What Actually Slows Aging (and What Doesn’t) | Buck Institute CEO Eric Verdin

Can you supplement your way to a longer life? Dr. Eric Verdin, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, joins Pierre Jacob and Meronn Jacob on Transcribed. We recorded this conversation in person at the Longevity Summit in Dublin. Eric trained as an MD in endocrinology, became a virologist at the start of the HIV epidemic, and his lab went on to clone the HDACs, a family of enzymes he describes as some of the first epigenetic regulators. That road led him to aging. He explains why NAD+ levels fall as we age, why topping them up is like pouring water into a leaky sink, and why he thinks parts of the longevity field are running ahead of the science. Then we get practical: why lifestyle still beats any supplement, how the hallmarks of aging are linked to each other, and why results in lab mice may overstate what will work in humans. We also cover GLP-1 drugs as possible geroprotectors, how AI went from almost nothing to a third of the work at the Buck, the one human trial he would run with an unlimited budget, his reaction to "longevity escape velocity" timelines, and why he races old cars with no power steering. In this conversation: ◼️ From a childhood microscope to HIV to aging ◼️ Running an independent aging institute ◼️ What people get wrong about NAD+ ◼️ The leaky sink: fix the leak, don't pour more water ◼️ Why lifestyle still beats supplements ◼️ The hallmarks of aging are connected ◼️ Racing cars, fitness and community ◼️ From academic discovery to patients ◼️ GLP-1s: aging biology's aha moment? ◼️ Four days for one protein, one hour for 5,000: AI in biology ◼️ Why mice may mislead us about human aging ◼️ Longevity escape velocity claims ◼️ The metformin and rapamycin trials we should have run ◼️ Advice for people in their 20s entering the field Transcribed Podcast: in-person interviews with scientists, founders, and industry experts shaping the future of biotech and pharma. New episodes every Tuesday at 16:00 (Europe/Berlin). 🎙️ Watch all episodes:    / @transcribedpod   📥 Free Biotech Starter Pack: https://transcribedpod.com 🌐 https://transcribedpod.com 📸 Instagram: @transcribedpod 📧 thetranscribedpod@gmail.com 🎵 Jingle composed by Tembeh: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4s9Jm... ⚠️ Disclaimer: For information and education only. Not medical, financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Guests share their own experiences and opinions, not necessarily those of Transcribed or its hosts. Nothing here is a recommendation to start, stop or change any treatment, supplement or investment; consult a qualified professional about your own situation. Mentions of companies or products are not endorsements, and Transcribed accepts no liability for decisions based on this content. #TranscribedPodcast #Longevity #NAD #AgingResearch 00:00 Introducing Dr. Eric Verdin 00:29 From a childhood microscope to medicine 01:37 From HIV to aging biology 04:18 Running the Buck Institute 05:19 What people get wrong about NAD+ 07:51 The leaky sink 08:41 Lifestyle beats supplements 10:41 The hallmarks of aging are connected 13:21 Racing cars and longevity 16:03 From academic discovery to patients 18:11 Why the Buck's collaborative model works 19:34 GLP-1s and the case for basic research 21:57 AI and biotech 24:03 Do mouse results translate to humans? 29:21 AI CEOs and longevity escape velocity 30:23 The one human trial he would run 32:11 Advice for people in their 20s