David Gobel | |
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 Gobel | |
| Born | 1952 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of the Methuselah Foundation |
David Gobel (born 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American philanthropist, entrepreneur, inventor, and futurist. He is co-founder and CEO of the Methuselah Foundation, CEO of the Methuselah Fund, and one of the first to publicly advance the idea of longevity escape velocity, even before this term was formulated.[1]
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Main article: Methuselah Foundation |
David Gobel heads the Methuselah Foundation,[2] a medical charity that was organized in 2000 and is based in Springfield, VA. Under Gobel's leadership, Methuselah has invested millions of dollars to support research and development in regenerative medicine, regenerative medicine,[3] and is actively involved in efforts to change how the public thinks about extending the healthy human lifespan.
With co-founders Dane Gobel and Aubrey de Grey, Gobel established Methuselah in order to, as stated on its original website, "shed light on the processes of aging and find ways to extend healthy life."[3]
The organization works in a variety of ways: Incubating companies that are developing breakthrough technologies, supporting mission-relevant ventures that promote longevity research, funding such research directly and supporting projects and prizes to accelerate breakthroughs in longevity.iii
Through Methuselah, Gobel, and de Grey established research programs focused on advanced human bioremedial biology at Rice University and Arizona State University—the world's first use of environmental remediation techniques to be directed at reversing "pollution" in human cells.[4]
Gobel also oversaw Methuselah's funding of the 2015 sequencing of the longest-lived mammal, the bowhead whale, which can live more than 200 years. The objective of this work was to identify any protective molecular adaptations within the species that may be relevant to age-related diseases, particularly cancer.iv
In 2021, Methuselah contributed $1 million to Albert Einstein College of Medicine to fund the development of engineered replacement brain structures to correct age-related neurological damage without losing memories or self identity.v vi
Gobel has directed Methuselah's investment in a variety of companies developing breakthrough technologies and clinical interventions in regenerative medicine. These companies include:
Under Gobel, Methuselah has sponsored several competitions to encourage scientific innovation that can benefit longevity:
In addition, Gobel has overseen Methuselah's investment in and support of organizations whose mission has been to promote an environment that is supportive of life extension, including:
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Main article: SENS Research Foundation |
Gobel was instrumental in the 2007 creation of a new rejuvenation research program called "Strategies for engineered negligible senescence" (SENS), to help identify, repair and remove cell-level damage before it causes systemic harm. Though Methuselah continues to provide support for years, SENS spun out as the independent SENS Research Foundation in 2009, and continues its work to use regenerative medicine to repair the damage underlying the diseases of aging.
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Main article: Transportation Security Administration |
As Chief Venture Strategist in the Office of Security Operations at TSA from 2002 to 2013, Gobel proposed, designed, and operated the Department of Homeland Security's first venture capital arm, which was focused on nurturing companies and technologies to modernize and automate security for the country.
He was responsible for multiple investments in cutting-edge security capabilities, including the VOXER iPhone app[14][15] and the world's first hand-held mass spectrometer (aka 'Tricorder')[16]
He also conceived and co-designed the IdeaFactory, DHS’s innovation management system. Using "wisdom of crowds" principles and bottom-up techniques to bring the experience and intelligence of 170,000 employees to bear on critical problems of security, efficiency and public service, IdeaFactory is featured on whitehouse.gov as an example of government innovation.[17]
During his tenure at TSA, Gobel helped design and develop numerous other programs, including TSA’s Red Cell counter-terrorism group, the Arena XXI transportation security system, the Virtual Continuity of Operations conops,[18] and TSA’s Information Technology Management Council.
Gobel is co-founder of the Supercentenarian Research Foundation.[19]
He developed corporate and technology strategy at Eyegaze,[20] a company that develops an advance eye-driven communication device.
From 1996 to 2002, Gobel was president of Obvious Software LLC, a venture project to design and build the world’s first fully independent artificial intelligence robotic online professional stock trading system. He also developed VastMind, a cloud-enabled parallel processing grid computing application to utilize wasted CPU cycles in broadband and LAN connected computers.[21]
He co-founded Starbright in 1995, partnering with Steven Spielberg, Intel, Sprint, and Tandem Computers to design and create Starbright World, a broadband network that allowed sick kids at thousands of homes and over 110 children's hospitals to "go out and play" in a rich virtual world where they can communicate with friends and family.[22]
He is also co-inventor of World's, Inc., one of the internet’s earliest shared 3D virtual worlds using avatar-based communication.[23][24]
As co-founder and vice president of Knowledge Adventure, Inc. (1991–1994), Gobel invented "mouse movies" (now known as non-linear video) in which the movement of the user's mouse would link non-linearly to a database of video frames. At Knowledge Adventure, Gobel produced and directed 6 best-selling multimedia titles, including "3D Body Adventure," "Buzz Aldrin's Space Adventure," "Science Adventure," "America Adventure," "Bug Adventure," and "The Discoverers" by Daniel J. Boorstin.[25]