Shinya Yamanaka
Spear’s Review
The field of ‘cellular reprogramming’, often cited as the most promising approach to improving human health and lifespan, has largely been built on the groundbreaking research of one man: Shinya Yamanaka. His discovery that cells can be reverted to a primitive state – with the properties of embryonic stem cells – led to a Nobel Prize in 2012 and a slew of other awards and laurels from the scientific community.
Yamanaka, a professor and director emeritus at Kyoto University, has also assumed a role as senior scientific adviser to Altos Labs, a biotech company whose backers include billionaires Yuri Milner and Jeff Bezos.
Its big bet is on ‘cellular rejuvenation’, using the so-called ‘Yamanaka factors’, among other scientific advancements, to restore cell health, reverse disease and increase longevity.
With Peter Thiel, Sam Altman, Spotify founder Daniel Ek and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin among other major backers of longevity sciences, the intensity of billionaires’ interest in the field suggests that Yamanaka’s work has the potential to reverberate through human history.
Rank: Top 100
Top 100 2025, Power List