Olga Donica is the Longevity Innovation Director at Clinique La Prairie, a role in which she bridges cutting-edge scientific research with holistic wellness to design some of the clinic’s most advanced health and longevity programmes.
Since joining in 2018, she has been at the forefront of developing personalised approaches to ageing, leveraging fields such as precision medicine, nutrigenomics, epigenetics, and metabolomics. We recently spoke to her to learn more about the longevity movement and what is next for the future of ageing.
You joined Clinique La Prairie in 2018. How has your role evolved since then, and what milestones are you most proud of?
My journey at Clinique La Prairie began in 2018, with an initial focus on developing individual innovations, including introducing new assessments, designing protocols, and building strategic collaborations. Over the years, this role has evolved into shaping an integrated Longevity Innovation Strategy that not only enhances every guest’s journey but also defines Clinique La Prairie’s position as a global reference in the field of longevity. The Clinique La Prairie ecosystem is uniquely dynamic, enabling the integration of the most sophisticated solutions and technologies, many of which are available exclusively within our walls. To access these groundbreaking tools, you must come to Clinique La Prairie. Along the way, we’ve achieved milestones that illuminate our path toward even broader and more ambitious goals. Among the most recent: the launch of the Brain Potential Program, the most advanced brain health program in the world; the Longevity Master Assessment, our signature, science-based screening now embedded into all programs; and Epinome, a pioneering epigenetic supplement designed to influence health and slow the ageing process. These are not isolated achievements; they are foundational pillars that reinforce CLP’s leadership in longevity and our mission to continually set new benchmarks in Longevity science.
As longevity innovation director, you sit at the crossroads of science and wellness. What does a typical day in your role look like?
Every day is anchored by the same goal: transforming complex science into seamless, life-changing guest experiences. To enable that, an important part of my time is travelling, supporting our international locations, meeting international institutions, top leading experts and renowned scientists with whom we would explore potential synergies and many times incredible projects. As an international Longevity company which builds its foundation on science, I also participate as a speaker and panellist in conferences and longevity events, expanding our visibility, credibility and trust. Despite the inspiring sound of this, back in Montreux, the daily challenge is quite important. But I always say, I’m the most fortunate one because of the nature of my work. Despite my still small team, our days are spent in working sessions, testing, and meetings with our cross-disciplinary teams to translate science into effective solutions.
Clinique La Prairie’s new signature is “at the heart of the secret of life.” What does that mean to you personally?
The secret of life may sound poetic, but it is deeply rooted in science. And like any true secret, I can only share with you this: every person holds the power to shape their own future, from very early in life, I insist, with remarkable precision. Today’s technology allows us to read the trajectory of our health through advanced predictive models and systems, giving us the ability to significantly influence the fate of our bodies and rewrite our personal story. Clinique La Prairie brings a unique strength to this mission. With 93 years of experience, thousands of guests and patients have been at our clinic, and decades of accumulated knowledge, we have built an unparalleled expertise in longevity. There is no other place on earth with such a consistent, rich, and successful scientific and clinical legacy. I believe, despite all we have seen and learned, we are only at the beginning of understanding the full potential of human biology and the complexity of ageing. At CLP, we give our guests not just insight, but the tools to transform that insight into action, unlocking a version of themselves they may never have imagined possible.
What is the most common misconception people have about ageing and longevity?
One of the most persistent is the anti-ageing myth, the idea that we can stop ageing altogether. We cannot. Ageing is the natural biological destiny of our bodies, and, in many ways, it is more of a gift than a disease. Each stage of life carries its own beauty and potential. Longevity should be seen as an expansion of human possibilities, not an attempt to freeze time.
Another misconception is that ageing is entirely written in your genes, leaving nothing you can do to influence the process. Genetics do matter, they set the stage and give you your starting point in facing life’s challenges. At Clinique La Prairie, we’ve been working in preventive genetics for over 12 years, and there are powerful insights you can discover about yourself. But science also shows that up to 80% of how we age is shaped by our exposome, in other words, our lifestyle and environment. This means the choices we make every day are powerful tools for changing our trajectory. Finally, there’s the belief that longevity is only about adding years to life. In reality, true longevity is about healthspan – living with vitality, purpose, and independence for as long as possible. Longevity without vitality is merely survival; our mission is to help people not just live longer, but to truly live.
Do you believe the quest for a longer life should be about time or about quality?
Without question, quality. Adding years to life without preserving cognitive sharpness, physical performance, emotional balance, and joy is not the goal. Longevity must be about fulfilled life, years where you feel present, resilient, and deeply connected to your purpose. At Clinique La Prairie, it’s not simply about “slowing the clock,” but about optimising the time you have so that every stage of life is rich in vitality. That’s why our Longevity Method integrates medical expertise, cutting-edge science, nutrition, movement, and well-being practices into a single, personalised journey. We focus on the healthspan, the period of life lived in optimal health, because what truly matters is not how long you live, but how well you live those years.
