Community Member Spotlight: Meet Dr. Axel Schumacher - August 2025 Edition

Each month, our Community Spotlight series introduces you to a member of the Longevity Munich community. These are the people showing up, learning, experimenting, and contributing to a culture of healthier, longer living in our city. Through these stories, we aim to celebrate their stories, share their protocols, and recognize their contributions to the longevity community in Munich. 

This month, we’re excited to introduce Dr. Axel Schumacher, one of the earliest members of our community,

Quick Facts

• Name: Dr. Axel Schumacher
• Profession:  Longevity Scientist; CEO Aerion Bioscience, CEO AMORO, Chief Biotech Officer Rejuve.Bio, Startup Advisor, Author, Futurist, Podcast Host
• Top longevity priority right now:  Not dying & building meaningful connections with wonderful people 
• Go-to health practice:  Daily red-light therapy
• Favorite podcast:  StarTalk
• Favourite place in or around Munich:  Riem Lake & Mountains

Interview with Axel

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What’s your background, and how did you get interested in longevity?
I’m a scientist who has worked in longevity research for decades. I’ve led research groups in genomics, complex diseases, and age-related conditions across several countries. I was the first researcher to describe epigenetic clocks and invented the so-called epigenetic microarrays—technology that made it possible to measure our epigenetic patterns (DNA methylation) at scale, paving the way for today’s widely accessible epigenetic clock test kits. I also confess to a lifelong crush on science fiction, so chasing “impossible” goals—like practical immortality—has always felt less like madness and more like destiny. These days, I’m channeling that obsession into startups: building a proto-AGI to hunt for anti-aging compounds, designing an early detection screening kit for lung cancer, and developing a yeast-based supplement that targets at least seven hallmarks of aging. In short, I’m a perfectly normal crazy scientist.  You can learn more about me at www.grailmaster.com.

Q: How did you discover Longevity Munich? What drew you to the community?
I’ve co-founded several longevity biotech startups alongside some of the field’s heavyweights—people like George Church and Aubrey de Grey—so I’ve been orbiting the inner circles of the global longevity scene for a while now. Through international meetups with scientists, biohackers, and the occasional eccentric billionaire (yes, you know whom I am talking about), I figured: why not look for a local tribe? That’s how I stumbled across Longevity Munich. Since then, I’ve been glad to call this community my home base—where the dreams of living forever are just as alive as the great new friends I got.

Q: What does longevity mean to you personally?
I want to stick around long enough to see where humanity’s wild ride takes us. Call it mad science or romantic futurism, but we’re living at the most astonishing crossroads in our species' history—AI, genomics, nanotech, quantum computing… all hitting escape velocity at once. Evolution is no longer just natural; it’s becoming optional. I don’t want to just read about it in some posthumous footnote—I want front-row seats, popcorn in hand, for as long as biologically (or artificially) possible.

Q: Can you walk us through your current longevity protocol?

​​I follow a fairly obsessive longevity protocol, cobbled together from the best of what’s out there. The full madness is listed here: http://bit.ly/3IL2Uri. It includes everything from supplements (yes, over 50 of them), wearables, red light therapy, sauna sessions, sleep optimization, biohacks, and forest walks. Most mornings start with having having a longevity drink, followed by a meditative walk through the woods. My protocol is meant to be a holistic daily ritual, but let’s be real—I usually manage about 30% of it on a good day. Life gets in the way. Or maybe I just get in the way. Either way, longevity is a marathon and if I will not be run over by a self-driving Tesla, I might have a few hundred years to improve the protocol.

Q: Can you tell us more about your nutrition?
My diet is loosely modeled after Bryan Johnson’s—minus the lab assistants. I aim for around 2,000 calories a day, eaten between 11 a.m. and 7 pm. to squeeze in intermittent fasting and a gentle caloric deficit. Most meals are plant-based and have the usual suspects: broccoli, cauliflower, lentils, olive oil, and so on. There’s often kefir blended with nuts, berries, and seeds, and a rarely also a third meal built around legumes and leafy greens. I do eat meat, but I keep it under 5% of my intake. I love meat, but I think we all have to do our share in saving the environment. I avoid most processed foods, alcohol, sugar, and anything that comes wrapped in plastic. I also go easy on grains like bread, rice, and pasta, all in deference to the latest scientific evidence. That said, I still believe food should taste good—there’s no Nobel Prize for bland tofu. I try to cook flavorful meals, though I’ll admit that living alone means laziness often wins. Truth is, food is better when shared.

