Aubrey de Grey is a sexual predator.

For years he has used his position of power in the aging field to attract his victims. These victims include me, Laura Deming, and multiple other anonymous women. Laura was a minor when Aubrey came on to her; I was a SENS-funded student. Aubrey’s proclivities are a long held open secret in the aging field.

Aubrey’s sexualization of minors and perversion nearly killed Laura and I’s aging careers before they started. Laura has written about her experience here.

SENS funded much of my undergraduate and graduate work, and as such I was often paraded in front of their donors. The role of my attractiveness in discussions with donors (almost always older men) was made explicit by SENS executives.

At one such dinner, I was sat next to Aubrey by a SENS executive. I was told to keep him ‘entertained’; Aubrey funneled me alcohol and hit on me the entire night. He told me that I was a ‘glorious woman’ and that as a glorious woman I had a responsibility to have sex with the SENS donors in attendance so they would give money to him.  

I left that dinner sobbing. It has taken me years to shake the deep-seated belief that I only got to where I am due to older men wanting to have sex with me.

Another SENS executive harassed me so severely that I eventually dropped out of my PhD to escape him (a legal investigation upheld my many accusations against him). I later learned I was far from his first victim, that SENS knew this, and yet they knowingly sent me to work underneath him. After everything came to light, the only question SENS asked was if they ‘needed to know’ what he did to me. They decided they didn’t.

Aubrey’s early aging work was foundational, but his continued involvement in the field is toxic.

How many women have entered the aging field, encountered Aubrey, and left it never to return? How many future leaders and future scientists have we lost to Aubrey’s perversion? How many potential aging discoveries?

Every dollar that goes to Aubrey holds back the field, both directly - by diverting it from fruitful aging research - and indirectly - by giving Aubrey the power to destroy the next aging leader before she emerges. 

I will no longer participate in any event that also involves Aubrey or SENS, and will consider any group that continues to give Aubrey a platform (financially or otherwise) as complacent in the sexual harassment of minors and students. 

SENS is aware of all of this. The Board was brought testimonies from other women in the beginning of 2021. These testimonies include physical sexual abuse. SENS did not act. Only after Laura and I came forward two months ago did SENS initiate an internal investigation.

However, since then, SENS has solicited at least $25M of funding, without disclosing the investigation against Aubrey. One of the Board Members who instigated this investigation has since quietly left SENS.

While SENS battles between the angel and devil sitting on their shoulders, Laura and I decided to make the broader community aware of Aubrey’s and SENS’ behavior. I hope that by sharing this young women entering the field will have context for the open secret no one else will share with them until it’s too late.