This project addresses a critical bottleneck in aging research: the lack of robust, clinically viable biomarkers. By identifying key data gaps, outlining validation pathways, and proposing targeted datasets, it aims to shift the field from academic curiosity to actionable progress.

The ideal outcome is a new standard for aging biomarker development, one that enables faster drug development, attracts focused investment, and meets regulatory requirements. By catalyzing collaboration between researchers, biotech, funders, and regulators, this work lays the groundwork for biomarkers that can actually be used in trials, in clinics, and in the real world.

In short: this project could change how we measure aging… and how quickly we can act on it.

The promise of aging biomarkers, and “aging clocks” has captured widespread interest, yet their impact on clinical practice and drug development remains limited. This piece argues that a major bottleneck in creating truly useful aging biomarkers lies in the quality and structure of the human datasets used for their discovery and validation.

For biomarkers to be clinically meaningful, they must be robust, predictive of health outcomes, responsive to interventions, and practical for use in trials. Most current efforts fall short because they rely on datasets that are either too small, lack longitudinal data, or don't include key variables like environmental exposures, functional outcomes, or repeated sampling. Moreover, the discovery of biomarkers is often divorced from the rigorous validation processes needed to ensure real-world utility.

To break this bottleneck, three key projects are proposed:

• Proposal A: Build a high-quality longitudinal discovery dataset with repeated sampling and deep phenotyping.

• Proposal B: Create robustness datasets to test how potential biomarkers behave under various confounding conditions (e.g., time-of-day, illness, recent meals).

• Proposal C: Re-contact participants from existing cohorts to expand sampling and improve metadata.

These projects aim to complement current large biobanks and enable the next generation of aging biomarkers, ones that can meaningfully accelerate drug development, support regulatory approval, and eventually inform clinical care. The path forward will require thoughtful dataset design, rigorous validation, and collaboration across sectors.

Marton is driven by the belief that aging and the diseases it causes is the greatest source of human suffering and the most impactful target for scientific intervention. Hailing from Hungary, Marton left his hometown at the ripe age of 13 to pursue his education. With a background as a Medical Doctor and spanning diagnostic development for early-stage Alzheimer’s and aging-focused drug discovery, Marton is uniquely positioned to tackle what he sees as the biggest bottleneck in the field: the lack of high-quality human data needed to define, measure, and ultimately intervene in biological aging.

His work focuses on designing and building the next generation of longitudinal biobanks optimized for biomarker development and translational drug research. Through the Talent Bridge project, Marton is exploring what data is actually required for clinically useful aging biomarker development work that aligns directly with his current efforts but would not be feasible to pursue as deeply without public support.

Marton ultimately aims to help build the foundational infrastructure that will enable meaningful, real-world progress in slowing and preventing human aging through his future ventures.