The Life Lab by Death Clock

This week, Brent speaks with Dr. Marc Hellerstein, a physician-scientist and pioneer in metabolism research, to explore what insulin resistance actually is, why fatty liver disease has become one of the fastest-growing health problems, and how the body processes carbohydrates, fat, and protein. The conversation also examines popular topics like intermittent fasting and low-carb diets, separating what the evidence supports from what...

In this episode, Brent discusses chronic inflammation with Dr. John Wherry, one of the world's leading immunologists. The conversation unpacks the emerging science of chronic inflammation, why more medical testing isn't always better, the surprising connection between vaccines and brain health, and how decades of immune research are paving the way for more personalized medicine. Along the way, Wherry explains why sleep, exercise, a...

Today, Brent has a discussion with Dr. Paul Robbins, a pioneer in the field of cellular senescence, to explore how senescent cells contribute to aging and age-related disease, and why scientists believe eliminating them could help extend healthy years of life. Robbins explains the current state of senolytic therapies, the promise of partial cellular rejuvenation, and why breakthroughs like Yamanaka factors have generated so much ex...

This week, Dr. Brian Feeley, Chief of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at UCSF and team physician for the San Francisco Giants, joins the shoe to share what decades of treating athletes and everyday patients have taught him about movement, strength training, and injury prevention. The discussion covers everything from running, skiing, cycling, and youth sports to shoulder impingement, ACL tears, and the realities of exercising ...

In this episode of Death Clock, Brent sits down with Dr. Edward Calabrese, the scientist who helped pioneer the modern understanding of hormesis: the idea that low doses of stress can trigger powerful adaptive responses that make the body more resilient. The conversation explores how hormesis shows up in exercise, fasting, heat exposure, cold exposure, and even surprising areas like radiation and toxicology. Along the way, Calabres...

This week, Brent speaks with Dr. Stephanie Cook, a researcher specializing in stress and cardiovascular health, who breaks down the science of chronic stress, cortisol, and the body's stress-response system. She explains how stress can influence everything from sleep and inflammation to heart disease risk, why our perception of stress matters as much as the stressor itself, and how factors like relationships, social support, income...

In this episode, Brent speaks with physician-scientist Dr. Loren Walensky to explore the rapidly growing world of peptides, GLP-1 drugs, and experimental health interventions. As compounds like semaglutide, BPC-157, and other peptides gain popularity in wellness and longevity circles, Walensky explains the critical difference between therapies that have been rigorously tested and those that are being used long before t...

In this episode, preventive cardiologist Dr. Ann Marie Navar, a member of the committee that helped shape the American Heart Association's new recommendations for earlier cholesterol management, explains why many experts believe cardiovascular prevention should begin decades before most people ever experience symptoms. Dr. Navar explains why lowering LDL cholesterol earlier in life can have lasting benefits decades lat...

This week on Death Clock, Dr. Katherine Ramos of Duke University breaks down the growing body of research linking social connection to longevity, resilience, and quality of life. Dr. Ramos explains why meaningful connection is deeply individual, and why having people who truly understand, support, and ground you can shape both mental and physical health outcomes over time. The conversation moves from marriage and friendship to pare...

This week, Brent sits down with Dr. Nancy Keller, one of the world's leading experts on fungi and mycotoxins, to explore how mold actually affects human health. Dr. Keller explains how certain fungi produce toxic compounds that can contaminate crops like peanuts, corn, and apples, why improper food storage is often the real culprit, and how modern food systems work to reduce those risks. The conversation examines the difference bet...

In this episode, Brent speaks with Dr. David Hafler, a pioneering neurologist and immunologist whose research helped establish multiple sclerosis as an autoimmune disease and reshape how it's treated today. Drawing on decades of work at both Harvard and Yale, Dr. Hafler explains the emerging evidence connecting Epstein-Barr virus to MS, why certain genetic profiles may leave people unable to fully clear the virus, and how early int...

In this episode, Brent speaks with Dr. Ryan Vandrey of Johns Hopkins to take a closer look at cannabis. With more than two decades of research in behavioral pharmacology, Dr. Vandrey walks through how THC and CBD actually interact with the brain and body, why addiction is often misunderstood, and how factors like dose, delivery method, and individual biology can completely change the experience. The conversation examin...

This week on The Life Lab, Brent Franson sits down with Dr. Adam Brickman, a leading expert in brain aging and Alzheimer's research at Columbia University, to unpack what we actually know about measuring brain health. Drawing on nearly three decades of research, Brickman explains the real value and limitations of biomarkers like ApoE genetics, p-tau blood tests, MRIs, and PET scans, and why more information is not always the same a...

This week, Brent speaks with Dr. Helen Burgess, a leading researcher in sleep and circadian rhythms, to unpack what we actually know about how to optimize your internal clock. Drawing on decades of research, Burgess explains how circadian rhythms govern everything from sleep and hormones to body temperature, and why consistent light exposure may be the most powerful lever for improving sleep. The conversation explores the role of b...

In this episode of Death Clock, host Brent Franson sits down with Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, a leading expert on human longevity, to unpack what that data says about how long we can live. Drawing on decades of research, Olshansky explains why dramatic lifespan extensions (like living to 120 or beyond) may be far less realistic than many in the longevity space believe, and why increasing life expectancy becomes exponentially more difficu...

This week on The Life Lab, Brent speaks with Dr. Paul Offit, a leading vaccine expert and pediatrician, to separate fact from fiction on one of the most debated topics in public health. Brent presses on common concerns around vaccine safety, schedules, and side effects, while Dr. Offit responds with decades of research and clinical experience. He breaks down why vaccines are recommended the way they are, what the evidence actually ...

This week on The Life Lab, host Brent Franson sits down with Dr. Marilyn Albert, a leading Alzheimer's researcher at Johns Hopkins, to unpack what we actually know about Alzheimer's prevention. From the early buildup of amyloid and tau in midlife to the nuanced role of genetics like ApoE4, Dr. Albert speaks to biomarkers, blood tests, and the growing world of experimental longevity hacks. The conversation explores the science behin...

This week, Brent speaks with Dr. Laura Carstensen, a Stanford psychologist and leading expert on aging, to explore how our priorities, emotions, and relationships change over time. She explains the science behind why people often become happier and more emotionally stable as they get older, and how shifting time horizons reshape the way we make decisions and spend our time. The conversation also challenges common assumptions about ...

This week, Brent sits down with Dr. Lin Chang, a gastroenterologist at UCLA and expert in digestive disorders, to unpack what's really going on in the gut when people experience chronic stomach issues. They discuss the gut–brain connection, why the digestive system is often called the body's "second brain," and how conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) develop. Dr. Chang explains why symptoms such as abdominal pain, ...