Message from Longer Life Foundation Leadership Team

Welcome to the January 2025 issue of the Longer Life Foundation newsletter. Our goal is to provide our subscribers with periodic updates on the Foundation’s happenings.

Since LLF’s founding in 1998, over $9.4 (US) million has been granted, supporting more than 163 groundbreaking research projects. I’m delighted to take over the reins of the Foundation this year, alongside Joseph, to continue the mission of the LLF “to fund and support the study of factors that either predict the mortality and morbidity of select populations or influence improvements in longevity, health, and wellness” in 2025 and beyond. We kicked off the 2025-2026 grant year by issuing a call for applications earlier this month.

Since this is my first official newsletter issue, I thought I'd share a little bit more about me. When I’m not working, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, including my spouse, three children, three dogs, three cats, and two guinea pigs. I also enjoy traveling and immersing myself in fantasy novels when time allows.

Joseph Zhang, who stepped into the position of Deputy Managing Director, brings experience from RGA's risk management function and a background in medical research from his graduate studies at Washington University. His family of three teenage children and a dog keep him very busy. His personal interests include traveling with his family, playing tennis with his two sons, practicing the piano and cello, and slowly making progress through his extensive book collection.

We are both delighted to be serving as your LLF leadership team and we welcome you reaching out to introduce yourself or to ask any questions that arise.

Also, if this newsletter was forwarded to you by a colleague, we invite you to subscribe. Please click here to do so and to stay up to date with the Foundation’s plans and events.

Thank you,

Preeti Dalawari, MD, MSPH, DBIM

Managing Director, Longer Life Foundation

Vice President and Medical Director, USIL, RGA

Joesph Zhang, PhD

Deputy Director, Longer Life Foundation

Vice President & Actuary, Enterprise Risk Analytics, RGA

LLF Informational Meeting

More than a dozen promising researchers from diverse fields such as pediatrics, physical therapy, endocrinology, GI, cardiology, and infectious disease attended a discovery session led by the Longer Life Administrative Team. This event provided a platform for scientists to pitch their innovative ideas and explore how their research aligns with the Foundation's mission.

Seventeen attended this inspirational meeting where a number of interesting and thoughtful questions were discussed. In addition, a "Tips for Writing an Optimal LOI" guide was shared. Thanks to Washington University School of Medicine for hosting the gathering.

Q & A with David Sinclair

An interview with David Sinclair, CEO of the International Longevity Centre UK (ILCUK,) was recently featured in RGA’s ReFlections publication. He touched on a number of topics very relevant to the work we do with LLF, and we wanted to share with our subscribers in case you missed it – The Longevity Challenge: Aging societies and the need to adapt.

In addition, Mr. Sinclair will be featured as a keynote presenter at ICLAM 2025 in Portugal on May 11 – 14, the triennial conference of the International Committee for Insurance Medicine. LLF is pleased to provide an educational grant to support the event, and if you are planning to attend, please stop by the booth to say hello to our previous LLF director, Dr. Zimmerman.

Former and Current Grant Recipients Who've Received Awards

Kory Lavine, MD, PhD

Received a $600,000 grant from the Additional Ventures Foundation. This organization funds research for congenital heart disease and Dr. Lavine’s area of focus will be hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Children with this condition are born with a single ventricle in the heart rather than two, causing mixing of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood and resulting in too little oxygen delivered to the body. Single ventricle congenital heart disease is a leading cause of pediatric heart failure. Dr. Lavine will lead the project and work with collaborators at the University of Colorado and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Elizabeth Pollina, PhD

Named to the 2024 class of Rita Allen Foundation Scholars, she is one of seven early-career scientists recognized this year by the foundation for innovative approaches to important scientific questions that address global problems. The scholars each will receive up to $110,000 per year for up to five years to support their research.
Dr. Pollina’s lab is focused on understanding the biology of aging and longevity, especially across the diverse cell types of the nervous system. This award will help her to characterize new DNA repair mechanisms in neurons that function to promote cognition across life span.

LLF Spring Advisory Group Meeting

Mark your calendars for the Spring 2025 meeting of The Longer Life Foundation Advisory Group, which will be Tuesday, April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at RGA global headquarters (will also include a virtual option to attend.) The meeting will feature a discussion of the 2025 letters of intent as reviewed and presented by the Scientific Review Committee. Please watch your inboxes for the invitation.

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