Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Professor Ian Mudway reveals how air pollution accelerates biological ageing and increases susceptibility to age-related disease.
At the Longevity Forum Science Summit, Professor Ian Mudway (Imperial College London) delivers a compelling exploration of how environmental exposures shape the pace of ageing. Highlighting the 8 million premature deaths annually linked to indoor and outdoor pollution, he shows how pollutants don’t just trigger acute health events—they actively accelerate ageing and chronic disease risk.
Drawing on new findings from the UKRI-funded DREAM project and the Airwave cohort, Prof. Mudway demonstrates how epigenetic clocks reveal accelerated ageing in response to smoking, diet, and ambient air pollution, with PM2.5 and PM10 strongly affecting mitotic and cellular ageing pathways. He also presents evidence that Mediterranean diet patterns may help protect against pollution-driven biological ageing.
This talk connects environmental exposures, molecular ageing mechanisms, and public health strategy, emphasizing why clean air is essential for extending healthy lifespan.
Professor Ian Mudway reveals how air pollution accelerates biological ageing and increases susceptibility to age-related disease.
At the Longevity Forum Science Summit, Professor Ian Mudway (Imperial College London) delivers a compelling exploration of how environmental exposures shape the pace of ageing. Highlighting the 8 million premature deaths annually linked to indoor and outdoor pollution, he shows how pollutants don’t just trigger acute health events—they actively accelerate ageing and chronic disease risk.
Drawing on new findings from the UKRI-funded DREAM project and the Airwave cohort, Prof. Mudway demonstrates how epigenetic clocks reveal accelerated ageing in response to smoking, diet, and ambient air pollution, with PM2.5 and PM10 strongly affecting mitotic and cellular ageing pathways. He also presents evidence that Mediterranean diet patterns may help protect against pollution-driven biological ageing.
This talk connects environmental exposures, molecular ageing mechanisms, and public health strategy, emphasizing why clean air is essential for extending healthy lifespan.
