Global Healthspan Extension Consortium
Swiss Healthy Longevity Campus (will be launched in April/May 2025)
Vision
Vision
The “Global Health Span Extension Consortium” will provide a unique and collaborative Healthy Longevity Platform that combines global research & innovation with the clinical applications of “organ-aging clocks” and other clocks as early medical diagnostics of organ aging, and as control of therapeutic interventions and health promotion.
Consortium
Consortium
The team is composed of…
public health research
11 internationally leading clinical and public health researchers addressing lifestyle and pharmacological (i.e. metformin) effects on muscle, cardiovascular, brain and immune aging throughout the life-course and with a focus on middle-aged and older adults. 7 longitudinal cohorts (2 population-based life-span cohorts) and 10 clinical trials with a total of > 175’000 individuals followed prospectively.
translational research
5 internationally leading translational researchers on individual organ aging clocks based on proteome signatures, epigenetic clocks on pan-tissue aging, transcriptome-based aging clocks, DNA-repair mechanisms and transcriptional signatures of human memory CD8(+) T cells.
biostatistical methods
3 internationally leading experts in biostatisticical methods of clinical trials and composite outcomes (intrinsic capacity and resilience), target emulation trials and federated data harmonization and analyses of multiple cohorts from different study sites.
biotech / app design
2 biotech companies and
1 app-design company advancing clinical application of biomarkers of aging and scalability of health span extension solutions through interactive digital health tools.
Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari
Coordinator
(H-index 72) has a background in General Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Rehabilitation, and in 2025 is the Chair of Geriatrics elect. at the University of Basel Dept. of Aging Medicine FELIX PLATTER after serving as Chair of Geriatrics and Aging Research from 2013 to 2025 at the University of Zurich. She holds a Master and Doctor of Public Healthy Degree from Harvard School of Public Health in nutrition, epidemiology and biostatistics, and is the principal investigator of 16 small to moderate to large-scale clinical trials in health promotion of older adults. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari is experienced in coordinating large translational research networks, including the 5-country DO-HEALTH trial, DO-HEALTH cohort, DO-HEALTH-BioAge program and biobank, the translational Geroscience program IHU HealthAge, and the Swiss Frailty Network and Repository. Since 2024, she established the WHO ICOPE program in Switzerland together with the ProSenectute Foundation, and initiated the Swiss ICOPE- pilot trial in Switzerland in 2025. Since 2020 she serves as a board member of Harvard School of Public Health Program Minding our Future Healthy Aging and since 2022 as a member of the WHO Consortium on Healthy Aging. In 2024 she served as a visiting Professor at Advanced Aging Research Seminar Series (AARTSS) program and Harvard Translational Research in Aging Postdoctoral Training Program.
Coordinator neuro-biology and organ-aging clocks
(H-index 104). PhD. D.H. Chen Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University. Director, The Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Stanford University. TIME Magazine “The Health Care 50” as one of the most influential people transforming healthcare. Runner-up for the Breakthrough of the Year in 2014 by Science magazine. Co-founder of Alkahest, exit to Grifols. Published groundbreaking proteomics study featured on the cover of Nature’s December 2023 issue demonstrating the ability to predict individual organ age. Machine-learning based prediction of individual organ age was successfully used to predict age-related disease onset.
Tony Wyss-Coray
Joanne Ryan
Coordinator target emulation trials
(H-index 53). PhD. Head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia research unit (SPHPM, Monash University, Australia). Background in molecular biology and epidemiology and large-scale interventions trials. Preventative interventions, risk prediction, biological underpinnings, biomarker identification (incl. epigenetics), target emulation trials. Joanne Ryan is the co-PI of the ASPREE-XT testing aspirin versus placebo in 19’114 individuals and STAREE-Mind testing statins versus placebo in 9’9971 individuals. She is leading an ongoing effort of the consortium repurposing “intrinic capacity” as an alternative outcome of DO-HEALTH and ASPREE.
