The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition, now in its thirteenth year, which encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. The 2025-26 Challenge theme, Prevention by Design: Creating Healthy Lifestyles for Long Lives, emphasizes the role of lifestyle factors such as sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management and social relationships in improving long-term well-being. The theme also emphasizes preventive health, which is increasingly critical in the face of longer lives and rising chronic disease rates. Evidence shows that up to 80 percent of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes — and 40 percent of cancers — are related to lifestyle. Additionally, mental health conditions and dementia-related cognitive decline are linked to lifestyles, highlighting the potentially profound impact of preventive measures.

Meet this year’s finalists and join us for the Finals Event on April 14, where eight teams will present their cutting-edge designs, vying for the $10,000 first prize.