[Mountain View, September 17, 2025] — Lifespan Research Institute (LRI) today announced the launch of the Public Longevity Group (PLG), a new initiative focused on bridging the cultural gap between scientific breakthroughs in aging and their public acceptance. To kickstart its work, PLG has opened a crowdfunding campaign to develop tools that measure and strengthen public trust in longevity science.
While the science of longevity biotechnology continues to advance, skepticism and cultural resistance limit progress, with some studies showing that more than half of Americans would reject a safe, proven therapy to extend life. This hesitation poses risks of raising costs, delaying health-promoting regulation, and slowing the delivery of treatments that could combat age-related diseases and extend healthy lifespan.
“The breakthrough that unlocks all other breakthroughs is public trust,” said Sho Joseph Ozaki Tan, Founder of PLG. “Without it, even the most promising therapies may never reach the people they’re meant to help. PLG exists to change that.”
“Persuasion is a science too,” said Keith Comito, CEO of Lifespan Research Institute. “To bring health-extending technologies to the public as quickly as possible, we must approach advocacy with the same rigor as our research. With PLG, we’ll be able to systematically measure and increase social receptivity, making the public’s appetite for credible longevity therapies unmistakable to policymakers, investors, and the public itself.”
PLG is developing the first data-driven cultural intelligence system for longevity—a platform designed to track real-time sentiment, test narratives, and identify which messages resonate and which backfire. Early tools include:
- The Longevity Cultural Clock: a cultural barometer mapping readiness and resistance across demographics and regions.
- Sentiment Dashboards: real-time monitoring of public, investor, and policymaker perceptions.
- Narrative Testing Tools: data-driven analysis that will enable robust pathways to public support.
The crowdfunding campaign will provide the initial $100,000 needed to launch these tools, creating the cultural foundation required for healthier, longer lives.
With a lean, data-driven team, the group aims to provide open-access cultural insights for advocates and policymakers while offering advanced analytics to mission-aligned partners.
Campaign Timeline:
- Campaign completion: November 2, 2025
- Dashboard development: Dec 2025 – Feb 2026
- First survey deployment: Feb – Apr 2026
- Beta dashboard launch: May 2026
- First public insight report: June 2026
Supporters can contribute directly at: https://www.lifespan.io/campaigns/public-longevity-group/
The PLG campaign is sponsored by the members of LRI’s Lifespan Alliance, a consortium of mission-aligned organizations that believe in the promise of extending healthy human lifespan. Newly-joined members include OpenCures, AgelessRx, and Lento Bio.
About Lifespan Research Institute
Lifespan Research Institute accelerates the science and systems needed for longer, healthier lives by uniting researchers, investors, and the public to drive lasting impact. LRI advances breakthrough science, builds high-impact ecosystems, and connects the global longevity community.
Media Contact:
Christie Sacco
Marketing Director
Lifespan Research Institute
(650) 336-1780