After the release of this article, Politico reported that Jim O’Neill is set to exit his current positions within the Department of Health and Human Services.
In the past year, Jim O’Neill has risen to become a key figure in public health. As the deputy health secretary in the US, he holds dual roles within the apex of the country’s health and science agencies. He manages a department with a budget exceeding a trillion dollars. Additionally, he authorized the memorandum regarding the US’s contentious new vaccine recommendations.
He is also passionate about longevity. In an exclusive conversation with MIT Technology Review earlier this month, O’Neill elaborated on his aspirations to enhance human healthspan via longevity-centered research financed by ARPA-H, a federal body devoted to biomedical advancements. Concurrently, he justified the decision to narrow the number of generally advised childhood vaccines, a step that has faced considerable backlash from public health and medical authorities.
In MIT Technology Review’s profile of O’Neill from last year, professionals in health policy and consumer advocacy expressed concerns that his libertarian approach to drug regulation is worrisome and contrary to fundamental public health principles.
Subsequently, he was appointed acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, thereby taking the helm of the country’s public health agency.
Nonetheless, other longevity advocates are optimistic that O’Neill will shed light and financial support on their mission: discovering therapies that could delay, inhibit, or possibly reverse human aging. Here are key insights from the interview.
Further changes to vaccine recommendations may be forthcoming
Last month, the US reduced the list of vaccinations recommended for children. The CDC no longer endorses immunizations against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, or meningococcal disease for all minors. This action received extensive criticism from medical organizations and public health experts alike. Concerns have been raised regarding potential difficulties for children in obtaining these vaccines. Many states have dismissed the recommendations.
During the confirmation hearing for his appointment as deputy health secretary, which took place in May of last year, O’Neill expressed his support for the CDC’s vaccination timeline. MIT Technology Review inquired whether he still held that stance and, if so, what had influenced any change. “Studying and analyzing safety data and efficacy statistics regarding vaccines is one of the CDC’s mandates,” he mentioned. “The CDC provides crucial vaccine guidance and should be receptive to new information and innovative perspectives on data.”
At the start of December, O’Neill disclosed that President Donald Trump “requested that I investigate the vaccine schedules of other nations.” He indicated that he consulted with health officials from various countries and held discussions with scientists at the CDC and FDA. “It was frequently proposed by many operational divisions that the US realign its recommendations to align more closely with consensus vaccinations from other developed nations—in essence, focusing on the vaccines that are crucial and typically included in the core recommendations of other countries,” he stated.
“Consequently, we updated the vaccine schedule to concentrate on a set of vaccines deemed essential for all children.”
However, some public health experts have pointed out that countries like Denmark and Japan, which supposedly served as models for the new US vaccine schedule, are not directly comparable to the US. In response to these critiques, O’Neill remarked, “Many parents perceive that … over 70 vaccine doses prescribed to young children seem excessive, and they often question which vaccines are the most vital. I believe we addressed that concern without limiting access for anyone.”
A few weeks post the alteration of the vaccine recommendations, Kirk Milhoan, heading the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, suggested that vaccinations for measles and polio—currently mandatory for public school entry—should become optional. (Mehmet Oz, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has recently encouraged individuals to “get the [measles] vaccine.”)
“CDC continues to recommend that all children receive vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and human papillomavirus (HPV), which have international consensus, as well as for varicella (chickenpox),” he stated in response to inquiries about this remark.
Moreover, he expressed that current vaccination guidelines are “still open to new evidence, emerging data, and innovative ideas.” “CDC, FDA, and NIH are launching new studies on the safety of immunizations,” he added. “We will persist in requesting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to evaluate data and update recommendations based on rigorous scientific findings and transparency.”
Greater backing for longevity—though not all within science
O’Neill expressed his desire for longevity to be prioritized by US health agencies. His ultimate vision, he stated, is to “transform the consequences of aging into something under medical influence.” It mirrors the larger Make America Healthy Again initiative: “‘Again’ suggests the restoration of health, which is the essence of longevity research and treatment.”
O’Neill revealed that his fascination with longevity was sparked by his acquaintance Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire, around 2008 to 2009, coinciding with the conclusion of his prior tenure at HHS under the Bush administration. O’Neill recounted how Thiel encouraged him to “delve into longevity and the notion that aging damage could potentially be reversible.” “That concept filled me with increasing excitement,” he shared.
When queried about his awareness of Vitalism, a philosophical movement among “hardcore” longevity advocates who primarily believe death is objectionable, O’Neill answered: “Yes.”
The Vitalist creed includes five fundamental statements, such as “Death represents humanity’s principal challenge,” “Overcoming aging is scientifically feasible,” and “I will advocate against aging and mortality.” O’Neill indicated his agreement with all these principles. “I suppose I am [a Vitalist],” he stated with a smile, despite not being a paid member of the organization promoting the idea.
As the deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, O’Neill inherits significant responsibilities for major influential health and science institutions, including the National Institutes of Health (the largest global public funder of biomedical research) and the Food and Drug Administration (which oversees drug regulations and holds global influence), in addition to the CDC.
