FIRST VATICAN LONGEVITY SUMMIT: Science, Ethics and the Future of Longevity
Exactly two months after the first Vatican Longevity Summit, the International Institute of Neurobioethics (IINBE) is pleased to announce this extraordinary scientific event, which will take place on March 24, 2025 at the Augustinianum Congress Center Auditorium on Via Paolo VI, in Rome. This historic meeting will bring together scientists, Nobel laureates and world leaders, with the aim of addressing one of the crucial challenges of our time: promoting healthy, sustainable and integral aging (link).
The summit, organized as part of the Jubilee of Hope 2025, provides a unique opportunity to explore the most advanced scientific findings and to reflect on the fundamental ethical values that guide research in this field. Prominent among the protagonists are Prof. Shyn'ya Yamanaka, 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine whose discoveries on cellular reprogramming are opening up countless applications, and Prof. Venki Ramakrishnan, 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, whose presence lends the summit an exceptional scientific and cultural level.
The first Vatican Longevity Summit was initiated by Alberto Carrara, President of the International Institute of Neurobioethics (IINBE), and Viviana Kasam, President of BrainCircle Italy, who sadly passed away in October 2024. The event counts under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) whose President will open the proceedings and is in synergy with the Milan Longevity Summit.
THE PROGRAM
Opening Greetings:
- Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
- Prof. Giulio Maira, Founder and President of the Athena Foundation
Lectio Magistralis:
- Shyn'ya Yamanaka, introduced by Prof. Juan Carlos Ipsizua Belmonte
- Venki Ramakrishnan, introduced by Prof. Valerio Orlando
Round Table:
Moderated by Prof. Nir Barzilai, the panel discussion will address innovative and multidisciplinary topics:
- Juan Carlos Ipsizua Belmonte: “How Yamanaka factors affect longevity prospects”
- Valerio Orlando: “Resetting the time of human dignity”
- Vittorio Sebastiano: “The ovary and its secrets to longevity”
- Valentina Bollati: “Not just genes: behavior can also help you live healthy”
- Eileen Crimmins: “The challenge between lifespan and healthspan”
- Camillo Ricordi: “What models for longevity?”
Conclusion:
- Nir Barzilai: “From Methuselah to us: what's next?”
A GLOBAL PROJECT FOR INTEGRAL HUMAN LONGEVITY
The Vatican Longevity Summit will not be an isolated event, but the first step in an ambitious global project led by the Vatican, in collaboration with international scientific and academic institutions. This project aims to promote a model of longevity that does not simply increase years of life, but enriches them in terms of quality, dignity and sustainability, integrating science, ethics and spirituality.
In line with shared ethical and anthropological principles, the International Institute of Neurobioethics intends to develop an interdisciplinary platform to foster a dialogue among scientists, philosophers, bioethicists and policy-makers. Integral human longevity will be the central theme of future activities, with the goal of building a society that values every stage of life and promotes intergenerational solidarity.
This summit represents not only a scientific reflection, but a call to consider aging as an ethical responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity for innovation for the common good.
For more information and to register for the event, please visit https://vaticanlongevitysummit.org/en/
For further contact details: International Institute of Neurobioethics
Email: istitutodineurobioetica@gmail.com
Don't miss the appointment with the future of longevity!
Rome, January 24, 2025