Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City.

Last week’s OH @ @usv eavesdropped on the future of Health. With Compound, we hosted founders & academics for a day of Biohacking. Below are just a couple highlights of the talks from researchers at Columbia, NYU, Mount Sinai, and The Alliance for Longevity Initiatives…

1. Gene Expression: Mimicking Dietary Effects // One speaker revealed that certain drugs can produce the same gene expression changes as dietary restrictions. This means we could potentially harness the benefits of diets like keto or fasting through pharmacological means, opening up new avenues for metabolic health treatments.

3. Machine Learning Meets Muscle Aging // One presenter discussed using machine learning to analyze skeletal muscle aging. This approach has the potential to uncover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that were previously imperceptible, making it a promising area for exploration.

4. The Rise Of Non-Invasive Monitoring // Non-invasive monitoring technologies are becoming increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous, allowing for real-time health tracking without the need for intrusive procedures. This trend is likely to revolutionize preventive medicine and chronic disease management, presenting some very significant opportunities for increasing agency in personal health.

5. Emergent Properties: The Future of Health Metrics // We were fascinated by the idea that health can be measured through emergent properties like variability in biological systems. This approach could lead to more accurate and holistic health assessments, moving beyond traditional metrics like blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

2. Targeting Inflammation: The Key to Longevity // We learned that in addition to being a critical factor in many aging processes, Inflammation functions as a communication network for disease in the body. By understanding and targeting these pathways, we can develop interventions that significantly improve healthspan and lifespan.