Meet the Judges Transforming Human Aging

The judges of XPRIZE Healthspan gather both in person and virtually in a conference room.

In science, results are only as meaningful as the rigor with which they’re evaluated. At XPRIZE Healthspan, we’re on a mission to change how the world approaches aging—supporting new therapies that could extend healthy years of life for people around the globe. Driving that kind of impact starts with thoughtful, credible evaluation.

That is why my team and I have worked diligently to build a coalition of expert judges prepared to assess innovations with scientific rigor and open minds over the course of the seven-year competition. After months of work, we are proud to present our Judging Panel.

To build the right group, we worked closely with our Scientific Advisory Board to find a diverse pool of potential judges with expertise in critical fields including health clinics, geriatrics, clinical trials, translational geroscience, biomarkers, Alzheimer's disease and brain aging, immunology, large pharmaceutical R&D, and venture investment. These experts needed to fairly and rigorously assess a wide span of technologies with application in our competition’s endpoints: muscle, cognitive, and immune function.

We knew that our work could not be successful without balancing this technical knowledge with a wide array of perspectives across gender, geography, and professional backgrounds including trialists, geroscientists, clinicians, policy experts, epidemiologists, and leaders from both academia and industry. We also felt it was important to include at least one judge with experience in venture capital and investment, expertise critical in scaling innovations.

We began with a pool of more than 80 potential candidates and started narrowing down our field. Encouragingly, one of our most consistent issues was finding that qualified candidates were unavailable as they were planning to compete in the competition.

We settled on an initial panel of 13 judges, but when we received 188 Qualifying Submissions from competing teams, it became clear that we needed additional support in certain specialized areas. So, we added three ad-hoc reviewers with expertise in stem cell therapies, plasmapheresis, and AI-aided drug screening to ensure every submission was appropriately evaluated.

This group brings a strong mix of knowledge, experience, and perspective. The process of selecting them has been one of the most thoughtful and collaborative processes of the competition to date. I’m humbled and grateful for these leaders’ commitment to the future of humanity.

- Dr. Jamie Justice, Executive Director of XPRIZE Healthspan

Meet our Judging Panel below and learn about their backgrounds, why they joined the seven-year journey, and what excites them most about the future of XPRIZE Healthspan.

XPRIZE HEALTHSPAN JUDGING PANEL

Arne Akbar, a man with short graying hair, in a blazer and striped blue shirt on a tan background.

ARNE AKBAR, PHD

Professor of Immunology, University College London

“I focus on human immunology because the decline in immunity places a big burden on health during aging. The immune system interacts with every organ in the body, so to fully understand age-associated changes in health, it is important to discover how interactions between immune and non-immune cells are altered over time.”

JOANNA BENSZ

Founder & CEO, Longevity Center Europe

“Running a number of longevity clinics, I see firsthand how personalized care and multimodal interventions can significantly impact healthspan for our clients. While we don’t yet have a single solution to solve aging, the entire field is actively exploring the most effective approaches, making it incredibly exciting to be part of this transformative journey.”

Steven Cummings, a man with gray hair and beard, wears a gray blazer and multi-colored striped shirt on a brown background.

STEVEN CUMMINGS, MD

Executive Director, San Francisco Coordinating Center; Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco

“I have spent several decades rigorously researching the potential causes and functional consequences of aging. Our research group has extensive experience with the markers, measures, and outcomes that are employed in the trials - this is what shapes how I think about healthspan.”

Susan Howlett, a woman with short blonde hair, wearing a white denim jacket on a blue background.

SUSAN HOWLETT, PHD

Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Dalhousie University

“I was inspired to join the XPRIZE Healthspan Judging Panel because I am very excited by the prospect of developing new treatments that target the fundamental mechanisms of aging and frailty. The status quo - treating one disease at a time - does not target the problem that many older people have multiple, interacting health issues.”

Stephen Kritchevsky, a man with brown hair, wears a blazer, gray sweater, and blue striped shirt on a gray background.

STEPHEN B. KRITCHEVSKY, PHD

Endowed Professor in Geroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

“The goal of XPRIZE Healthspan is audacious. I joined as a Judge because I was curious to see what creative minds in the world would come up with to achieve it.”

Nathan LeBrassuer, a man with brown hair, wears a dark blue windowpane suit, a light blue shirt, and a dark blue striped tie.

NATHAN LEBRASSEUR, PT, PHD

Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Director, Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic

Dr. LeBrasseur’s research team conducts translational “bench-to-bedside” research on strategies to improve physical function, metabolism, and resilience in the face of aging and disease. His latest work has centered on cellular senescence, a fundamental mechanism of aging, and interventions to counter this process to extend healthspan.

Ravi Mahajan, a man with graying dark hair, wears a dark suit, white shirt, and blue tie with silver polka dots.

RAVI P. MAHAJAN, CBE, DM, FRCA, FCAI

Director of Critical Care Integration and Transformation; Director of Research and Innovations, Apollo Hospitals Group

Professor Mahajan has worked in laying foundations of international organisations such as the National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia (NIAA), Health Services Research Centre (HSRC) and Centre of Perioperative Care (CPOC) in the UK. For these achievements, he recently received the honour of CBE (Commander of the order of the British Empire) from King Charles.

Sofiya Milman, a woman with brown curly hair, wears a tan blazer and a peach sweater.

SOFIYA MILMAN, MD, MSC

Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Genetics; Director of Human Longevity Studies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Milman’s research focuses on a unique population of centenarians and their families who are protected from age-related diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Her work on circulating hormones in older adults spurred a paradigm shift in the understanding of the biology of human aging and led to an ongoing preclinical trial of a therapeutic agent.

