Call for papers - Healthy aging and longevity: the role of preventive medicine and risk factors

Guest Editors

Rajkumar Dorajoo, PhD, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore
Htet Lin Htun, MBBS, MPH, Monash University, Australia
Mariona Jové, PhD, University of Lleida, Spain
Yanan Luo, PhD, Peking University, China
Lene Juel Rasmussen, MSc, PhD, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Yao Yao, MPH, MD, Peking University, China

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 29 January 2026

BMC Medicine is calling for submissions to our Collection on healthy aging and longevity, emphasizing the interplay between physical, cognitive, and social functioning that enables an average lifespan under ideal conditions. As populations age globally, the research focus has shifted from increasing lifespan to enhancing “healthspan”—the period of life spent in good health. This Collection seeks to explore innovative approaches and cutting-edge research in areas such as healthy aging, preventative medicine, and the role of risk factors in promoting longevity.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Rajkumar Dorajoo, PhD, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore

Dr Dorajoo leads the Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases and Ageing Genomics at the Genome Institute of Singapore and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He specializes in human genetics, genetic epidemiology, and large-scale cohort studies. His research is focused on uncovering genetic predispositions and early-life exposures contributing to accelerated aging processes and determining how these relate to age-related health and disease outcomes.

Htet Lin Htun, MBBS, MPH, Monash University, Australia

Dr Htun is a public health physician and epidemiologist whose research explores the social determinants of health that influence the well-being of older adults. His research places particular emphasis on dementia and cognitive health outcomes, with a strong focus on community-based strategies to promote healthy aging. His contributions include novel assessments of social activities and networks to better understand their impact on cognitive outcomes. Through his work, Dr Htun advances equitable, holistic approaches to healthy aging that help older adults stay connected, supported, and well in their communities' outcomes

Mariona Jové, PhD, University of Lleida, Spain

Dr Jové is an Associate Professor of Physiology at the University of Lleida and a Principal Investigator at the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLleida). Her research focuses on understanding the role of metabolism and oxidative stress in human longevity, aging, and age-related diseases, integrating real-world clinical data with advanced lipidomic and metabolomic techniques. She has led several competitive research projects in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, licensed a European patent, and authored more than 150 articles in high-impact journals.

Yanan Luo, PhD, Peking University, China

Dr Luo is currently an Associate Researcher in the Department of Global Health at Peking University. She received her PhD in Demography (Population Health) from the Institute of Population Research at Peking University. Her research focuses on healthy longevity, with particular emphasis on the life course approach to cognitive health in late life, behavioral interventions for cognitive impairment, mental health issues among older migrants in metropolitan areas, and disability prevention.

Lene Juel Rasmussen, MSc, PhD, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr Rasmussen is a Professor of Molecular Aging at the Center for Healthy Aging and Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen. She served as Executive Director at the Center for Healthy Aging from 2009-2024. Dr Rasmussen’s research focuses on understanding the processes of cellular aging, the genetic origins of complex diseases, as well as the impact of environmental factors, which is the central challenge of modern biomedicine. Her research group identifies molecular targets for the treatment of age-related diseases and investigates how mitochondria dysfunction contributes to aging, the ontogeny of cancer, diabetes, blindness, deafness, migraine, and diseases of the heart, kidney, liver, and muscles.

Yao Yao, MPH, MD, Peking University, China

Dr Yao is a Research Professor and founding Director of Center for Healthy Aging Transdisciplinary Sciences (CHATS), China Center for Health Developments, Peking University. His research decodes the "longevity paradox" by optimizing both lifespan extension and healthspan quality, through interdisciplinary research integrating geriatrics and gerontology, health economics, spatial geography, and data science. He was elected a Vice Chairman of the Youth Experts Committee of China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and he has received many awards including the Excellence Award of the Health and Longevity Innovation Competition of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2020) and the Best Paper Award of the China Health Policy and Management Society (2023).

About the Collection

BMC Medicine is calling for submissions to our Collection on healthy aging and longevity, emphasizing the interplay between physical, cognitive, and social functioning that enables an average lifespan under ideal conditions. As populations age globally, the research focus has shifted from increasing lifespan to enhancing “healthspan”—the period of life spent in good health. This Collection seeks to explore innovative approaches and cutting-edge research in areas such as healthy aging, preventative medicine, and the role of risk factors in promoting longevity. With a focus on mitigating modifiable risk factors with dietary and lifestyle interventions or personalized care and on tackling genetic predisposition with a proactive, preventive approach, this Collection aims to expand our knowledge of key determinants of the quality of life for older adults.

Recent findings highlight the complexity of the relationships between genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors from early life to later influencing health outcomes. By addressing these complex interactions with interventions targeting nutrition, physical activity, risk stratification, and treatment for chronic diseases throughout the lifespan, we can create effective strategies to enhance the quality of life as people age and mitigate the effects of multimorbidity and frailty among older adults.

A preventive, life course approach to health and longevity research is highly relevant to public health as it addresses the root causes of diseases and promotes overall well-being from early life through old age. By focusing on prevention and early intervention, it aims to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases, improve quality of life, and extend healthy life expectancy. Moreover, investing in preventive measures such as healthy lifestyle promotion, early screenings, and immunizations reduces healthcare costs in the long term by reducing the need for expensive treatments and hospitalizations.

Health inequities in aging women's care pose an additional challenge to the public health management of aging, as women often face inequities influenced by a combination of biological, social, and economic factors. Gender biases in healthcare practice and medical research often result in women receiving less effective treatments and having their symptoms dismissed or underestimated. Women of color and those from lower-income households are particularly vulnerable to these disparities. Addressing these inequities requires a multifaceted approach, including improving access to preventative healthcare and addressing social determinants of health.

Continued research in health and longevity may pave the way for transformative breakthroughs in public health policies, aging-related therapies, and innovative interventions. As our understanding deepens, we must develop more personalized approaches to health management, improve the resilience of aging populations, and ultimately reshape how we view aging in society.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Healthy aging and lifestyle interventions
Preventative medicine and early intervention approaches
Multidisciplinary approaches to longevity
Nutrition and physical activity in healthspan
Modifiable risk factors and risk stratification for cardiovascular and neurological disease in older adults
Women’s health aging, including research on menopause and ovarian function

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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BMC Medicine encourages submissions of front matter articles and original research, including clinical trials (phase I-III, randomized-controlled, either positive or negative trials), epidemiological studies (retrospective or prospective), systematic reviews and meta-analyses, -omics, medical imaging, genomics studies and translational research. Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have read our submission guidelines.

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection; please select "Healthy aging and longevity: the role of preventive medicine and risk factors" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.