Using biological age to assess healthy aging differences in the Costa Rican Blue Zone

Hannah-Ruth Engelbrecht was a semi-finalist in the 2025 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Hannah presented their research, “Using Biological Age to Assess Healthy Aging Differences in the Costa Rican Blue Zone.” This research explores the disconnect between chronological and biological age, focusing on Costa Rica's Blue Zone, where people live healthily to 100 years. By using epigenetic clocks and the Healthy Aging Index, the study assesses how lifestyle factors influence biological age and health. Hannah-Ruth Engelbrecht is completing their PhD in Genome Science and Technology in the Department of Genome Science and Technology under the supervision of Dr. Michael S. Kobor.