Salvador Macip, doctor and researcher, 54: “I wanted a convertible in the middle of my midlife crisis, but my wife was firm and brought me back down to earth.”

Salvador Macip (Blanes, Girona, 1970) is a man whose life unfolds in multiple dimensions: doctor, researcher, and professor, with a deep focus on the biological processes of aging and cancer. Since 2008, he has led a research group on these topics at the University of Leicester, while leading health studies at the UOC and a laboratory at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute. He has also published books such as The Secret of Eternal Life , together with Dr. Manel Esteller, and his recent work, Life in the Extremes . Macip explores not only the biological mechanisms that affect our health, but also how science, technology, and medicine can extend our lives or even bring us closer to the enigma of eternity.

Aging, mortality, and the eternal search for infinite life are some of the great mysteries that have captivated humanity since ancient times. Throughout history, different cultures and civilizations have sought to understand and achieve immortality, whether through rituals, religious beliefs, or scientific advances. Today, science, while still lacking definitive answers, has brought humanity closer to new horizons, such as research into cell regeneration and advances in cancer treatments, which allow us to dream of a longer, healthier life.

Today we're going to discover how his worldview and "life in extremes" intertwine.

Salvador Macip, your work has required you to travel constantly between different countries and research centers. How does a scientist with such a heavy workload, in addition to teaching, manage frequent travel?

Scientists are nomads by nature. Science relies on global collaborations, so we travel constantly. I manage two laboratories, one in England and one in Barcelona, ​​which requires me to travel a lot. I've learned to make the most of my time, especially on flights. I don't have internet or interruptions, which allows me to focus on what's at hand and be productive.

This is like a strategy to stay productive when you find yourself traveling from one place to another…

Yes, I'm also lucky enough to be able to concentrate anywhere, even with background noise, so I take advantage of any moment, even at the airport, to read or get ahead on topics.

As I said in the introduction, car or motorcycle?

I'm more of a car person. My father was a big fan of motorcycles until a friend of his was killed in an accident when I was little. From then on, motorcycles were completely banned in our house. He sold his and said he didn't want to have anything more to do with them. He passed that fear on to me. I grew up looking at motorcycles with curiosity, thinking that one day I'd own one, but over time, that negative view he had eventually sank in. So, when I finally had the opportunity to buy one, I didn't even consider it.

When did you buy your first car?

I bought a Mazda2 when I lived in England; before that, in Barcelona, ​​I didn't need one because I traveled by public transport. When I reached my forties, I got it into my head that I wanted a convertible. I fancied the classic English convertible. But my wife was blunt and brought me back to earth: "Don't even think about buying a convertible; it's useless because it won't fit a child or a suitcase." And so my midlife crisis ended. After the Mazda, I bought the vehicle I have now, a secondhand Seat Leon, which suits me perfectly because I only use it to get from the laboratory to home and from home to the laboratory.

After the Mazda, I bought the vehicle I have now, a second-hand Seat Leon, which suits me perfectly.”

Salvador Macip, Physician and Researcher

As a researcher, have you observed how resources in different countries affect your work or the way research is conducted?

Yes, without a doubt, everything influences this, including culture. Research is very different in the three environments where I've worked: Southern Europe, America, and the United Kingdom. They're contexts with very different levels of resources. In the United States, at least until recently, there was a lot of money allocated to research, so the resources were excellent. In England, there are fewer resources, but the system still works quite well. In Spain, there are even fewer, although science is still of a high level, just with fewer possibilities. This forces us to use more imagination and find ways to achieve the same thing with less budget, which is also possible.

Scientific culture is also felt in the environment. For example, when I was in New York, it was rare to go a year without seeing one of the Nobel Prize winners giving lectures, because many lived or worked nearby. I saw almost all of the laureates from the beginning of the century, as they ended up passing through. I also saw some in England, but in Spain I have yet to meet one. There is a cultural and social dimension to science that is more present in England or the United States, where, at least until now, there was greater reverence and social appreciation for scientific research.

You've lived in places like Leicester, New York, and Barcelona. How do you adapt to changes in environment and new cities?

