Dr Julia Cooney is a medical doctor, longevity researcher, and the founder and CEO of Zest, a digital health company redefining how we measure and manage ageing. With a unique background that bridges clinical medicine and biotechnology, earned through her MD and a PostDoc from the University of Cambridge, Julia combines scientific rigour with hands-on healthcare experience to drive meaningful innovation in preventative care.

Originally training in cardiology and researching implantable cardiac monitors, Julia quickly recognised a fundamental flaw in modern medicine: we intervene too late. “Cardiology felt like solving problems at the wrong end, once disease had already taken hold,” she explains. This realisation sparked a shift in her career toward longevity science and early intervention. She went on to work with NHS care homes across the UK, delivering remote patient monitoring solutions to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

In 2022, she founded Zest, a cutting-edge longevity company with a bold mission: to add 10–15 healthy years to our lives by identifying early signs of decline before symptoms appear. Under her leadership, Zest has launched novel digital tools for functional age testing, including a brain ageing test co-developed with the University of Cambridge, designed to empower both individuals and clinicians with actionable, personalised insights.

Julia is still a registered medical doctor and is regarded as an emerging thought leader in the field of healthy ageing. She serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board of Enhanced Games, and speaks widely on the intersection of technology, medicine, and human longevity.

Longevity science, biotechnology, preventative healthcare, adding more good years to our lives, longevity science