Dr. Barry Sears Biography

Dr. Barry Sears is the founder of Metabolic Engineering™ which is based on his ground-breaking research on the dietary manipulation of the hormones and metabolic pathways that control the initiation and resolution of inflammation, the repair of damaged tissue, and the removal of senescent cells that accelerate the rate of aging.

Dr. Sears’ early research had little to do with nutrition. He founded one of the first biotechnology companies in Massachusetts in the 1970s, specializing in developing intravenous lipid-based cancer drug delivery systems.  His patents issued in the early 1980s for unique lipids (i.e., PEG-linked phospholipids) led to the first nanotechnology cancer drug still used today.  These lipids are used today in various mRNA vaccines to prevent Covid-19.

His research direction began to change in 1982 when the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for understanding the role of inflammatory hormones known as eicosanoids. He reasoned that he could use a defined diet to reduce the levels of these inflammatory hormones that are strongly associated with a significant number of chronic diseases ranging from diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune disorders, and neurological conditions. If so, it might change the course of medicine.

His initial human studies were conducted with elite athletes since they live in a world of constant inflammation due to the intensity of their training and competition.  One of these early studies was undertaken with the Stanford University swimming teams.  The Stanford swimmers who followed his dietary program won seven gold medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Not bad for one country, but remarkable for one university.

His initial work with elite athletes was the basis for developing the concept of Metabolic Engineering™ for the general population with his 1995 #1 New York Times bestseller, The Zone, which has sold more than two million hardcover copies.

He has continued publishing ground-breaking books through the succeeding years.  The Anti-Aging Zone, published in 1999, discussed the synergy of the Zone diet with omega-3 fatty acids to slow aging.  The OmegaRx Zone, published in 2002, started the omega-3 fatty acid revolution in the U.S.  The Anti-Inflammation Zone, published in 2005, further explored the role of diet-induced chronic low-level inflammation in driving various chronic disease conditions.  Toxic Fat, published in 2008, described the role of insulin resistance in the spread of chronic disease.   The Mediterranean Zone, published in 2014, explained the role of polyphenols in activating AMPK, the master regulation of cellular metabolism.   His most recent book, The Resolution Zone, published in 2019, described the molecular biology of the body’s ability to heal from inflammatory damage. 

His upcoming book, The Wellness Zone, is a deeper investigation of the ability of Metabolic Engineering™ to reprogram the metabolism in each of the 30 trillion cells in the body to not only slow the rate of aging but also to change gene expression to enhance the treatment of various chronic disease conditions associated with insulin resistance and cellular senescence.

More than six million of his Zone books have been sold in the U.S and his books have been translated into more than 20 foreign languages.  He continues his clinical research on Metabolic Engineering™ at the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation.  Dr. Sears also holds academic appointments at the University of Miami Medical School, Arizona State University, and the University of Cartagena in Columbia.