Valter Longo
Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences, Edna M. Jones Chair in Gerontology at the University of Southern California
Valter Longo, PhD, is the Edna Jones Professor in Gerontology and Professor in Biological Science. He is also the Director of the USC Longevity Institute. He is interested in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of aging in yeast, mice and humans by using genetics and biochemistry techniques. He is also interested in identifying the molecular pathways conserved from simple organisms to humans that can be modulated to protect against multiple stresses and treat or prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease and other diseases of aging. The focus is on the signal transduction pathways that regulate resistance to oxidative damage in yeast and mice. He has pioneered the studies of prolonged fasting and fasting mimicking diet and discovered their effect on multi-system stem cell activation and regeneration, leading to clinical trials on cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmunities. Professor Longo received the Nathan Shock Lecture Award from the National Institute on Ageing (NIA/NIH) in 2010, the Vincent Cristofalo ‘Rising Star’ Award for Research on Ageing in 2013, and the Glenn Award for research in the Biology of Aging in 2016. His book, The Longevity Diet, is an international bestseller, translated in over 15 languages and sold in more than 20 countries around the globe.
