Brian K. Kennedy

{{Infobox scientist

|name = Brian K. Kennedy

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|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|01|30}}

|birth_place = Louisville, Kentucky, United States

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|work_institutions = National University of Singapore
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
University of Washington
Guangdong Medical College

|alma_mater = Northwestern University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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|doctoral_advisor = Leonard P. Guarente

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Brian K. Kennedy is a scientist, performing research on the science of aging and healthy longevity. Since 2017, he has served as a Distinguished Professor in Biochemistry and Physiology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in the National University of Singapore,{{Cite web|url=https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/bch/faculty/brian-kennedy/ |title=Brian Kennedy Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Physiology |website=medicine.nus.edu.sg/bch/}} where he is currently the Director of the Healthy Longevity

Translational Research Programme{{Cite web|url=https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/phys/research/research-programs/healthy-longevity/ |title=Healthy Longevity NUS Healthy Longevity TR |website=medicine.nus.edu.sg/bch/}} and the Asian Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality.{{Cite web|url=https://www.acrle.com/ |title=Acrle Our Vision |website=www.acrle.com/}} His efforts have been directed at building world-class longevity research in Singapore.

Dr. Kennedy received his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University before completing a Ph.D. in biology at M.I.T. He initiated aging studies at this time and, working with Leonard Guarente and Nicanor Austriaco, published the first paper linking Sirtuins to aging in yeast.{{cite journal |last1=Kennedy |first1=Brian K |last2=Austriaco |first2=Nicanor R |last3=Zhang |first3=Jisi |last4=Guarente |first4=Leonard |title=Mutation in the silencing gene S/R4 can delay aging in S. cerevisiae |journal=Cell |date=February 1995 |volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=485–496 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(95)90499-9 |pmid=7859289 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}} After a postdoctoral fellowship at MGH Cancer Center, he became an Assistant and later associate professor in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Washington. During this window and working with Matt Kaeberlein, he published seminal reports identifying the importance of the mTOR pathway in regulating longevity.{{cite journal |last1=Kaeberlein |first1=Matt |last2=Powers |first2=R. Wilson |last3=Steffen |first3=Kristan K. |last4=Westman |first4=Eric A. |last5=Hu |first5=Di |last6=Dang |first6=Nick |last7=Kerr |first7=Emily O. |last8=Kirkland |first8=Kathryn T. |last9=Fields |first9=Stanley |last10=Kennedy |first10=Brian K. |title=Regulation of Yeast Replicative Life Span by TOR and Sch9 in Response to Nutrients |journal=Science |date=18 November 2005 |volume=310 |issue=5751 |pages=1193–1196 |doi=10.1126/science.1115535 |pmid=16293764 |bibcode=2005Sci...310.1193K }}{{psc|date=September 2024}}{{cite journal |last1=Powers |first1=R. Wilson |last2=Kaeberlein |first2=Matt |last3=Caldwell |first3=Seth D. |last4=Kennedy |first4=Brian K. |last5=Fields |first5=Stanley |title=Extension of chronological life span in yeast by decreased TOR pathway signaling |journal=Genes & Development |date=15 January 2006 |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=174–184 |doi=10.1101/gad.1381406 |pmid=16418483 |pmc=1356109 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}}{{cite journal |last1=Steffen |first1=Kristan K. |last2=MacKay |first2=Vivian L. |last3=Kerr |first3=Emily O. |last4=Tsuchiya |first4=Mitsuhiro |last5=Hu |first5=Di |last6=Fox |first6=Lindsay A. |last7=Dang |first7=Nick |last8=Johnston |first8=Elijah D. |last9=Oakes |first9=Jonathan A. |last10=Tchao |first10=Bie N. |last11=Pak |first11=Diana N. |last12=Fields |first12=Stanley |last13=Kennedy |first13=Brian K. |last14=Kaeberlein |first14=Matt |title=Yeast Life Span Extension by Depletion of 60S Ribosomal Subunits Is Mediated by Gcn4 |journal=Cell |date=April 2008 |volume=133 |issue=2 |pages=292–302 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2008.02.037 |pmid=18423200 |pmc=2749658 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}} In 2010, joined the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, serving as president and CEO until 2016 and remaining on the faculty until 2020. He has also directed a laboratory at Guangdong Medical College from 2006 to 2012 in China.

