Teen prodigy Laurent Simons earns second doctorate, now tackling ageing and AI

Laurent Simons, born in Belgium, became internationally known for entering university at an exceptionally young age, starting primary school at two and beginning university-level coursework by nine. He earned a physics bachelor’s degree at 11, a master’s in quantum physics at 12, and defended a PhD on ultracold gases at the University of Antwerp at 15. After leaving an engineering program at Eindhoven University of Technology due to scheduling disputes, he redirected his focus to physics and later to biomedical research, including a brain-on-a-chip project at age nine.

Now 16, Simons is undertaking a medical doctorate at the Helmholtz Centre in Munich, where he is applying artificial intelligence to study ageing and potential lifespan extension. He describes death as a complex puzzle that requires insights from biology, medicine, engineering, and physics. Outside the lab, he enjoys video games, go-karting, and family outings.