Skip to content
Huberman LabHuberman Lab

Curing All Human Diseases & the Future of Health & Technology | Mark Zuckerberg & Dr. Priscilla Chan

In this episode my guests are Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan, M.D., co-founder and co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). We discuss how CZI plans to cure all human diseases by the end of this century by funding transformative projects and technologies at the intersection of biology, engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). They describe their funding and development of Biohubs and the progress already underway to accelerate the understanding of cell function, pathways and disease. Then Mark discusses social media, its impact on mental health and new tools for online experiences. We also discuss Meta’s virtual reality (VR), augmented and mixed reality tech and how AI will soon completely transform our online and physical life experiences. This episode will interest anyone curious about biology, medicine, mental health, AI and the future of technology and humanity. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman The Brain Body Contract Tickets: https://www.hubermanlab.com/events Pre-sale password: HUBERMAN Huberman Lab Social & Website Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab Twitter: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Mark Zuckerberg Meta Website: https://about.meta.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zuck Threads: https://www.threads.net/@zuck Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zuck Meta profile: https://about.meta.com/media-gallery/executives/mark-zuckerberg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-zuckerberg-618bba58 Dr. Priscilla Chan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/priscilla LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-chan-907181a3 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) CZI website: https://chanzuckerberg.com CZI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanzuckerberginitiative CZI Threads: https://www.threads.net/@chanzuckerberginitiative CZI X: https://twitter.com/ChanZuckerberg Other Resources CELLxGENE: https://cellxgene.cziscience.com Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network: https://www.czbiohub.org CZI Biohub San Francisco: https://www.czbiohub.org/sf CZI Biohub Chicago: https://www.czbiohub.org/chi CZI Biohub New York: https://www.czbiohub.org/ny Adam Mosseri: https://www.instagram.com/mosseri Dr. Jeremy Bailenson: https://profiles.stanford.edu/jeremy-bailenson Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses Timestamps 00:00:00 Mark Zuckerberg & Dr. Priscilla Chan 00:02:15 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & LMNT; The Brain Body Contract 00:05:35 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) & Human Disease Research 00:08:51 Innovation & Discovery, Science & Engineering 00:12:53 Funding, Building Tools & Imaging 00:17:57 Healthy vs. Diseased Cells, Human Cell Atlas & AI, Virtual Cells 00:21:59 Single Cell Methods & Disease; CELLxGENE Tool 00:28:22 Sponsor: AG1 00:29:53 AI & Hypothesis Generation; Long-term Projects & Collaboration 00:35:14 Large Language Models (LLMs), In Silico Experiments 00:42:11 CZI Biohubs, Chicago, New York 00:50:52 Universities & Biohubs; Therapeutics & Rare Diseases 00:57:23 Optimism; Children & Families 01:06:21 Sponsor: InsideTracker 01:07:25 Technology & Health, Positive & Negative Interactions 01:13:17 Algorithms, Clickbait News, Individual Experience 01:19:17 Parental Controls, Meta Social Media Tools & Tailoring Experience 01:24:51 Time, Usage & Technology, Parental Tools 01:28:55 Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality Experiences & Smart Glasses 01:36:09 Physical Exercise & Virtual Product Development 01:44:19 Virtual Futures for Creativity & Social Interactions 01:49:31 Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: Potential, Privacy & Risks 02:00:20 Visual System & Smart Glasses, Augmented Reality 02:06:42 AI Assistants & Creators, Identity Protection 02:13:26 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Science #Technology Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Andrew HubermanhostMark ZuckerbergguestDr. Priscilla Changuest
Oct 23, 20232h 15mWatch on YouTube ↗

CHAPTERS

  1. 0:00 – 10:40

    Intro, CZI Origin, And Audacious Mission

    Andrew Huberman introduces Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan, outlining their backgrounds and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s mission to cure, prevent, or manage all human diseases by the end of the century. They discuss why CZI was founded in 2015 and how their complementary experiences in medicine, education, and engineering shaped the initiative.

