Australia’s leading Functional Geneticist and Nutritionist, Dr Denise Furness PhD, will spotlight Healthy Ageing strategies that underscore the fundamental connection between mitochondrial health and longevity at the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference with 6000+ Pharmacist delegates on the Gold Coast, the largest pharmacy gathering in the Southern Hemisphere.
According to research, while global life expectancy has increased by three decades since the mid-20th century, there remains a persistent nine-year gap between lifespan and healthspan. This gap, driven by the rising burden of ageing related health conditions, highlights the need to move beyond managing age-related decline and focus on promoting the years of life lived in good health.
Dr Furness’ presentation will focus on the role of mitochondria, sub-cellular health, antioxidant Ubiquinol and energy production decline in rising statistics on challenges to healthy ageing.
Marking the leadup to the conference as a headline speaker, Dr Furness said, “as scientific understanding of ageing continues to evolve, research shows that biological age does not always align with chronological age, and certain aspects of the ageing process may be slowed – or in some cases even retracted – through targeted interventions.”
“Advancements in longevity research continues to highlight the active role of mitochondrial health in healthy ageing“ explained Dr Furness. “Mitochondrial health is now the new frontier of evidence-based wellbeing.”
“Research on mitochondrial health, associated with the millions of mitochondrial ‘engines’ in every cell of our body powered by endogenous Ubiquinol, shows that just as gut health was a new frontier in healthcare some 7-10 years ago, we are now seeing a deep focus on mitochondrial health and the role of Ubiquinol decline as we age”, Dr Furness said.
Ubiquinol, the potent antioxidant found naturally in each cell of the body, which supports cellular energy production and antioxidant defence, has emerged as an essential measure in bridging the gap between lifespan and healthspan, while supporting optimal energy levels, brain and cardiovascular health, women’s health, fertility and optimal wellbeing.
Dr Furness added that there has been a global shift towards embracing healthy ageing and improving the quality of life for older adults, emphasised by the release of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).
“The Longevity Boom is redefining how people approach ageing,” Dr Furness explained. “More individuals are adopting preventative health behaviours, including lifestyle modifications, wearables to track health metrics, and targeted supplementation. Advances in medicine, nutrition, and public health continue to extend lifespan, reinforcing the need to prioritise healthspan. At the same time, societal perceptions of ageing are shifting, with growing recognition that later life can be a period of opportunity, activity, and purpose rather than decline”, she continued.
Dr Furness’ session at APP 2025, titled ‘Exploring the vital role of Ubiquinol in supporting healthy ageing and longevity’ will delve into how functional nutrition and mitochondrial health can empower individuals to take control of their biological age, supporting energy production, resilience and longevity.
ABOUT DR DENISE FURNESS
Dr Denise Furness (PhD) BSc(Hons) RNutr is a functional geneticist and nutritionist. She is a pioneer in the field of nutrigenomics and personalised health with 20 years of experience in the area. Denise began her career as a research scientist focusing on nutrigenomics, epigenetics, and DNA damage to support fertility and pregnancy health. She has published her work in peer reviewed journals and won numerous awards for her research and conference presentations. During her post-doctoral fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynecology she worked alongside a team of medical specialists and researchers within a recurrent miscarriage clinic, which resulted in an 80% success rate of healthy pregnancy outcomes.
In 2012, she founded Your Genes and Nutrition and began applying her knowledge in clinical practice. Denise has a special interest in fertility, thyroid and autoimmunity (after recovering from autoimmune thyroid disease herself), as well as healthy ageing. She is currently running a biological ageing study aimed at improving cellular health and naturally slowing the ageing process.