I really like Barcelona and have always felt comfortable there. I'm from Blanes, a small town, and I went to Barcelona as a child to study. Although it's a large city for me, it's still very accessible. It's convenient, walkable, and public transportation works well, which makes it very livable. Manhattan, in New York, also has that. It's intense, sometimes chaotic, but very logical. Everything is concentrated and well-organized. I'm drawn to cities with clear structures, like the Eixample district in Barcelona, ​​with its grid-like streets; Manhattan has that same logic, which makes it easy to understand and navigate. I felt comfortable in both, despite their differences. On the other hand, cities like London, Paris, or Madrid are more difficult for me, perhaps because they don't have that clear organization or that sense of closeness.

Your job isn't easy. What conditions, both in terms of mobility and location, are necessary for you to start the day on the right foot?

The first thing is a work environment that motivates me. When I chose New York for my postdoc, I was drawn to the research group, not the city. Barcelona has the advantage of being an attractive city for science, and that also counts.

As a researcher of aging and cancer, how do you think city design affects the health of its inhabitants, especially with regard to longevity?

The city profoundly influences our health, yet it is one of the least-addressed factors. According to the WHO, 99% of the population lives in areas with higher-than-desirable pollution levels, especially in urban environments, which are inherently toxic. Furthermore, cities generate stress, especially for the young and the elderly. The latter, who tend to need more medical care, are often displaced from the city because it is not designed for them. This problem is already being faced in places like England, where the most vulnerable are far from health centers. Therefore, cities must transform to adapt to an aging society, becoming greener, more accessible, and less polluted, so that all age groups can live more comfortably and healthily.

The city must transform to adapt to an aging society, becoming greener, more accessible, and less polluted.

Salvador Macip, Physician and Researcher

In this sense, what is the best place to live and live long?

In theory, the "blue zones," where centenarians supposedly live more, are more of a marketing gimmick than reality. But it's true that there are some areas of the world, such as the Western Mediterranean, where people live longer. Why? It's hard to say, but it's probably a combination of genetics, a good climate, a Mediterranean diet, and healthy traditions. Ideally, you'd want to live in a more rural or less polluted environment, where you can easily access fruits, vegetables, and fish, which are the foundation of a Mediterranean diet, which we know is much healthier.

The car trip you remember most fondly is…

When I was about 20 or 21, I told my girlfriend, "Let's go see a friend of mine who lives in Germany." I borrowed my dad's car, and we left from Barcelona. We traveled a lot of miles, but it was a really fun experience; we had a great time. We then took a similar trip, but this time in the United States. We rented a car in Las Vegas and drove to California, taking the classic West Coast trip. The incredible thing about the United States, even more so than in Europe, is how quickly the landscapes change. In 200 kilometers, you can go from the Grand Canyon to the Nevada desert, to the mountains and the coast with the redwoods.

In The Secret of Eternal Life, you explore the quest for longevity. During your travels, have you encountered places notable for the longevity of their inhabitants? What do these places teach us about human life?

One of my most memorable trips was to the Nicoya province of Costa Rica, a rural area considered one of the so-called blue zones. There, local scientists showed me several centenarians, aged 107, 108, or 109, still very lucid, although with hearing and mobility problems. What was interesting was their lifestyle: people who have worked in the fields until advanced ages and with a very solid family structure. In that area, several generations live together, something that has been lost in Europe or Anglo-Saxon cultures. Until recently, there wasn't even a McDonald's within 50 kilometers, so their diet was very healthy. Furthermore, the natural environment is incredible, with beautiful forests and beaches.

On a practical level, what role do these almost spiritual lessons learned from other cultures play in your laboratory work?

I think they're very helpful. My research focuses on finding treatments for diseases like cancer and aging. In the lab, we work with cells and DNA, but the problem is experienced by real people, and that's sometimes forgotten. That's why it's important to get out, visit nursing homes, talk to centenarians, or see patients alongside my clinical colleagues. Seeing who your work is aimed at gives you perspective and meaning to your work. I also give talks at institutes on aging, bioethics, and cancer. Listening to young people allows me to understand how they view science, what concerns them, and what future they envision. Ultimately, they will be the ones who decide what direction the research takes. I try not to remain locked away in the lab because I believe science should be connected to society, which is what truly gives value and purpose to what we do.

Women age more slowly and live longer than men, but what happens during menopause is not well studied.