  2. 10:40 – 22:50

    Why Tools Precede Breakthroughs: Engineering The Future Of Biology

    Zuckerberg frames scientific progress as historically driven by new tools (e.g., telescopes, microscopes, vaccines). CZI aspires to be that tooling layer for biology—especially for measurement, observation, and data handling—over the next decade.

  3. 22:50 – 40:00

    Cells, Single-Cell Atlases, And The Road To A Virtual Cell

    Chan explains why cells are the fundamental unit for understanding disease and how single-cell RNA sequencing reveals how different cells interpret the same DNA. They describe CZI’s work on the Human Cell Atlas, tools like CellxGene, and the vision of building AI-powered virtual cells for in silico experimentation.

  4. 40:00 – 57:00

    LLMs, AI Clusters, And Hypothesis Generation In Biology

    Zuckerberg details how transformer-based LLMs can be trained not just on language but on biological datasets (e.g., Human Cell Atlas) to imagine possible cell states and interactions. He stresses that current AI is best used to propose hypotheses, which scientists then validate experimentally.

  5. 57:00 – 1:11:40

    Biohubs: Chicago’s Sensor Tissues And New York’s Cellular Endoscopes

    Chan and Zuckerberg describe how Biohubs extend beyond the original SF hub to Chicago and New York, forcing multi-institutional, interdisciplinary teams to tackle grand challenges. Chicago focuses on embedded sensors in engineered tissues; New York aims to engineer immune cells as diagnostic and therapeutic agents inside the body.

  6. 1:11:40 – 1:28:20

    Philanthropy, Collaboration, And Rethinking How Science Gets Done

    They contrast CZI’s model with the traditional independent-investigator grant system, arguing that big questions now require durable tools and deep collaboration. CZI runs independent institutes but tightly partners with universities and patient groups, especially in rare diseases, to both drive basic science and prime the translational pipeline.

  7. 1:28:20 – 1:47:00

    Optimism, Family History, And The Moral Backbone Of CZI

    Huberman asks how personal optimism and having children influenced CZI. Chan shares her family’s refugee story—parents and relatives sent out on small boats from Vietnam as teens, guided only by faith in a better future—while Zuckerberg reflects on long time horizons and the urgency children created to ‘get on’ building CZI.

  8. 1:47:00 – 2:06:00

    Social Media, Mental Health, And Safety For Teens

    Transitioning to Meta’s consumer platforms, Zuckerberg outlines when social media can be beneficial (connection, community) versus harmful (passive consumption, negative news, bullying). They discuss tools for safety and self-regulation, especially for teens, and the balance between empowerment and paternalism.

  9. 2:06:00 – 2:29:00

    VR, Mixed Reality, And Embodied Computing

    Huberman tries the latest Quest mixed-reality demo and they unpack why embedding VR into the physical environment—rather than replacing it entirely—changes the experience. Zuckerberg frames VR/AR as ‘computers for your whole body’ that can transform exercise, training, work, and education.

  10. 2:29:00 – 2:54:00

    Ray-Ban Meta Glasses And Ambient AI Assistance

    They explore Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which look like normal eyewear but include camera, audio, and an AI assistant. Huberman is struck by being able to control music and get responses without leaving a conversation, and Zuckerberg explains how this foreshadows full AR glasses with holographic displays.

  11. 2:54:00 – 3:14:00

    AI Personas, Creators, And The Future Of Digital Identity

    Zuckerberg discusses AI personas in social apps—both fictional characters (like a Snoop Dogg ‘dungeon master’) and future creator-linked assistants. He emphasizes that AI versions of real people must be controlled by those people and reliable enough in how they represent them.

  12. 3:14:00

    Closing Thoughts: AI, Health, And An Optimistic Future

    The conversation ends with reflections on AI as a neutral force whose impact depends on use and guardrails. Huberman underscores how Meta’s tools and CZI’s infrastructure can substantially improve health and scientific progress; Zuckerberg reiterates a commitment to broad accessibility rather than premium-only tech.

Get more out of YouTube videos.

High quality summaries for YouTube videos. Accurate transcripts to search & find moments. Powered by ChatGPT & Claude AI.

Add to Chrome