New York, NY, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been named semifinalists—and one of the Top 40 Milestone Award winners—in the prestigious XPRIZE Healthspan, a $101 million global competition dedicated to transforming how we age.
XPRIZE Healthspan challenges the world’s top scientists and clinicians to develop treatments that can restore muscle strength, cognitive performance, and immune function in older adults by at least 10 years, with a bold goal of 20 years. Selected from a highly competitive international pool, Mount Sinai’s multidisciplinary team, NYC-Vita, stood out for its innovative, feasible, and safe approach. The team was named a Milestone 1 Awardee in the competition, earning $250,000 in funding to advance to the next phase: a clinical trial to be conducted in New York City.
"We are delighted to be named an XPRIZE Healthspan semifinalist and Milestone 1 Awardee and proud to stand alongside a global community committed to transforming how we age,” says Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, senior investigator, NYC-Vita Team Lead, and an internationally recognized authority on macrophage biology. “We share the passion and urgency of this effort to not only extend lifespan, but to ensure more people live longer with strength, clarity, and vitality.”
Mount Sinai’s NYC-Vita trial is a first-of-its-kind study combining lifestyle and pharmaceutical interventions to rebalance the immune system and restore health.
Dr. Merad is Dean for Translational Research and Therapeutic Innovation, Chair of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Director of the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Director of the Mount Sinai Human Immune Monitoring Center, and the Mount Sinai Professor in Cancer Immunology—all at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The ambitious effort is co-led by a team of other internationally renowned senior investigators, including Zahi Fayad, PhD, a pioneer in imaging, wearables, and the study of lifestyle stressors; Fanny Elahi, MD, PhD, a leading expert in neurodegeneration and brain health; and Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, a nationally recognized clinical trialist known for designing innovative studies that prioritize both speed and safety.
The Mount Sinai team’s recognition in the global competition marks a major step forward in building a new, comprehensive aging program at Mount Sinai, the investigators say. As the team prepares for clinical trials, it is actively pursuing additional partners and support to further scale this effort to translate science into solutions for the millions of older adults seeking to live not just longer—but healthier, fuller lives.
“Aging is not a single condition—it’s a full-body cascade that gradually erodes resilience across every organ system. What sets our effort apart is the bold, institution-wide commitment to tackling aging from every angle—neuroscience, muscle biology, immune function, metabolism, advanced imaging, and clinical trial design,” Dr. Merad says. “By uniting this extraordinary depth of expertise under one mission, we aim to develop practical, science-driven interventions that not only extend life, but restore energy, focus, and strength in the years that matter most.”
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai
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