The longevity master assessment has been described as revolutionary. What sets it apart from other health diagnostics globally?
The Longevity Master Assessment is unlike any other health diagnostic available today because it delivers a state-of-the-art, precision-based view of the individual’s ageing and health status in a truly holistic way. It took 2 years to develop, test and integrate the LMA into CLP programs. Each CLP journey begins with this high-precision assessment, integrating both standard and complex screenings that provide a 360° view of the client’s biology, far beyond conventional check-ups. What sets it apart is the combination of depth, scope, and actionable insight. We measure highly dynamic biomarkers, which we call fast-evolving patterns, that can change rapidly in response to interventions. This allows us not just to detect current health disruptions, but to monitor how effectively therapies are working in real time.The Longevity Master Assessment also includes high health predictability tests, capable of forecasting disease susceptibility, biological ageing, and other future risks with remarkable accuracy. By repeating these assessments over time, we can track the patient’s longevity trajectory, enabling doctors to apply high-precision care that is hyper-personalised, preventative, and adaptive. Ultimately, this is not a one-off evaluation; it’s the foundation of a lifelong, proactive health strategy. It transforms the way we understand ageing by merging cutting-edge science with the CLP philosophy of longevity, ensuring every intervention is measured, meaningful, and targeted to extend both lifespan and healthspan.
You work at the intersection of genetics, epigenetics, and personalised health. How do these fields come together in your approach to preventive health?
First, if longevity isn’t personalised, it simply doesn’t work. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to extending life and health; ageing is far too complex for that. And yet, in the last decades, we’ve learned a lot about its mechanisms through Genetic and Epigenetic science to make precision medicine possible. I’m deeply passionate about these sciences. At CLP, we’ve spent years exploring molecular technologies, understanding the pathways that drive ageing, and discovering how we can use them not just to treat decline, but to shift health, performance, and resilience to entirely new levels. We’ve reached a stage where science doesn’t just observe, it enables. And when science enables, we have a responsibility to make the most of it. Genetics shows us the blueprint you were born with, your starting point. Epigenetics reveals how your lifestyle and environment are influencing that blueprint in real time, whether you are accelerating wear or nurturing repair. Precision medicine then translates these insights into precise, targeted actions that address your unique biology. True longevity is about creating a synergy between cutting-edge science and daily living, so that every habit, every choice, and every protocol works with your biology, not against it.
Can you walk us through the 5-phase clp longevity method and what makes it a game-changer for personalised medicine?
The CLP Longevity Method is the backbone of every program we deliver, a continuous, personalised 5-step cycle that transforms how we approach preventive medicine and healthy ageing: we Assess, Predict, Personalise, Act and Track/monitor the guest’s health transformation. What makes it a true game-changer is its precision, depth, and ability to adapt over time, ensuring every intervention is as unique as our guests. The journey of every guest starts with an in-depth assessment to decode each guest’s uniqueness, then apply a predictive approach to anticipate future risks. From there, we design an ultra-customised plan, delivered through targeted interventions across our four pillars: medical, nutrition, movement, and wellbeing. Finally, we ensure long-term results with a continuous measuring approach to track the changes and guest health evolution, adapting strategies as the guest evolves. It’s a dynamic, science-driven framework that turns precision insights into lasting transformation.
What are some of the most powerful biomarkers that tell the story of how we are ageing?
The process of how we age can be read through a select group of powerful biomarkers. Mentioning just a few you would love to discover in your next longevity screening. DNA methylation maps your biological age by showing how lifestyle is influencing your genes in real time, information that is both predictive and modifiable. Metabolomics, especially ceramide profiling, reveals early metabolic imbalance linked to cardiovascular and metabolic risk with impressive predictive ability. Glycans track the ageing of your immune system, signalling systemic chronic inflammation with a rapid response to intervention. VO₂max reflects your overall vitality and longevity potential by measuring your body’s oxygen efficiency or in other words, your cardiorespiratory fitness. And retinal microvessel imaging, the newest project at CLP, provides a unique, non-invasive view of vascular and cardiometabolic health, with insights that also link to brain function. At Clinique La Prairie, these markers enable mapping each guest’s health and ageing trajectory, enabling truly personalised interventions that are both scientifically rigorous and visibly transformative.
Epinome is being positioned as the first longevity supplement targeting epigenetics. What’s the science behind it?
