Hevolution Foundation Announces Multi-Million Dollar Research Grants at Global Healthspan Summit and Convenes Changemakers to Tackle World's Aging Crisis

2023-11-30

On the closing day of the inaugural Global Healthspan Summit, Hevolution announced $40 million in scientific research grants to fuel transformative breakthroughs in the field of aging science, bringing the total committed over the two-day event to nearly $100 million.

Major funding announcements for the day included $21 million for the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, $16 million for the American Federation of Aging Research, and $5 million to offer up to 15 postdoctoral fellowships in Saudi Arabia, which will support scientific discoveries targeting unhealthy aging.

More than 40 sessions were held over the two-day event for nearly 2000 attendees, spanning topics such as population aging, the pharmaceutical ecosystem, and next-generation medicine.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hevolution Foundation demonstrated its commitment to driving breakthrough aging science with further announcements of catalytic funding initiatives at the inaugural Global Healthspan Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In its role as a global catalyst, collaborator, and convener on a mission to extend healthy human lifespan, Hevolution is enabling specialized research and development in healthspan science and innovative therapeutics. To further drive scientific research in healthspan, Hevolution announced $40 million, including:

$21 million for a novel multi-year partnership with the Buck Institute for Research on Aging to accelerate discoveries toward therapeutic interventions specifically targeting aging.

$16 million (SAR 60 million) to expand the New Investigator Awards program in Aging Biology and Geroscience to support early-career researchers through the American Federation of Aging Research. First launched in 2022, recipients of these awards are working to deepen knowledge of aging biology to promote healthier aging.

$5 million to support up to 15 postdoctoral fellowships to advance the careers of early-stage scientists in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the fields of aging biology and geroscience.

These initiatives follow Hevolution's announcement of a $40 million anchor contribution to the largest XPRIZE in history and $10 million for the launch of a novel Breakthrough Innovation Alliance.

Hevolution Foundation CEO Dr. Mehmood Khan said: "Helping fast track and support impactful healthspan science programs is a founding principle for us. Through collaborative partnerships, we are catalyzing the incredible potential in the aging biology field and paving the way for new solutions to improve healthspan for all."

The Summit – the largest international gathering of its kind – brought together over 120 distinguished speakers and nearly 2000 delegates to participate in action-oriented conversations designed to foster a healthier aging future.

Passion for innovation to revolutionize a healthier aging future was a recurring theme throughout the event. Distinguished speakers from across industries and sectors explored topics including complex healthspan science, societal and ethical considerations in aging research, women and healthspan, new technologies such as AI, and necessary shifts required to support research and development for aging therapeutics.

Her Royal Highness Dr. Haya Khaled Al Saud, Hevolution Foundation Vice President of Organizational Strategy and Development, added: "As a Saudi scientist, I am enormously proud of how the Global Healthspan Summit has brought such diversity of thinking together in the Kingdom. It has forged new channels and connections that will shape and catalyze the healthspan sector for the benefit of all. This is a launchpad for a stronger, more engaged, and action-oriented global collaboration that will encourage the world's best minds to work together to solve the universal challenge of unhealthy aging."

The Global Healthspan Summit comes at a pivotal time as the world is undergoing a rapid population shift. By 2050, the global population over 60 years old is set to double to 2 billion people. Moreover, two-thirds of people over 60 will live in low- and middle-income countries. Global collaboration in healthspan is no longer an option; it has become a health and socioeconomic imperative. Opportunities for experts to come together across disciplines and geographies, such as at the Global Healthspan Summit, are essential for meeting the universal challenge of unhealthy aging.

About Hevolution Foundation

Founded on the belief that every person has the right to live a longer, healthier life, Hevolution Foundation is a global catalyst, partner, and convener on a mission to drive efforts to extend healthy human lifespan and understand the processes of aging. With a focus on aging as a treatable process, Hevolution Foundation aims to increase the number of aging-related treatments on the market, compress the timeline of drug development, and increase accessibility to therapeutics that extend healthy lifespan, also known as healthspan. A global non-profit organization headquartered in Riyadh with a North American hub and an annual budget of up to $1 billion, Hevolution Foundation plans to open offices in other global locations to support a cutting-edge, global ecosystem of talent to propel aging and geroscience research forward and achieve medical breakthroughs to help humanity live healthier, longer.

Learn more at: https://hevolution.com/ and connect with us on LinkedIn

SOURCE Hevolution Foundation