Valter Longo

As a professor and researcher at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, Valter Longo works to understand the aging process and how to regulate it.

Longo divides his time between two principal concerns. He researches the fundamental mechanisms of aging in yeast and neurons by using genetics and biochemistry techniques, and he also is interested in identifying the molecular pathways in both simple organisms and in humans that can be adjusted to protect against stresses and delay or prevent Alzheimer's Disease and other diseases of aging.

In 2001, Longo was the lead author on a study that identified a lifespan-tripling mutation in yeast, and in 2008, he again made headlines for extending life span in baker’s yeast through a combination of dietary and genetic changes. He also led the research team that discovered one of the chief culprits of Alzheimer's disease – a finding that was reported in the May 2001 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

Longo completed his postdoctoral training in neurobiology at USC.

• Valter Longo's faculty profile
• To read a USC News story about Longo’s research on extending life span in baker’s yeast, click here
• USC Davis School of Gerontology
• Department of Biological Sciences, USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences