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Professor of Genetics & Longevity Researcher
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David Andrew Sinclair (born June 26, 1969) is an Australian-American biologist, geneticist, and longevity researcher, best known for his work on the molecular biology of aging and epigenetics. He is a tenured professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and has served as the founding director of the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard. Sinclair has gained significant public attention for his theories on aging, his efforts to translate research into biotechnology startups, and his advocacy for interventions aimed at extending human healthspan. Born and raised in St Ives, New South Wales, Australia, Sinclair is of Hungarian descent; his paternal grandmother emigrated to Australia following the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. He pursued his undergraduate and doctoral studies at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), earning a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry in 1991 and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics in 1995. His early academic work focused on gene regulation in yeast. Following his doctoral studies, Sinclair moved to the United States to work as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Leonard Guarente at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During this period, he conducted influential research on sirtuins—a family of signaling proteins—and their role in yeast aging, which established a foundation for his subsequent career. In 1999, Sinclair was recruited to Harvard Medical School, where he established his own laboratory. Throughout his tenure at Harvard, his research has primarily investigated the mechanisms of cellular aging, specifically focusing on NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) metabolism, mitochondrial function, and epigenetic changes. He is a proponent of the "Information Theory of Aging," which posits that aging is primarily driven by the loss of epigenetic information within cells, and he has investigated cellular reprogramming as a potential mechanism to reverse aging in animal models. Sinclair is a prolific entrepreneur, having co-founded numerous biotechnology companies, including Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in 2008), Metro Biotech, and Life Biosciences. His business activities, alongside his academic research, have frequently placed him in the public eye. In 2019, he published the New York Times bestselling book *Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To*, in which he outlines his research findings and personal lifestyle interventions—such as intermittent fasting and the use of NAD+ precursors—aimed at promoting healthy longevity. His career has been marked by both significant accolades and intense scientific scrutiny. Sinclair has received over 35 awards and honors, including the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award and an appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2018 for his contributions to medical research. However, his work and public claims have faced substantial criticism from the scientific community. Peers have frequently questioned the reproducibility of his research, particularly regarding the efficacy of resveratrol and other compounds in reversing aging, and have expressed concern over what they characterize as the overhyping of preliminary findings in media and commercial settings. These controversies led to significant backlash and prompted his resignation from leadership positions in certain research organizations. Despite the ongoing debate regarding the translation of his research into clinical practice, Sinclair remains a prominent, albeit polarizing, figure in the field of aging biology and the burgeoning longevity industry.
Authored the massive global bestseller Lifespan Why We Age and Why We Dont Have To fundamentally mainstreaming the concept of aging as a curable disease
Conducted highly celebrated groundbreaking research at Harvard demonstrating that partial epigenetic reprogramming can reverse aging markers and restore vision in mice and non-human primates
Faced intense unprecedented backlash from the global scientific community in 2024 resulting in his resignation from the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research after he publicly hyped a proprietary supplement as a 'cure for aging in dogs' leading elite biologists to accuse him of snake-oil marketing
His early championing of resveratrol (a compound found in red wine) was highly criticized after massive clinical trials failed to replicate the extraordinary lifespan-extending claims observed in his early yeast and mouse studies
Routinely accused of blurring the ethical lines between rigorous academic peer review and lucrative personal financial interests in the anti-aging supplement market
Co-founded dozens of biotechnology companies focused on age-related diseases including Sirtris Pharmaceuticals which was famously acquired by GlaxoSmithKline for 720 million dollars
Named one of TIME Magazines 100 Most Influential People in the World
Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of New South Wales in 1991.
Received the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) Prize in 1992.
Earned a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of New South Wales in 1995 and received the Thompson Prize for his thesis work.
Served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1995 to 1999, where he discovered a cause of aging in yeast.
Appointed as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School in 1999.
Received the Arminese Harvard Junior Faculty Grant in 2001.
Founded Sirtris Pharmaceuticals in 2004 to develop sirtuin-activating compounds.
Became the founding director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School in 2004.
Received the Genzyme Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Science Award in 2005.
Co-founded Genocea Biosciences in 2006 to develop vaccines using T cell antigen discovery platforms.
Promoted to tenured professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School in 2008.
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline for approximately $720 million in 2008.
Co-founded the scientific journal Aging in 2009.
Co-founded OvaScience and CohBar in 2011, focusing on fertility and mitochondrial peptides respectively.
Received the National Institutes of Health (NIH) MERIT Award in 2012.
Named to TIME magazine's list of the '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2014.
Awarded the Australian Medical Research Medal in 2014.
Co-founded MetroBiotech in 2015, a pharmaceutical company focused on NAD+ precursors.
Received the NIH Director's Pioneer Award in 2017.
Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to medical research and science communication in 2018.
Received the Irving S. Wright Award from the American Federation for Aging Research in 2018.
Published the New York Times bestselling book 'Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don't Have To' in 2019.
Led research published in 2020 that demonstrated the safe reversal of aspects of aging in mice to restore vision.
Co-founded Fully Aligned LLC in 2022 to democratize access to health and longevity tools.
In 2024, Sinclair faced significant backlash from the scientific community after a press release from his company, Animal Biosciences, claimed a supplement was 'proven to reverse aging in dogs.' This incident prompted multiple scientists to resign from the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research, leading to Sinclair's resignation as the organization's president in March 2024.
Throughout his career, Sinclair has faced persistent criticism from fellow biologists, such as Dr. Charles Brenner and Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, who have accused him of consistently overhyping experimental longevity research to promote his personal books and commercial interests. Critics argue that his public claims about age reversal often lack sufficient clinical evidence and diminish the credibility of the field.
Following the $720 million acquisition of his company, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, by GlaxoSmithKline in 2008, his early research on the longevity benefits of resveratrol faced intense scrutiny. Independent researchers were unable to replicate his team's findings regarding the SIRT1 enzyme, leading to broader scientific skepticism and the eventual closure of Sirtris by GSK in 2013.
In 2022, his company, MetroBiotech, drew criticism after lobbying the FDA to classify Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) as a pharmaceutical drug. This intervention resulted in the FDA removing NMN from the list of approved dietary supplements, causing a temporary market disruption and widespread backlash from the natural products industry before the FDA later clarified the regulatory status of the substance.