EPINOME is the newest addition to Clinique La Prairie Holistic Health’s supplement line, a groundbreaking product designed to harness the power of Nutrient-Driven Epigenetic Regulation, the mechanisms underlying gene-nutrient interactions. Created to support cellular health, gene expression and longevity, EPINOME represents Clinique La Prairie’s latest, impactful advancement into nutraceutical science, with an ultra-targeted approach. Epinome works at the molecular level, leveraging advanced plant-based compounds and targeted nutrients to support the restoration of healthy methylation patterns – a critical process that regulates gene expression patterns.
How can lifestyle truly alter gene expression and how long does it take to see a measurable epigenetic shift?
Lifestyle and environment have a profound ability to influence gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, the biological switches that turn genes “on” or “off” without altering the DNA code itself. Epigenetic mechanisms are enabled by a set of processes, with methylation being the most predominant one when it comes to lifestyle. Interestingly, choices in healthy nutrition, exercise, stress regulation, and sleep quality can activate protective genes linked to longevity and suppress those associated with inflammation, disease, and accelerated ageing.
What’s remarkable is the speed at which these changes can occur. With consistent, targeted interventions, measurable shifts in methylation patterns can be observed in as little as 6 months’ time. Over time, these cumulative modifications can reshape your health trajectory to a positive trend, having a direct impact on the ageing process.
What does a typical first-time guest experience during their stay at Clinique La Prairie?
For a first-time guest, we unite three important elements that define guest experience: ageing science, Longevity medicine, and luxury hospitality. This unique fusion creates transformative journeys that address the whole person, body, mind, and emotions, driving meaningful change from human to human.
Throughout their stay, each guest is supported by a dedicated team of five healthcare experts, guiding them through every step with intimacy, professionalism, and uncompromising rigour, across our four longevity pillars assessment: medical, nutrition, movement, and wellbeing. These insights shape a curated one-week program ensuring every guest leaves with a precise, actionable plan and a renewed sense of vitality and balance.
For those who live fast-paced lives, what is one immediate intervention they can apply to support healthy ageing?
For those living at full speed, the most transformative immediate intervention is to master the rhythm and the style of your nutrition. Timing and quality matter as much as quantity: align meals within your active window (chrono nutrition), prioritise anti-inflammatory foods, liver-empowering nutrients (found in detox vegetables) and plant-based proteins. This approach quickly optimises metabolic health, stabilises energy, supports hormonal balance, and reduces inflammation, the foundations of both vitality today and resilience for the decades ahead. The more you practice these, the higher your sense of wellbeing, I promise! And while nutrition science can be complex, most of us already know where to start: eliminate low-quality, unhealthy foods and excessive habits, and gradually shift, at your own pace, towards a balanced way of eating.
Where do you see longevity science in the next 10 years, and what role will clp play in leading that future?
Longevity science over the next decade will evolve to fully predictive, precision health ecosystems. We are moving toward a future where non-invasive technologies for both diagnostics and interventions will be the gold standard. These tools will allow us to assess, treat, and monitor without disrupting the guest experience, while providing a depth of data once only possible through invasive procedures. AI and machine learning will empower doctors with ultra-precise, real-time decision-making, offering both a macro view of long-term health trajectories and a micro view at the cellular level. Real-time monitoring with medical-grade devices will allow health plans to evolve continuously alongside each individual’s biology and lifestyle, enabling proactive, ultra-personalised interventions.
Clinique La Prairie is already at the forefront of these advances, serving as a stage for the early adoption of some of the most innovative, and at times boldly pioneering, solutions in the field. By integrating them seamlessly into our unmatched human-centred approach, we continue to redefine what it means to live well, setting new standards for longevity and excellence.
How do you personally integrate longevity science into your own daily rituals?
Despite being very loyal to science, I’m still human, I make mistakes, I have my challenges, and I’m regularly striving for the best version of myself. In the reality of an ultra-busy life, I live by the 80/20 philosophy: 80% of the time, I make conscious, healthy choices, and 20% I leave for life’s guilty pleasures. What matters most are the predominant habits that shape our health over time.
There are certain routines I never compromise on, and nutrition is my power. Evenings are always for home-cooked (plant-based most of the time) meals to support recovery, sleep and circadian rhythm. I empower my nutrition with targeted supplements for longevity, where Coenzyme Q10, magnesium, Vitamin D, glucosinolates and citicoline are an integral part of them (that said, I pause them at weekends). And sleep, the non-negotiable routine, because without restorative rest, none of the other pillars can truly flourish.
If you could offer one sentence of timeless wisdom on longevity, what would it be?
“Longevity is not about resisting age, but about mastering it, so the future of your health is written in the choices you make today: start early with what works for you and let consistency shape the best version of yourself.”
