Longevity Advocates Push for Longer Lives, Gain Influence

Vitalism movement and ARPA-H funding aim to extend human lifespan through science and policy changes

Jan. 30, 2026 at 4:15am

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A growing movement called Vitalism, founded by Adam Gries and Nathan Cheng, is advocating for treatments to slow or reverse aging. They've gained support from influential figures in government, including Trump administration officials and the new director of ARPA-H, a federal agency funding biomedical research. While the longevity community has been described as "sometimes-weird," with stories of biohacking and radical life extension ideas, they are making progress in persuading policymakers to prioritize the search for anti-aging therapies.

Why it matters

The push for longevity treatments reflects a broader societal interest in living longer, healthier lives. If successful, these efforts could lead to major breakthroughs in medicine and dramatically change the human experience. However, the movement also raises ethical questions about the implications of radically extending lifespan and who would have access to such treatments.

The details

The Vitalism movement, founded by Adam Gries and Nathan Cheng, believes that death is "humanity's 'core problem'" and that finding ways to slow or reverse aging is a moral imperative. They have been gaining influence, presenting their case to politicians in Washington, D.C. and securing support from figures like Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The new director of ARPA-H, Alicia Jackson, also appears to be prioritizing longevity research at the agency, which has "incredible support" from the top of the Department of Health and Human Services.

  • In 2023, Nathan Cheng spoke at Zuzalu, a pop-up city in Montenegro focused on life extension and other technologies.
  • In 2022, the author first started closely following the longevity scene, which took them to Switzerland, Honduras, and Berkeley, California.
  • Last year, supporters of lifespan extension presented their case to politicians in Washington, D.C., including Mehmet Oz.
  • In 2022, ARPA-H was established under President Biden's administration to fund "breakthrough" biomedical research.
  • Alicia Jackson was recently appointed as the new director of ARPA-H.

The players

Adam Gries

Co-founder of the Vitalism movement, which advocates for treatments to slow or reverse aging.

Nathan Cheng

Co-founder of the Vitalism movement, which advocates for treatments to slow or reverse aging.

Mehmet Oz

Leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and has spoken about longevity.

Alicia Jackson

The new director of ARPA-H, a federal agency funding biomedical research, who previously founded a company focused on "health and longevity for every woman."

Jim O'Neill

Longtime supporter of the longevity movement who was made deputy secretary of health and human services last year.

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What they’re saying

“There's a lot of interesting technologies, but they all kind of come back to the same thing: Could we extend life years?”

— Alicia Jackson, Director of ARPA-H

“It seems that now there is the most pro-longevity administration in American history.”

— Adam Gries, Co-founder of Vitalism

What’s next

ARPA-H, under Alicia Jackson's leadership, is expected to continue prioritizing research into treatments that could slow or reverse aging, with support from high-level officials in the Department of Health and Human Services.

The takeaway

The growing influence of the longevity movement, with its combination of scientific research, political advocacy, and sometimes unconventional ideas, highlights the public's desire for breakthroughs in extending human lifespan. However, the pursuit of radical life extension also raises complex ethical questions that policymakers will need to grapple with as this field continues to evolve.