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Meet the World’s Most Bio-Tracked Man
Scientist Michael Snyder tracked his own basic measurements for years. Now he’s released a study of over 100 people using similar data to make lifesaving discoveries about heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Michael Snyder might be the most bio-tracked man in the world. He’s tested 14 of his “-omes,” such as the standard genome and microbiome as well as the less-well-known metabolome, transcriptome, proteome, immunome, and exposome. At any given time, he has eight devices on or around his body tracking his heart rate, blood oxygen, step count, blood glucose, radiation exposure, and even the surrounding air quality.
“It’s data galore,” says the Stanford University genetics professor on a recent Saturday afternoon at his office. Snyder is an animated talker and quick to laugh, with deep smile lines around his eyes. He is a man who loves what he does, and it shows. “I’m a pretty big nerd,” he says. “Here I am on a Saturday. That probably tells you all you need to know.”
Snyder thinks the way we approach medicine is entirely wrong and that mining our personal health data could be the key to fixing it. His ambitions are two-fold: Instead of focusing on treating people when they’re sick, he wants…
