How Shift Bioscience is using AI and cell reprogramming to target aging at its core

With leadership appointments of Lord David Prior and Sir Tony Kouzarides, Shift Bioscience sharpens focus on reversing aging through epigenetic reprogramming and machine learning.

What Is Shift Bioscience and Why Is It Gaining Momentum?

Shift Bioscience, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company, is rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s most ambitious players in the global longevity and rejuvenation medicine space. At the heart of its mission is a bold proposition: that aging itself is the root cause of many chronic diseases—and that aging can be reversed at the cellular level using advanced artificial intelligence and epigenetic reprogramming.

Founded by Dr. Daniel Ives, Shift Bioscience operates at the intersection of machine learning, genomics, and regenerative medicine. Its flagship technology is a proprietary “virtual cell” platform that models human cell behavior and epigenetic states, allowing the identification of specific gene targets with rejuvenative potential. In an industry where many longevity companies still struggle to connect theoretical science with tangible therapeutic leads, Shift has taken a computational-first approach to accelerate drug discovery timelines.

As the global biotechnology sector witnesses growing institutional and public interest in age-modifying therapies, Shift is positioning itself as a front-runner. And with its latest board-level appointments, the company appears to be entering a new phase of strategic maturity.

Why Do the Appointments of Lord David Prior and Sir Tony Kouzarides Matter?

In May 2025, Shift Bioscience announced two high-profile additions to its leadership team: Lord David Prior as Chair of the Board and Sir Tony Kouzarides as Scientific Advisor. The timing is significant, not just because the company is expanding its advisory network, but because it reflects Shift’s broader intent to become a central player in healthcare transformation and biomedical innovation.

Lord David Prior, who formerly served as Chair of NHS England and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, brings unmatched experience at the intersection of healthcare policy, regulation, and systems transformation. His appointment underscores the growing alignment between aging-focused biotech and public health goals, particularly as governments globally begin to face the demographic and economic challenges of aging populations.

Sir Tony Kouzarides, a globally recognized cancer biologist and co-founder of the Milner Therapeutics Institute and Abcam, will help direct Shift’s research agenda. His expertise in epigenetics and translational biology is seen as essential in refining the scientific strategy that underpins the company’s platform.

Together, Prior and Kouzarides form a powerhouse combination of policy, scientific depth, and translational vision—precisely the mix required to navigate the high-risk, high-reward world of cellular rejuvenation therapeutics.

What Makes Shift Bioscience’s Technology Unique?

Shift Bioscience’s central innovation lies in its AI-powered virtual cell. This in silico system allows researchers to simulate and understand how epigenetic changes influence cell behavior over time. By using machine learning to map the biological “aging clock,” Shift can identify gene candidates that have the potential to restore youthful function to aged cells.

The company’s approach builds upon discoveries in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and partial cellular reprogramming, popularized by Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka. However, instead of directly applying Yamanaka factors, Shift uses its platform to find gene targets that offer similar rejuvenative benefits—without the oncogenic risks associated with full reprogramming.

This computationally guided discovery process dramatically reduces the trial-and-error phase typically seen in traditional wet-lab drug development. With its virtual cell model and AI infrastructure, Shift is working toward therapies that could intervene in multiple age-related diseases at their biological root—offering more durable, preventive solutions.

How Is Shift Framing Aging as a Treatable Condition?

The company’s philosophy is built on the idea that aging is not merely a risk factor, but a modifiable disease process. This framework opens the door to therapeutic interventions that go beyond treating individual symptoms—such as inflammation or insulin resistance—and instead aim to reverse the epigenetic drift that occurs as cells age.

Lord David Prior has championed this paradigm shift, stating that modern healthcare systems are overburdened by reactive, cost-intensive models of chronic disease management. He argues that interventions targeting cellular aging could transform these systems into predictive, prevention-oriented healthcare frameworks.

For Prior, joining Shift Bioscience represents more than a board position—it aligns with his long-standing advocacy for systemic healthcare reform. He noted that Shift’s ability to pinpoint rejuvenation genes using machine learning will “enable extraordinary therapeutic benefits,” potentially ushering in a new era of predictive medicine.

What Is the Role of Epigenetics in Shift’s Strategy?

Epigenetics—the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence—is central to Shift’s therapeutic approach. As people age, their epigenetic landscape becomes increasingly disordered, contributing to a wide range of chronic diseases.

Sir Tony Kouzarides, whose research at the Gurdon Institute focuses on the role of epigenetic and mRNA modifications in cancer, is particularly well suited to help guide Shift’s exploration of this frontier. Kouzarides said he was impressed by the company’s combination of AI, machine learning, and biology, calling it a “truly unique approach to rejuvenation therapeutics.”

As Scientific Advisor, Kouzarides is expected to contribute not just technical expertise, but also strategic oversight to the publication and validation of Shift’s research—ensuring that its findings resonate with both academic and clinical audiences.

Who Else Is Behind the Shift Bioscience Vision?

Shift Bioscience has been quietly building a formidable advisory ecosystem. In addition to Lord David Prior and Sir Tony Kouzarides, the company’s advisory and leadership group includes biotech veterans such as Dr. Jill Reckless, Dr. Laurence Reid, and Professor Bo Wang, reflecting a deliberate effort to bring together expertise across drug development, AI research, and regenerative medicine.

CEO Dr. Daniel Ives, a synthetic biologist by training, has led the development of the virtual cell platform from its inception. His background in cell programming and systems biology has been pivotal in shaping the company’s core thesis—that computational biology can unlock the secrets of youthfulness encoded in our genes.

Dr. Ives emphasized that the appointments of Prior and Kouzarides represent a new chapter for the company, as it moves from technology development into pipeline expansion and potential clinical translation. He called their support “a powerful endorsement of Shift’s long-term mission to reverse aging and combat the diseases it causes.”

What’s the Future Outlook for Rejuvenation Biotech—and Shift’s Place in It?

The longevity biotech market is expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, driven by a surge in demand for therapies that extend healthspan. From cellular reprogramming to senolytics and gene therapy, the race is on to develop interventions that go beyond disease management and enable biological rejuvenation.

Within this landscape, Shift Bioscience is carving out a niche defined by AI-first discovery, epigenetic focus, and virtual cell simulation. Its platform may prove to be a faster, safer, and more scalable route to identifying targets that reverse aging—something traditional trial-based biotech models have struggled to do efficiently.

Industry observers see Shift as one of the UK’s most promising longevity startups, particularly as government health systems and private payers begin exploring the economic value of preventing age-related diseases before they require costly interventions.

With top-tier leadership now in place, Shift Bioscience is well-positioned to lead the emerging category of rejuvenation therapeutics—not just as a biotech innovator, but as a potential architect of future health systems.