Bay Area scientists are using AI to study aging and search for ways to help people live healthier longer.
A growing number of researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to understand why some people remain healthy into their 90s while others develop chronic diseases decades earlier.
At labs throughout the Bay Area, the technology is fueling a wave of longevity research aimed at measuring how long people live — and how well they age.can uncover early signs of age-related diseases, predict an individual’s biological age and identify factors contributing to healthier lives — all by sifting through vast amounts of data to find patterns nearly impossible for humans to detect. The tools are still being refined.
But scientists believe they could accelerate discoveries to improve health and independence into older adulthood.drug development and testing , remain years away, experts said. Researchers must also navigate bias within systems trained on data that may not reflect the full diversity of the population. Still, patients are already seeing some benefits, such as AI-assisted scan readings that can reduce the odds of false positives.
“We’re already seeing the benefits,” said Nathan Price, chief scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato. Any discovery won’t be an anti-aging silver bullet. Social, behavioral and structural factors — including whether patients can access or choose to use those treatments — will play an equally important role, said Angie Perone, the director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services at UC Berkeley.
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes, based in San Francisco, recently launched an AI model to predict how human cells evolve with age. Trained on millions of cells, the model attempts to map the trajectory of aging, allowing researchers to forecast how cells might change and identify potential drivers of age-related decline. That marks a shift from earlier approaches, which largely compared snapshots of “young” and “old” cells.
Instead, the model, developed by scientists led by physician-scientist Christina Theodoris, treats aging as a continuous process that can be learned and predicted. Dr. Christina Theodoris in a wet lab at Gladstone Institutes on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in San Francisco. Theodoris, a scientist at the biomedical research organization has created new AI model that speeds up aging cell research.
The team also tested some of the model’s predictions in biological systems, identifying genes expected to accelerate aging and validating those effects in human heart cells and in mice. That kind of experimental follow-up is essential, experts say, though the research remains in early stages.
“The real test will be whether these predictions hold up across many tissues and disease contexts,” said Hani Goodarzi, a core investigator at Palo Alto-based Arc Institute, noting current tools, including animal models, are imperfect benchmarks. Significant hurdles remain. The model will require large-scale datasets that track how cells respond to drugs and genetic changes, along with validation across a wider range of tissues and diseases. And even the most accurate predictions must ultimately be translated into real-world therapies.
At the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, scientists are using artificial intelligence to figure out how to help people stay healthier for longer. One of the institute’s AI projects integrates individual genetic information, clinical lab results, microbiome data and other health measurements. Drawing on a database containing thousands of biological measurements from research participants, the system identifies patterns and generates personalized insights about health risks and interventions.
“The microbiome is highly predictive of who will lose weight,” Price said, noting that AI can uncover connections hidden within vast datasets. Users can interact with the platform through a chatbot-like interface that generates graphs, health scores and detailed analyses of their data. They expect the tool to be released to the public by the end of the year.
It is part of Healthspan Horizons, a large-scale research initiative supported by a $52 million grant that aims to enroll thousands of participants and better understand the biology of aging on an individual level.by shifting the focus from symptoms to the biological changes occurring inside the brain. Rather than relying primarily on memory loss and other cognitive symptoms, AI is helping scientists analyze complex brain scans and other data to identify those changes earlier and more objectively.
“The way we see Alzheimer’s has shifted from seeing it as a clinical cognitive syndrome to a more biological disease,” said Duygu Tosun-Turgut, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at UC San Francisco and founding director of Medical Imaging Informatics and Artificial Intelligence at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. That capability is particularly valuable for clinical trials.
Before, researchers sometimes enrolled patients whose symptoms resembled Alzheimer’s but were caused by other conditions, making it harder to determine whether experimental treatments were effective. AI can help identify people with the disease’s true biological signatures, improving both patient selection and trial outcomes. Beyond research, Turgut believes AI could improve access to dementia screening and diagnosis, particularly in underserved communities.
Specialized memory clinics remain scarce in many parts of the country, and studies have shown that dementia is often underdiagnosed among people with lower socioeconomic status.
“Hopefully, we can develop tools that are cheap and scalable enough to be distributed to every geographic spot in the world,” she said. Still, she and other researchers cautioned that AI systems are only as good as the data used to train them. Many research cohorts are disproportionately composed of highly educated participants and may not reflect the demographic diversity of the broader population.
And so the promise of AI hinges on a hurdle researchers have yet to fully overcome: bias. Until these systems can consistently produce accurate, equitable results across diverse populations, human oversight remains essential. Still, scientists and startups are betting that AI will play an increasingly central role in unraveling the biology of aging, and, perhaps one day, extending healthy years of life.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
World Cup Watch Parties Bring Communities Together in the Bay AreaThe 2026 World Cup has brought a sense of unity and excitement to the Bay Area, with thousands of fans gathering at designated watch parties to cheer on their favorite teams. Despite some concerns about organization and logistics, the events have been a resounding success, with fans praising the atmosphere and energy of the gatherings. From San Jose to Oakland, fans of all ages have come together to celebrate the world's game, with live music, food, and drinks adding to the festive atmosphere.
Read more »
Bay Area events calendar for June 19-25 weekly editionsHere’s a list of the region’s entertaining, upcoming activities to enjoy.
Read more »
Bay Area events calendar for June 19-25 weekly editionsHere’s a list of the region’s entertaining, upcoming activities to enjoy.
Read more »
Judge: Evidence insufficient to prove murder in Bay Area teens’ fatal overdosesRamon Nunez Galvan was charged with selling narcotics to two teenagers who died from overdoses in February 2025.
Read more »