On May13, Dr. Nagourney traveled to Hudson Valley in Upstate New York to participate in a 2-day symposium exploring new directions in health, wellness and global healthcare. The conference, organized by the Collaboration Circle, brought together prominent figures in international finance with some of the most innovative researchers.
Among the speakers was Baroness Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist from Oxford who discussed her research in cognitive function, memory, aging and dementia. Also presenting was Kneeland Youngblood, MD, physician, business man and political figure who described American medical policy and new technologies. The event turned to personalized health as Jeff Halevy from Continuum described advances in personalized fitness.
Dr. Anna Mandinova, MD, PhD from Harvard University and the Broad Institute described breakthroughs in skin health and rejuvenation including stem cell applications.
Dr. Nagourney then presented a discussion on human longevity arising from his work on metabolism. He explained that his exploration of cancer metabolism reported in a series of peer-reviewed publications and the subject of 3 presentations at this week’s ASCO meeting in Chicago has led to the realization that cancer shares metabolic features with a broad array of human illnesses. As he explained, cancer may be a weigh-station along a continuum of human illnesses from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to cancer and dementia.
Using quantitative mass spectrometry, Dr. Nagourney’s laboratory is now actively engaged in the exploration of human health using the measurement of metabolites in the blood to identify individuals at risk for disease. These metabolic platforms can measure the most fundamental features of health, wellness and provide insights into longevity.
The event was a diverse mixture of scientists, clinical investigators, AI experts, entrepreneurs and investors and provided a unique opportunity for those who are forging new directions in health and medicine to meet with those who can sponsor and support those breakthroughs.