Coordinator public health and lifestyle
(H-index 345). MD, DrPH. Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Director Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA). Chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard for 25 years. Methods in nutritional epidemiology and the application of these to understanding the lifestyle etiologies of cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease. Co-investigator of the Nurses’ Health Study since 1977 and founding PI of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986) andthe Nurses’ Health Study II (1989). Nurses’ Health Study draws information on healthy longevity from almost 50 years of continuously updated data on medical, diet and other lifestyle variables and an accompanying biorepository with DNA, plasma, red cells, and fecal and oral microbiome samples. Analyses and interpretation of complex dietary and other life-style data to be used for investigation of healthy aging.
Most cited scientist internationally. Data sets: NHS and Health Professionals Study.
Walter C. Willett
Team
Team
Björn Schumacher
(H-index 41). PhD. Full professor and director of the Institute for Genome Stability in Aging and Diseases (CECAD Research Centre, University of Cologne), President of the German Society for DNA Repair, co-Director of the Minerva Center of the Biological Mechanisms of Healthy Aging (Bar-Ilan University, IL), speaker of the DFG Research Unit FOR 5504 on “Physiological causes and consequences of genome instability”. Molecular mechanisms through which DNA damage contributes to cancer and aging-associated diseases, uncovered cell-autonomous and systemic responses through which the organism adapts to accumulating DNA damage with aging.
David T. Felson
(H-index 180). MD, MPH. Evans Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology (Boston University, USA), Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Yale School of Medicine). Osteoarthritis, rheumatic diseases: outcome measurement, trials, how to prevent and treat, biomechanical risk factors, biomechanical treatments, characterizing MRI features of normal knees and knees with pain. Internationally renowned expert in osteoarthritis. Dataset: PIKASO, ongoing.
E. John Orav
(H-index 100). PhD. Associate Professor of Medicine (Biostatistics) (Harvard Medical School (USA), Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (USA)). Collaborative biostatistician in clinical trials of medical and behavioral therapy, epidemiological studies, randomized trials of weight loss and of healthy aging (DO-HEALTH), analyses of national databases. Expert in composite endpoints. Defined primary composite endpoint for the ICOPE prevention trial (Switzerland, France) in collaboration with DO-HEALTH coordinating team. Harvard Catalyst Profiles
Terrie E. Moffitt
(H-index 225). MBE. Is the Keohane University Professor at Duke University, and also Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London. She leads the team who developed DunedinPACE, the epigenetic speedometer that measures how fast a person is ageing, to study how a lifetime of mental illness affects biological aging. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Medicine, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the British Academy, Academy of Medical Sciences (UK), and the Association of Psychological Sciences, and holds honorary degrees from the Universities of Basel and Leuven. In her spare time, she works on her poison-ivy farm in North Carolina. Learn more at www.moffittcaspi.com
SEITO
Onur Boyman
(H-index 65). MD. Full Professor (University of Zurich, Switzerland), CEO, Chairman & Co-founder of SEITO Biologics, and Chairman of the Swiss Center of Allergology, Immunology and Autoimmunity. Pioneered the use of biased cytokine immunotherapy for treatment of immune-mediated diseases, with implications for ‘inflamm-aging’, discovered a novel pathomechanism of Long Covid, and published very detailed and longitudinal studies of young and aged neutrophils and memory T cells in mice and humans.
Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
(H-index 65). MD. Senior Professor Charité, Germany. PI of the “Berlin Age Study” (BASE and BASE II) and its follow-up project GendAge. Pioneer in Aging Medicine defining acute care geriatric rehabilitation as a Germany-wide and Swiss-wide acute care intervention program reimbursed by insurance companies. International expert in lipid metabolism and cardiology, co-investigator of several large-scale cardiovascular trials. Research profile. Dataset: BASE and BASE II (PI).