PHIL NEWMAN

Founder & CEO, Longevity.Technology

“XPRIZE Healthspan does two things: It opens up the market to diverse ideas for driving healthy longevity, and it gives the necessary financial firepower for teams to accelerate their work. I’m excited to join the amazing panel of scientists to contribute my perspectives on market readiness and investor appetite for emerging technical approaches to healthspan.”

Miranda Orr, a woman with straight brown hair, wears a black turtleneck.

MIRANDA E. ORR, PHD

Associate Professor, Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine; Research Health Scientist, Veterans Affairs

With over 15 years of expertise in aging biology and neurodegenerative diseases, Dr. Orr is recognized for discovering a link between cellular senescence and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, and for leading the first clinical trials of senolytics in Alzheimer's disease, including an on-going multi-site phase 2 trial funded by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

Kenny Simmen, a man with graying dark hair, wears a blue button down shirt.

KENNY SIMMEN, PHD

Independent Scientific and Business Advisor for Biotech & Pharma

“This XPRIZE is amazing in its ambition and goals, and what excites me is the sheer breadth of proposed solutions it has motivated already - spanning lifestyle modifications, exercise, diet/metabolism, pharmacology and combinations. The potential impact of improving healthspan will be significant at societal and economic levels, but most of all, giving individuals the chance to add "life to years" rather than just "years to life" would be such a gift!”

Heather Snyder, a woman with dark blonde hair, wears a black blazer on a black background.

HEATHER SNYDER, PHD

Senior Vice President, Medical & Scientific Operations, Alzheimer’s Association

“As a leader of the Alzheimer's Association International Research Grant Program and other strategic funding initiatives that make up the Association's massive research portfolio, I see firsthand how investing in research helps drive not only our understanding of aging, but also in determining ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent cognitive decline and diseases that cause dementia.”

Ninie Wang, a woman with black hair, wears a gray blazer and a white collared shirt with vertical red, white, and blue stripes on either side.

NINIE YAN WANG, DRPH, MHS, MBA

General Manager, Integrated Care Division, Wuxi Medical and Health Group

Prior to joining the newly established state-owned enterprise in Wuxi, Ninie founded Pinetree Care Group, a Fortune 20 Start-ups with the Most Social Impact in China, focusing on business model innovation, professional service and talent development in providing restorative, integrated care services for the aging population, and provided millions of care sessions to families through a network of integrated care managers from 2004 to 2023.

FSHD BONUS PRIZE JUDGING PANEL

The FSHD Bonus Prize judges stand together both in-person and virtually with XPRIZE EVP, Health Jamie Justice, PhD. One judge is on Zoom on a project screen while the rest stand on either side of him in a conference room.

MAHASWETA GIRGENRATH, PHD

Vice President, Therapeutic Research and External Innovation Lead, Entrada Therapeutics

As the Vice President of Therapeutic Research and External Innovation Lead at Entrada Therapeutics, Dr. Girgenrath drives the development of novel clinical candidates, focusing on biologics and AONs to target rare neuromuscular and cardiac indications. Recently, she has successfully advanced several exon-skipping programs for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) through global regulatory filings.

Man Hung, a woman with black hair, wears a fuschia shirt.

MAN HUNG, PHD, MED, MSTAT, MSIS, MBA

Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Roseman University of Health Sciences

“What excites me most about XPRIZE Healthspan is the opportunity to help people stay healthy, active, and mentally sharp as they grow older. It opens the door to a future where growing older means living better.”

Mauro Monforte, a man with dark hair and a beard wearing round glasses, wears a white lab coat.

MAURO MONFORTE, MD, PHD

Neurologist, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

“As a clinician and researcher deeply involved in neuromuscular diseases, I saw the XPRIZE Healthspan Judging Panel as an opportunity to support bold, science-driven innovation aimed at improving the lives of patients with rare and underserved conditions like FSHD. The XPRIZE platform offers a unique way to accelerate breakthroughs that traditional research channels may overlook.”

Alberto L. Rosa, a man with white hair and a beard, wears a gray and green Columbia fleece over a lime green t-shirt.

ALBERTO L. ROSA, MD, PHD

Principal Investigator at the National Research Council of Argentina

“I believe the XPRIZE approach is exactly what we need—not to remain limited to the responses of traditional medicine to aging, but to drive an international search for innovative solutions aimed at extending quality of life in a way that helps democratize health globally.”

Baziel van Engelen, a man with dark hair and rectangular glasses, wears a tan turtleneck sweater over a blue button-down shirt.

PROF. DR. BAZIEL VAN ENGELEN, MD, PHD

Professor Emeritus, Neuromuscular Disorders

Baziel van Engelen is a professor of Neuromuscular Disorders at Radboud University Medical Center. As both a principal investigator and principal clinician, his research focuses on integrating care and recovery.

XPRIZE Healthspan is offered with support from Co-Title Sponsors Hevolution Foundation and Chip Wilson, founder and chairman of SOLVE FSHD. GSK, a global biopharma company joins XPRIZE Healthspan as the official Pharmaceutical Sponsor. Additional contributions from individual benefactors include Christian Angermayer, Carl B. Barney, the Blundy Family, Kas Bordier, Peter H. Diamandis, Charlie and Lorie Epstein, the Eleanor and Howard Morgan Family Foundation, Dana and Rob Hamwee, Daniel Krizek, Nancy and Howard Marks, Chris Ouwinga, Christian Peneff, SeneGence, Mark S. Siegel, Todd and Karen Wanek, Sergey Young, and an anonymous donor.