Q: Any tips to improve your sleep quality you apply yourself?

 Sleep is top priority in my protocol—right up there with not dying. I’ve actually got three full pages of sleep hacks in my routine. Melatonin? Check. Vagus nerve stimulation? Of course. Blue light blockers, blackout curtains, bedroom prep, mouth tape—I basically transform into a high-tech monk every evening. Still, despite all that, my sleep isn’t perfect. There are always random factors messing with it—most of them having nothing to do with healthy living and everything to do with being human. The biggest culprit? Ruminating. That early-morning mind circus where your brain decides now is the perfect time to reanalyze that awkward conversation from three years ago. I try to combat it with modern Stoicism and keeping myself purposefully overbooked—if I’m too busy to overthink, I sleep better. According to my WHOOP strap, I average about 84% sleep performance and 93% sleep efficiency. Not bad, but still room for improvement.

Q: What about your exercise routine?
I aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. Living near a forest helps, so I go jogging two or three times a week. My favorite ritual is biking to Lake Riem, followed by a short run (10 to 14 km), swimming for 30 minutes, and biking back. It's basically a mini triathlon. I also do strength training at home with weights. Nothing fancy—just me and some iron. I also like to play steeldarts to move during my work breaks.

Q: What’s your skincare like?

Well, I’m not banking on skincare to turn me into a glowing Instagram influencer anytime soon. Still,.. in the mornings, if I’m heading outside, I put on a little bit of UV-protective cream. I also use a basic hydrating cream like Mixa Ceramide Protect, nothing absurdly expensive—just solid, functional stuff. Every two weeks, I break out the needle roller for some DIY microneedling. At night, I use something like CeraVe cream, with a drop of retinol once a week to remind my skin it’s not allowed to give up yet. I occasionally experiment with clinically promising potions—copper peptides, sea buckthorn oil, AHA exfoliants—but honestly? I believe most of what keeps your skin young comes from the inside: sleep, diet, hydration. Creams help, but let’s not pretend they’re magic.

Q: What is your longevity priority right now?
Social connection. It turns out one of the strongest predictors of a long, healthy life isn’t a supplement, a wearable, or cryo-sleep—it’s having people around you who actually give a damn. Unfortunately, in our hyperconnected-yet-deeply-disconnected world, that’s become one of the hardest things to find. Hence the global loneliness epidemic. Unlike NMN or magnesium, you can’t just order a partner or genuine friendship off Amazon. That’s why I’m building a startup aimed at ending loneliness, writing THE book on dating and connection, and launching a podcast—Inside the Dating Mind—to build a global tribe around it. Because real connection isn’t just nice to have—it’s survival-level biology.

Q: Any wins or progress you’ve experienced that you’re proud of?
Still alive, which frankly defied the odds—some bookmakers had me pegged for an early exit. 

Q: What role does community play in longevity?
It’s absolutely essential. I mean, what’s the point of living forever if you’re eating birthday cake alone with your houseplants? We’re wired for connection—it’s baked into our biology. Plus, let’s be honest: sometimes you need a good friend to lovingly kick your butt off the couch.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to someone new to the world of longevity, what would it be?
Find your tribe—people who geek out over mitochondria, cold plunges, and sleep trackers as much as you do. Oh, and most importantly: DON’T DIE. That’s kind of the whole point.

🌱 Final Thoughts

Axel reminds us that we live in the most amazing time ever and e need to use this unique opportunity to change the world. We’re grateful to have him as part of Longevity Munich and can’t wait to see what’s next on his journey.

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Community Spotlight, please contact us!