Revealed: Identity of popular longevity influencer

Who we're talking about: The mysterious @AgingDoc1 Twitter account. Over the past three years, @AgingDoc1 has become one of the biggest accounts on Twitter sharing the latest longevity research papers.

Though @AgingDoc1’s Twitter bio claimed he is an MD and PhD, his real identity remained unknown. There was even some drama, as Charles Brenner, a longevity-skeptical researcher I have covered before in this newsletter, said that @AgingDoc1 is clearly not a doctor in real life.

And the news is: @AgingDoc1 has revealed his true identity. It turned out to be David Barzilai, an MD (and PhD) working in an unrelated subspecialty, but with a deep interest in longevity. (He has no relation to well-known longevity researcher Nir Barzilai.)

Barzilai says it would have only been a matter of time before his fans figured out his identity, so he decided to come out on his own terms. He also has decided to double down on his interest in healthy longevity in a more public and personal way.

So what's next? Barzilai now offers one-on-one coaching about healthy longevity. Additionally, he has launched a new podcast on longevity topics and has already interviewed a few top people I have written about before, including longevity crusader Aubrey de Grey and rapamycin expert Matt Kaeberlein.

And the bigger point is: It's always good to have more smart, dedicated people sharing information about longevity. Beyond that, this personal story is another data point in the mountain of evidence that longevity research has reached a tipping point, that interest in longevity is going mainstream, and that the field is maturing into something new and real. Exciting times to be alive.