Salvador Macip, Physician and Researcher

It's often said that travel broadens the mind. In your field of study, have you visited any places that have transformed your perspective on the biology of aging or cancer?

I went to Nigeria to explore a possible collaboration between the University of Leicester and the University of Calabar. I found a university with almost new but empty buildings, unequipped, covered in sand. The infrastructure was there, but there was a lack of resources to implement it. The most interesting thing was talking to local doctors about leukemia. Although we were working on the same type of cancer, they saw different cases: younger, with a different clinical profile, probably for genetic reasons. They explained to me that treatments designed in Europe don't always work the same in African patients. This made me realize how biased science is toward the white, European, male population.

Since that experience, I've become more involved in studying female aging. Women age more slowly and live longer than men, but what happens during menopause is not well studied. During this period, women may experience more accelerated aging, but why? This is one of the many questions that still remain unanswered, and it affects more than half of the world's population.

The truth is that we seem to be marked by biological determinism, something that can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. How can it be controlled? Should it be done?

Controlling science is complicated, especially now that biomedicine is advancing by leaps and bounds. We can already modify genes, and genetic interventions have even been performed on human embryos. This opens doors to uncertain futures: they can lead us to a utopia or a dystopia, depending on how we use it. Science in itself is neither good nor bad; it depends on its application. Atomic energy is a good example: it can light up a city or destroy it. The same is true of biomedicine; we are creating powerful tools that require regulation and reflection. It's not about banning science, but about deciding together where we want it to advance. Science has a social impact and cannot depend solely on the interests of the researcher. It requires dialogue with society, which funds and sustains it. Regulation, debate, and collective decision-making are key to avoiding errors with irreversible consequences.

In Life at the Extremes , you talk about "civilized hatred," something that seems, at first glance, difficult to achieve just by opening a newspaper. Have you ever seen a place where this is already being practiced?

No, I think humans are too extreme when it comes to hate. I believe that hating is human, like loving. It's a natural, biological reaction, part of how we relate to each other. The problem isn't feeling hate, but what we do with it. Just as we've learned not to attack someone just because we're attracted to them, we should also learn not to act when we hate. For me, the true level of civilization is when you treat the person you hate the same as the person you love. If the person you hate the most falls down in the street, you should help them anyway. It's not about denying hate, but about not using it as an excuse to harm, discriminate, or act violently. In the end, it all comes down to treating others the way you would like to be treated. It's a simple idea, but very difficult to implement. I don't think we'll ever reach that point as humanity, but we should at least try.

Let's talk about places that act as beacons. Where in the world are they most advanced in aging and cancer research? What are they doing right?

Until recently, I'd tell you that the United States was clearly the beacon of global science. It had an incredible ecosystem: top universities, cutting-edge research centers, Nobel Prize winners everywhere, especially concentrated on the East and West Coasts. It was something you didn't see anywhere else. But with the purges of Trump and his people, that leadership is starting to wobble a bit. In Europe, for example, the Oxford-Cambridge-London triangle is a brutal scientific hub, comparable in quality, though not in size. And then there are smaller, but also very powerful hubs, like the one we have in Barcelona, ​​which has been growing a lot in recent years. So if the weight shifts a bit from the US to Europe, we could see a strengthening of places like the United Kingdom, Spain, France, or Germany.

Let's get into a movie mood... Will we ever be eternal?

Achieving immortality is very complicated. Theoretically, it could be possible because there are animals in nature that don't age like we do, whose tissues regenerate continuously and show no deterioration. But I see it as difficult to apply that to humans. Even so, I'm convinced that we will succeed in slowing down, at least in part, the biological processes of aging. It's not so much about living forever, but about living better. In the end, the important thing is not just extending life, but improving the quality of those years. Living longer, yes, but above all, living well.

Salvador, what are your plans for today?

Work, work, work, and then hop on a plane to go somewhere. In the end, that's my life.

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Salvador Macip is a clear reminder that science and life are intertwined, not only in laboratories, but also in the world around us. The scientist's ability to connect his work with his personal experiences and travels reflects a holistic view of human health, longevity, and the fight against cancer. As his studies of life at extremes progress, it seems that his own journeys, both physical and intellectual, enrich not only his research but also his understanding of the complex processes that define our existence. In the end, each trip seems to be a new opportunity to reflect on life, death, and everything that happens in between.