Marcus Dörr
(H-index 74). MD. Senior physician, Head of the research group “Translational cardiovascular disease prevention” (University Hospital Greifswald, Germany). Clinical studies, epidemiology, cardiology, exercise, biology of aging. Spokesperson for Greifswald Community Medicine research network (Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)) and for the partner site Greifswald of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research. Dataset: SHIP (PI).
Bess Dawson-Hughes
(H-index 137). MD. Senior Scientist, Professor of Medicine. Metabolic bone disease, acid-base balance of the diet, calcium and vitamin D nutrition, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Internationally renowned for her research regarding bone health. Dataset: STOP-IT (PI).
Reto W. Kressig
(H-index 53). MD. Professor and Chair of Geriatrics (University of Basel, Switzerland), Head of Department Geriatric Medicine Felix Platter (Basel, Switzerland). Gait biomechanics, physical activity, functional autonomy, nutrition and cognition in relation to principles of geriatric rehabilitation and health prevention. Datasets: DO-HEALTH, STRONG (site co-PI).
Maik Gollasch
(H-index 64). MD, PhD. Director of the Department of Geriatrics (University Hospital Greifswald, Germany). Kidney diseases, Hypertension, Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, Vascular. Dataset: SHIP-AGE (SHIP-cohort study combined with a prospective, multi-centered, observational/interventional investigation (PI)).
Teal Omics
Alex Boches
CEO and co-founder of Teal Omics, a cutting-edge biotechnology company that leverages artificial intelligence tools, machine learning models, and advanced proteomics analytics to measure organ aging and develop novel approaches for aging research, building on the pioneering research of co-founder Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray.
LifeBonus
Uwe Sasse
MBA. CEO and owner of LifeBonus and WorkLife Gesundheitsmanagement AG, Zurich. Geriatric strength training, corporate and individual health management, development of analog and digital health programs for older people, app concept and development. Ownership of IP: “LifeBonus Pflege” App, “LifeBonus Pflege Pro” App, “ich pflege” App.
Activities
Activities
GRANT APPLICATIONS
XPRIZE Healthspan competition
For the XPRIZE we propose a personalized multimodal lifestyle intervention combined with metformin. Our research implementation plan includes a ranomized controlled trial. Additionally, to effectively extend the evidence-base for our health span extension solution, we perform target trial emulation testing in over 175’000 longitudinally followed middle-aged and older individuals by this consortium.
PUBLICATIONS
DNA methylation clocks of biological aging
Individual and additive effects of vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise on DNA methylation clocks of biological aging in generally healthy older adults: Findings from the 3-year DO-HEALTH trial.
ANALYSES
repurposing 10 existing RCTs with Intrinsic Capacity as outcome
We harmonized 10 clinical trials with phenotyping on Cognition, Mobility, Mental Health, Vitality/Nutrition, Vision and Hearing.
CLINICAL TRIALS
ICOPE Trial
Our consortium is highly experience in planning and implementing large-scale randomized controlled prevention trials. Using this expertise, we are planning a multi-center consortium trial designed to establish clinical efficacy of the WHO ICOPE-based intervention among individuals at risk of decline in intrinsic capacity. The ICOPE-pilot trial will start in March 2025 in Switzerland to inform the next-step large-scale multi-center consortium trial. This consortium effort complements our activity “repurposing 10 existing RCTs with Intrinsic Capacity as outcome” and carries the breath to be a most transformative project in strengthening intrinsic capacity and extending healthy longevity at the population level.
News
News
Terrie E. Moffitt – New Team Member
We are pleased to announce, that the Global Healthspan Extension Consortium has a new team member: Terrie E. Moffitt
Individual and additive effects of vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise on DNA methylation clocks of biological aging in older adults from the DO-HEALTH trial
While observational studies and small pilot trials suggest that vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise may slow biological agin…
ICOPE Trial
The WHO defined 6 key functions that people value most, including mobility, cognition, nutrition/vit…
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