplements, peptides, experimental therapies 27:04 – The need for better data, independent oversight & discovery science 28:11 – Closing reflections & future vision #Longevity #Healthspan #DogAgingProject #Medicine4.0 #Rapamycin