Leonard GuarenteAmerican biologist best known for his research on life span extension in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, round worms (Caenorhabditis elegans), and mice. He is currently a Novartis Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Tecnology.

Based on the discovery that SIR2 is a key regulator of longevity in both yeast and worms, he is interested in determining whether this highly conserved gene also governs longevity in other organisms, including mammals.

In 1999, Guarente became co-founder of Elixir Pharmaceuticals, which aimed to develop drugs targeting sirtuin. Leonard Guarente wrote an autobiography in 2003 titled Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes That Prolong Youth. He is founder of technology start-up Elysium Health. Read More Read Less