Publishing over 240 manuscripts, most describing the biology of aging, and including seminal reviews such as one in 2014 that helped define the pathways coordinating the aging process.{{cite journal |last1=Kennedy |first1=Brian K. |last2=Berger |first2=Shelley L. |last3=Brunet |first3=Anne |last4=Campisi |first4=Judith |last5=Cuervo |first5=Ana Maria |last6=Epel |first6=Elissa S. |last7=Franceschi |first7=Claudio |last8=Lithgow |first8=Gordon J. |last9=Morimoto |first9=Richard I. |last10=Pessin |first10=Jeffrey E. |last11=Rando |first11=Thomas A. |last12=Richardson |first12=Arlan |last13=Schadt |first13=Eric E. |last14=Wyss-Coray |first14=Tony |last15=Sierra |first15=Felipe |title=Geroscience: Linking Aging to Chronic Disease |journal=Cell |date=November 2014 |volume=159 |issue=4 |pages=709–713 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2014.10.039 |pmid=25417146 |pmc=4852871 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}} Dr. Kennedy has more recently focused efforts on extending the human lifespan and health span. His research is currently focused on developing and validating interventions to delay aging and generating better biomarkers of biological aging.{{cite journal |last1=Fong |first1=Sheng |last2=Pabis |first2=Kamil |last3=Latumalea |first3=Djakim |last4=Dugersuren |first4=Nomuundari |last5=Unfried |first5=Maximilian |last6=Tolwinski |first6=Nicholas |last7=Kennedy |first7=Brian |last8=Gruber |first8=Jan |title=Principal component-based clinical aging clocks identify signatures of healthy aging and targets for clinical intervention |journal=Nature Aging |date=19 June 2024 |volume=4 |issue=8 |pages=1137–1152 |doi=10.1038/s43587-024-00646-8 |pmid=38898237 |pmc=11333290 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}} He has been a long-term advocate for targeting the core processing of aging to mitigate functional decline and forestall age-associated chronic conditions. He has performed numerous interviews, provided lectures, and served on academic review panels globally in these efforts. He also co-hosts a popular webinar on Healthy Longevity that provides scientific information about the mechanisms of aging and the interventions that may extend healthspan.{{Cite web|url=https://medicine.nus.edu.sg/continuing-education/course-catalogue/webinar-series-healthy-longevity/ |title=Webinar Series - Healthy Longevity |website=www.nus.edu.sg/}}

Dr. Kennedy has also been active in the private sector, founding companies and serving as Advisor to many others. One of these, Ponce de Leon Health,{{Cite web|url=https://pdlhealth.com/ |title=Ponce De Lon Health |website=pdlhealth.com/}} where

he was heavily involved in the research and developed natural products designed to extend healthspan.{{cite journal |last1=Asadi Shahmirzadi |first1=Azar |last2=Edgar |first2=Daniel |last3=Liao |first3=Chen-Yu |last4=Hsu |first4=Yueh-Mei |last5=Lucanic |first5=Mark |last6=Asadi Shahmirzadi |first6=Arash |last7=Wiley |first7=Christopher D. |last8=Gan |first8=Garbo |last9=Kim |first9=Dong Eun |last10=Kasler |first10=Herbert G. |last11=Kuehnemann |first11=Chisaka |last12=Kaplowitz |first12=Brian |last13=Bhaumik |first13=Dipa |last14=Riley |first14=Rebeccah R. |last15=Kennedy |first15=Brian K. |last16=Lithgow |first16=Gordon J. |title=Alpha-Ketoglutarate, an Endogenous Metabolite, Extends Lifespan and Compresses Morbidity in Aging Mice |journal=Cell Metabolism |date=September 2020 |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=447–456.e6 |doi=10.1016/j.cmet.2020.08.004 |pmid=32877690 |pmc=8508957 }}{{psc|date=September 2024}} He consults for other companies related to longevity, including

biotechnology companies, longevity clinics, and diagnostic companies.