Highlights

  • Dr. Sinclair was elected president of the non-profit organization with goals of promoting future longevity work called the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research in June 2023.
  • A barrage of rebukes from fellow longevity researchers over his claims of “age reversal” in primates and dogs drove Dr. Sinclair to step down as president in March 2024.
  • Dr. Sinclair has co-founded a few companies, such as Life Biosciences and Animal Bioscience, that have created techniques and supplements that, according to Dr. Sinclair, reverse aging in animal models.

Harvard’s Dr. David Sinclair, a tenured professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, stepped down as president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research. The Academy for Health and Lifespan Research is a non-profit organization, composed of about 60 aging scientists. Its overarching goals encompass ensuring that breakthroughs in aging research are accelerated and made available to all.

Dr. Sinclair’s resignation as president comes amidst caustic criticism from fellow aging scientists regarding claims he has made of “age reversal” in certain organisms. One example of this type of claim came in April 2023. At that time, Dr. Sinclair wrote on X that a gene therapy developed in his Harvard lab and being promoted by a company he co-founded, Life Biosciences, had restored vision and reversed aging in monkeys. He then followed his claim by saying, “Next up: age reversal in humans.”

In April 2023, Dr. Sinclair posted a claim on X that age reversal and vision restoration works in primates with humans next up for age reversal.
(In April 2023, Dr. Sinclair posted a claim on X that age reversal and vision restoration works in primates with humans next up for age reversal. | The Wall Street Journal)

Then, in February 2024, in the eyes of a multitude of scientists who work to unveil the mysteries of aging, Dr. Sinclair went too far. In this case, another company that he co-founded, Animal Bioscience, quoted Dr. Sinclair in a press release saying that a supplement the company developed had reversed aging in dogs.

Amid the Backlash, Dr. Sinclair Resigned as President of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research

Scientists who study aging cannot even agree on what it actually means to “reverse aging,” much less how to measure it. Hence, the response from the aging science community came fast and harsh. The Academy for Health and Lifespan Research was bombarded by a cascade of resignations from members who were shocked and outraged by Dr. Sinclair’s claims. One of the scientists who quit referred to Dr. Sinclair on X as a “snake oil salesman.”

Days later, in a heated video conference, other board members from the academy urged Dr. Sinclair to resign as president. He retorted that the press release contained an inaccurate quote, a form of apology, and he later executed his resignation.

Dr. Sinclair Has a History of Overexcitement on His Research

Dr. Sinclair’s work is regularly published in top-tier journals and has garnered attention to the emerging longevity field, which earnestly seeks credibility and funding. There are also hundreds of millions of dollars invested into Dr. Sinclair’s work. Moreover, Dr. Sinclair has made a name for himself as a top internet media influencer in the aging research field. Furthermore, with more than 50 patents and millions in investments in various companies, Dr. Sinclair has set himself apart as a prominent figure in the aging research community.

Throughout his stint as a figurehead in the aging field, though, through claims in his social-media posts, interviews, and his book, other scientists have accused Dr. Sinclair of overhyping his research. Moreover, Dr. Sinclair also has a reputation of possibly glorifying unproven products, including some from companies in which he has a commercial interest.

“My lab’s ideas and findings are typically ahead of the curve, which is why some peers might feel the research is overstated at the time,” said Dr. Sinclair in an email to the Wall Street Journal. “I stand behind my track record as a trusted scientist in one of the most competitive professions of all.”

What’s more, Dr. Sinclair does not engage with critics on social media, including those who call him a snake oil salesman. He refers to such comments as nothing more than mischaracterizations.

Meet the New President of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research — Dr. Nir Barzilai

At the same time, Dr. Nir Barzilai, the new president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research, said that Dr. Sinclair’s claim about age reversal in dogs along with his financial interest in Animal Bioscience crossed a line.

“The data is not good, you’re calling it the wrong thing, and then you’re selling it,” said Dr. Barzilai to the Wall Street Journal. “The selling is a step too far.”

Dr. Nir Barzilai says Dr. Sinclair's claims about dog research along with his financial interest in Animal Bioscience crossed a line.
(Dr. Nir Barzilai says Dr. Sinclair’s claims about dog research along with his financial interest in Animal Bioscience crossed a line | The Wall Street Journal)

Dr. Sinclair says that he follows Harvard’s conflict of interest policies. Moreover, Animal Bioscience, his dog supplement company, issued a revised press release that stepped away from the claim of age reversal.

Dr. Barzilai said that Dr. Sinclair was very hurt by having to step down as president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research. According to the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Sinclair said that he regrets suggesting that his supplements reverse aging in dogs. Dr. Sinclair also pledged to be more accurate with his words moving forward.

It Remains Unclear How Criticism from Fellow Scientists Might Impact Dr. Sinclair’s Career

Although the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research is a prominent collaboration among top aging research scientists, it remains uncertain how much of an impact stepping down as president will have on Dr. Sinclair’s career. Dr. Sinclair has pledged to avoid making such bold claims regarding the age-reversing potential of techniques and supplements he develops in the future. In that sense, he may improve the accuracy of his assessments of supplements and regain trust within the aging research community.

There is also the question of whether Dr. Sinclair’s claims hold some truth. While his wording by using phrases such as “age reversal” may be somewhat misleading, we cannot disregard the possibility that the supplements and techniques he develops may actually rejuvenate organs and tissues to slow aging. Thus, financial interests aside, Dr. Sinclair may perceive that aging researchers are on the cusp of slowing the pace of aging, if not reversing it. If that is the case, he may just have trouble roping in his enthusiasm, which leads to some overhyped claims.