Hello, It's Pedro

I'm a

Who I am?

I am a scientist originally from Porto in Portugal but have lived in Belgium and in the US (Boston), and I’m also of Spanish ancestry. Following training at Harvard Medical School, I am currently Chair of Molecular Biogerontology at the University of Birmingham in England. My lab studies aging and longevity using a combination of data-driven approaches and cellular and molecular methods. As detailed on my senescence.info website dedicated to the biology of aging, I would ultimately like my work to help people live longer, healthier lives by manipulating the human aging process. I am also a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford.

I have published over 100 scientific papers, including in top journals (e.g., Science, Nature– and Cell-family journals), and have given over 100 invited talks, including a TEDx talk on the genetics of aging. My research and I have been widely featured in scientific outlets (Science, Scientific American, New Scientist, etc.) and in the popular press (BBC, CNN, Time magazine, the Financial Times and many others). In addition, I have published several articles in popular science magazines (e.g., The Scientist and The Futurist). 

I am also an advisor/consultant to various organizations, including nonprofit foundations, universities, investment funds and biotech companies. In particular, I am Chief Scientific Officer of YouthBio Therapeutics, an ambitious US biotech company focused on longevity. I founded my own consulting company Magellan Science Ltd

I think the human condition is only the beginning of the extraordinary journey of the mind through the universe. Technologies like genetic engineering, stem cells, cybernetics, and nanotechnology will allow us to ‘hack’ biology and evolve beyond our current human limits. As such, I am a so-called “transhumanist” in that I defend that humankind stands a better chance of survival if we understand and employ technology rather than if we try to ban it.

My work on predicting how technology will shape the human condition has been published in magazines such as Futures and The Futurist, and in newspapers like The Independent. May the dreams of today become the future.

Music is one of the greatest joys in my life. I started to play guitar in high school and in 1999 made a symphonic metal demo-album entitled The Legend of Hrothgar. All my songs are available for download in MP3 format.

I’m also an amateur stand-up comedian, though nowadays I tend to use more Facebook and Twitter for comedy.

Among my other hobbies, I must highlight football and science fiction. Indeed, I am currently writing a science fiction novel.

Please browse around my website to learn more about me, and follow me on Twitter for the latest news. I am always open to suggestions, ideas, and criticisms, so please feel free to contact me.

Useful links

Here you can learn more about me.

My thoughts

As an atheist, I follow a rational philosophy and I often consider the positive and negative impact science and technology can have on humankind.

My hobbies

Working is not living. Living is music, sports, computers, movies, reading, love, laughter, traveling. Life is a gift we must flavor, not dedicate to a cause or a job.

My work

I would like our work to contribute to the development of interventions that preserve health and combat disease by manipulating the ageing process.