Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, MPH - USA

Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, MPH, is a serial entrepreneur of for-profit and not-for-profit companies. She is a veterinary epidemiologist and public health scientist with over forty patents and seventy peer-reviewed scientific publications. Stephanie is currently the Co-Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Seraphina Therapeutics. Previously, she served as an epidemiologist tracking diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. She is a recipient of the 2025 CNBC Changemaker Award.

In this episode, Stephanie discusses her work at CDC and WHO, setting up infectious disease surveillance systems... being recruited by the U.S. Navy to help understand and improve the health and wellness of the Navy dolphins, a population that was already living significantly longer than dolphins in the wild… her research, funded by the Office of Naval Research, studying why some dolphins age more healthfully than others… researching which molecules predicted the healthiest aging dolphins and then, the groundbreaking discovery of foundational nutrient, C15:0… publishing research results that have been revalidated by independent teams throughout the world... working to identify the best ways to incorporate C15:0 in our daily diets… exploring the parallels between the ways aging affects dolphins and the ways aging affects humans... how, as an undergrad, her plan to go to medical school was affected when by two events: reading The Coming Plaque and meeting a veterinary epidemiologist… observing how dolphins demonstrate the power of community… the opportunities that missteps can create… her book, The Longevity Nutrient: The Unexpected Fat That Holds the Key to Healthy Aging… the importance of following your moral compass… and, in her words, “When you find your purpose, or probably more likely, when your purpose finds you, grab the reins and hold tight and enjoy the ride.”