New nonprofit ALSAE unites science, arts and entertainment to change how society sees longevity and the diseases of aging.
Longevity has long been a matter of data and discovery – less often of drama and direction. A new nonprofit, the Alliance for Longevity Science, Arts & Entertainment (ALSAE), believes that must change. The foundation, pronounced “all say,” has launched with the aim of bridging the precision of longevity science with the cultural reach of the creative industries – a fusion it hopes will move public understanding of aging research from the lab bench to the mainstream.
Announced last month, ALSAE brings together an eclectic coalition of researchers, advocates and artists to accelerate awareness and support for longevity science – or geroscience – the study of the biological processes that drive aging itself. Founding partners include XPRIZE Healthspan, the Aoki Foundation and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, while cultural ambassadors include Herbie Hancock, Edward James Olmos and most recently, author and journalist David Ewing Duncan
When science meets storytelling
Longevity science represents a shift in biomedical thinking – from treating age-related diseases one by one to targeting the cellular mechanisms that underpin them all. The ALSAE team believes that this shift needs not only funding and research, but also narrative: a cultural reimagining of what aging means.
“After two decades helping build this field through philanthropic fundraising and outreach, I believe the obstacle is no longer the science itself, but whether society is ready to embrace it,” said Maria Entraigues Alan, ALSAE cofounder and lifelong performing artist. “Art moves people and shapes culture, and culture defines society. ALSAE exists to ignite that cultural shift, educating the public about the science that is shaping a new story of aging – one where growing older no longer means getting sick.”
Longevity.Technology: Longevity science has always been as much about imagination as investigation – envisioning futures in which longer, healthier lives are not fantasy but feasible. Yet science alone cannot shift culture; progress also depends on the stories society tells itself about aging, frailty and vitality. The ALSAE initiative suggests that the time is ripe for a different kind of collaboration – one where labs and lenses, data and drama, begin to share a common language. The challenge will be to ensure inspiration moves in step with evidence, but the potential is equally clear: if the arts can help people feel what the science means, the conversation around aging could move from niche enthusiasm to mainstream awareness. After all, it’s hard to change the human condition without first changing the narrative of what it means to grow old.
Creating culture change
To that end, ALSAE is developing collaborations between scientists and storytellers – connecting longevity researchers with filmmakers, musicians and writers who can translate complex ideas into human stories. Its founders describe plans for salons, immersive lab visits and cross-sector partnerships that place geroscience within reach of both the public and popular media.
ALSAE’s first programs are already in motion. Beginning early next year, the foundation will host a series of private retreats bringing top Hollywood showrunners into leading longevity research centers, including the Buck Institute. Designed to be both educational and experiential, these visits aim to help creators feel the urgency – and the promise – of longevity science, translating that impact into stories that shape how society imagines aging. A handful of seats will be reserved for Vision Circle members and key supporters, but the experiences themselves will remain closed to the public.
“ALSAE exists to do more than just talk about the promise of longevity science – we’re creating spaces where science and culture collide,” said Gary J Alan, ALSAE cofounder. “We’re curating salons, immersive lab visits, and collaborations with the arts and entertainment industry. Our goal is to inspire creators to imagine stories that reveal the power of breakthrough science to free us from the devastating diseases of aging.”
The power of translation
Longevity science has made remarkable advances in recent years, with mechanisms such as senescence, DNA damage and stem cell exhaustion now well understood; yet, for many outside the field, the idea of targeting aging itself still sounds abstract or speculative. ALSAE’s founders argue that narrative could provide the missing bridge – shaping perception, policy and even investment appetite.
The initiative’s partners span both cultural and scientific spheres, including established names such as Methuselah Foundation, which serves as ALSAE’s fiscal sponsor, and innovative biotech startups like Cyclarity Therapeutics, Kimera Labs and Intervene Immune. Together, they hope to create what they call “a new story of aging” – one that frames longevity science as not only a medical revolution but a cultural one.
Art, evidence and aspiration
The idea that culture and science can reinforce one another is hardly new, but ALSAE’s founders believe the timing is right. Public awareness of aging research has never been higher, and global interest in healthspan extension is growing fast. Yet misunderstandings persist – about feasibility, ethics and equity. A well-crafted narrative, grounded in evidence but driven by imagination, could help longevity science secure not just public support, but societal meaning.
The foundation is also developing a research project with a major Hollywood institution to examine how aging and longevity have been portrayed through film and other visual media – a meta-study of how stories themselves shape public perception of aging. In parallel, ALSAE is establishing annual awards to recognize creators and scientists whose work reframes what it means to grow older; the first honors are planned for next year.
If the science of aging seeks to add years to life, initiatives like ALSAE might just help add life – and understanding – to those years.
