Researcher
João Pedro de Magalhães
Last updated Sat May 30 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Background
João Pedro de Magalhães is Chair of Molecular Biogerontology at the University of Birmingham. He maintains the Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR) — including GenAge, AnAge, LongevityMap, DrugAge, CellAge — the de-facto open databases of aging-research data.
Key contributions
- Curated the most-used databases in the field; cited by virtually every aging genetics or drug-discovery paper.
- Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of long-lived species (naked mole-rat, bowhead whale, long-lived bats).
- Identified species-specific protective genetic features (e.g. naked mole-rat hyaluronan, p16 hyper-induction).
- Programmed aging advocacy — argues aging may be a regulated developmental program, not just damage accumulation.
- Co-founded Magellan Sciences for AI-based aging drug discovery.
Online presence
A prominent public communicator at senescence.info; gives accessible talks aimed at researchers entering the field.
Related entries
Programmed aging, Hallmarks of aging, Naked mole rat (model organisms ref).
References
- de Magalhães, J. P. et al. Genomes optimize reproduction: aging as a consequence of the developmental program. Physiology 24, 196–207 (2009).