[ LIFE ]
Death & Aging
Life and cognition decline with time—entailed by physics and information theory—but science is seeking ways to slow or transcend this. The following directions combine academic and societal value.
Mapping brain and neural activity into storable, recoverable information structures sits at the frontier of neuroscience, information science, and ethics. The aim is not to replace life but to understand, preserve, and extend cognition and memory.
Intervening in aging and disease at the molecular level by regulating DNA modification and chromatin state provides a scientific basis for extending healthspan and reducing the burden of cancer and degenerative disease.
Drawing on redundancy and error correction in engineering: can cognition and memory exist across multiple carriers and backups so that integrity and continuity persist despite partial damage?
Protecting critical biological and information structures in noisy, decoherent environments. Combining quantum error correction with classical redundancy offers theoretical tools for long-term, stable storage and transmission of information.
Is consciousness an emergent phenomenon or encodable information? Are there measurable “units” of consciousness? If we copy or transfer it, how do we define identity? These questions sit at the frontier of philosophy, cognitive science, and information.
The second law sets a bound on the growth of disorder. Is information processing and life maintenance necessarily tied to entropy increase? Can external energy and information sustain or rebuild local order? Central to understanding aging and computational limits.
Why do both biological and artificial systems show “forgetting” and performance decline? Structure aging, distribution shift, or algorithmic necessity? Clarifying mechanisms is needed to design more robust, sustainable cognitive systems.
If we ever move from a biological to another substrate, how do we define continuity of “self”? Are there unacceptable “breaks”? Replication and transfer raise ethical and legal questions that academia and society must address together.
Using multi-omics and AI to unravel mechanisms of life and disease; advancing early cancer detection, drug discovery, and precision medicine for global health.
CAR-T, checkpoint inhibitors, and cancer vaccines have changed the landscape for some cancers. Further advances can make advanced therapies accessible and affordable to more patients.
Precise genome editing, stem cells, and tissue engineering open new paths for genetic disease, organ failure, and aging-related conditions—with both scientific and societal value.
Liquid biopsy, imaging AI, biomarkers, and companion diagnostics enable earlier detection, better stratification, and more individualized treatment, improving population health.
Tumors are highly diverse at molecular and cellular levels, driving resistance and relapse. Single-cell and spatial multi-omics, dynamic monitoring, and combination therapies are among the most promising directions.
Many tumors suppress immune response or exhaust T cells. Understanding the microenvironment and developing new agonists and combination strategies can extend the benefits of immunotherapy.
From multi-omics integration and interpretable AI to clinical rollout and equitable access—requiring interdisciplinary collaboration and policy support so precision medicine reaches broader populations.
Research on senolytic clearance, telomere and epigenetic rejuvenation aims to extend healthspan and reduce cancer and chronic disease risk—with deep implications for individuals and society.