Today, he reported that he sees an increasing support for longevity science among his colleagues at HHS. “If I were to encapsulate a common theme among the senior leadership at HHS, it would undoubtedly center around the ambition to restore health across America, and managing aging damage is integral to that objective,” he expressed. “We are redirecting HHS’s focus towards addressing and reversing chronic illnesses, as these are what fundamentally drive aging.”
Over the past year, numerous NIH grants exceeding $2 billion were halted or terminated, including finances for projects in cancer research, health disparities, neuroscience, and beyond. When asked if any of that funding would be reinstated, he refrained from answering directly, instead mentioning: “Expect to see more funding concentrated on critical priorities that genuinely enhance individual health.”
Keep an eye on ARPA-H for updates on organ regeneration and beyond
He assured that we would hear more from ARPA-H, the recently established federal agency aimed at fostering breakthroughs in medical science and biotechnology. Its official mission is to promote “high-risk, high-reward innovations for the creation and transition of groundbreaking health technologies.”
O’Neill remarked that “ARPA-H operates to turn the seemingly impossible into reality in health and medicine.” The agency has appointed a new director—Alicia Jackson, previously the founder and leader of a company focused on women’s health and longevity, who assumed the role in October last year.
O’Neill indicated that he played a part in recruiting Jackson, and she was selected partly due to her interest in longevity, which will significantly shape the agency’s focus. He stated that he meets with her regularly, along with Andrew Brack and Jean Hébert, two other advocates for longevity who lead divisions at ARPA-H. Brack’s initiative aims to identify biological markers of aging. Hébert’s mission is to discover methods to gradually replace aging brain tissue.
O’Neill expressed particular enthusiasm about this initiative, “I would consider it … Not immediately, but … as advancements progress favorably, I would be receptive to that. We are anticipating substantial outcomes in the coming years.”
He is also excited about the prospect of generating entirely new organs for transplantation. “Eventually, we aspire to cultivate new organs, ideally utilizing the patients’ own cells,” O’Neill remarked. An ARPA-H initiative is set to receive $170 million over five years for this purpose, he mentioned. “I am genuinely thrilled about the possibilities ARPA-H and Alicia, Jean, and Andrew represent for driving progress.”
Longevity advocates find a receptive audience
O’Neill shared that he frequently communicates with the team at the lobbying organization Alliance for Longevity Initiatives. This group, led by Dylan Livingston, was pivotal in shaping state legislation in Montana to improve access to experimental treatments. O’Neill conveyed that while he hasn’t formally collaborated with them, he believes “they are accomplishing great work in raising awareness, including on Capitol Hill.”
Livingston has indicated that A4LI’s primary objectives revolve around amplifying support for aging research (potentially through the establishment of a dedicated NIH institute) and reforming laws to facilitate the development and availability of prospective anti-aging treatments.
O’Neill seemed to suggest that the first aim might be overly ambitious—the fate of the number of institutes lies in Congress’s hands, he noted. “I hope to urge all NIH institutes to consider more deeply how many chronic illnesses can be reframed as consequences of aging-related damage,” he expressed. There will be additional federal funding to support that research, he stated, although he didn’t provide further details at this time.
Some participants within the longevity community hold more radical ideals concerning regulation: they aim to establish their own jurisdictions designed to expedite the development of longevity medications and potentially foster biohacking and self-experimentation.
This notion has garnered past endorsement from O’Neill. He has shared on X his advocacy for limiting government influence, as well as support for the idea of creating “freedom cities”—a comparable vision of establishing new communities on federal land.
Another longevity proponent supportive of this idea is Niklas Anzinger, a tech entrepreneur from Germany, currently residing in Próspera, a private city in a Honduran “special economic zone,” where inhabitants can propose regulatory frameworks for medicine. Anzinger also contributed to drafting Montana’s legislation on experimental therapy access. O’Neill knows Anzinger and mentioned that they converse “once or twice annually.”
O’Neill has additionally championed the concept of seasteading—developing new “startup nations” offshore. He was a member of the board of the Seasteading Institute until March 2024.
In 2009, O’Neill shared with attendees at a Seasteading Institute conference that “the healthiest communities by 2030 are likely to be found on the oceans.” When queried if he still holds this view, he responded: “It’s not yet 2030, so I think it’s premature to conclude … What I would assert currently is that the healthiest societies are likely to be ones that promote the most innovation.”
Anticipate more nutrition guidance
Regarding his personal aspirations for longevity, O’Neill stated that he adopts a straightforward strategy involving minimizing sugar and ultra-processed foods, maintaining regular exercise and sufficient sleep, and supplementing with vitamin D. He mentioned striving for a “diet rich in protein and saturated fats,” resonating with the recent dietary guidelines provided by the US Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture. These recommendations have faced scrutiny from nutrition experts, who argue that they overlook extensive research highlighting the dangers of high-saturated fat diets.
O’Neill indicated that we can expect additional updates related to nutrition from HHS, stating: “We are conducting more studies, more randomized controlled trials concerning nutrition. Nutrition remains an unsolved scientific challenge.” Saturated fats are of particular interest, he noted. He and his team aspire to determine “the healthiest types of fats,” he mentioned.
“Stay tuned.”
