Last month, I mentioned our current efforts to gather thoughts about LongeCity's objectives in 2016. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to catch up in person with some LongeCity founding members, including our current co-manager and broadcaster Justin ‘Mind’ Loew, John Schloendorn who now runs his own lab, Justin ‘E-Traveller’ Rebo, who recently completed a productive research visit at Stanford, and Kevin Perrott who continues to set important policy impulses while based at the Buck Institute. I was also lucky to catch up with some valued affiliates, like Kristen who has turned her computational biology expertise into a venture, Alex 'Mondey' Stolzing, who now runs labs in the UK and Germany; and Matthew ‘Oki’ O'Connor and the great people at SENS Foundation who are busy planning a publication and a conference (more on that in an upcoming newsletter). And there are a so many others who I could have met or mentioned here who, in there different ways pursue the LongeCity mission full-time across the globe.    
I was also thrilled to meet some fresh faces who were interested in getting involved LongeCity.  And others who, while having registered an account ages ago, don't really visit much. Many of us will have had a similar  experience: The interest in the mission persists, but the appetite for forum conversations waxes and wanes.  

What does this mean for LongeCity policy, especially in the context of our upcoming strategy discussion?
● Firstly, I think our continued efforts to encourage local meetings are worth persisting with. While LongeCity will always be, first and foremost, a cyber-space, the 'special something'  that in-person meetings bring can be very valuable and productive. 
● There are LongeCity friends out there to tackle our mission from different scientific angles and act as mentors. To strengthen these links, there is a plan to radically change our science support budget, by focusing on the ‘affiliate labs’ programme. 
●  Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, there really is great value in cultivating an international network of professionals and promoters. To this end, we could all strengthen our individual and collective effort to develop the LongeCity “CONNECT” programme. 

Do you have other ideas about LongeCity’s strategy for 2016? There are just a few days remaining for Members to register their interest. 


Podcast: Dr.David Spiegel   

In this months podcast, Mind interviews Dr David Spiegel who recently achieved a breakthrough synthesis of   Glucosepane, regarded as one of the key indigestible extracellular cross-link molecules that accumulates as humans age and causes stiffening and malfunction of many tissues. Dr Spiegel talks about how having the molecule readily available for research could advance anti-aging treatments.   
--> Podcast and discussion.       

caliban