Ideas, Speakers & Lectures

The story of the Aspen Institute began in 1945, when Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke and his wife, Elizabeth, visited Aspen, Colorado, and were inspired by its natural beauty and potential as a gathering place for artists, academics, leaders, and musicians to explore the deeper values of society and culture. Their vision sparked what became known as the Aspen Idea: the belief that nurturing mind, body, and spirit leads to human flourishing. More than 75 years later, that vision continues through Aspen Community Programs, which offer locals and visitors year-round opportunities for civil dialogue, intellectual exploration, and meaningful connection. Designed for both adults and teens, the programs foster curiosity and conversation around the ideas shaping today’s world. Committed to accessibility and inclusion, Aspen Community Programs provide scholarships and affordable ticketing to ensure broad participation. Whether attending in person, tuning in online, or supporting the scholarship fund, audiences are invited to take part in this ongoing exchange of ideas.

Community Series at Aspen Ideas: Health – Longevity at Altitude

Aspen Public Radio

Published June 26, 2026 at 9:28 AM MDT

This event was recorded on June 23, 2026 at the Wheeler Opera House as part of the Aspen Institute Community Series in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.

Featuring Megan Hiles, Primary Care Physician; Director, Longevity and Wellness Center at Aspen Valley Health and Jamie Justice, Executive Vice President of the Health Domain, XPRIZE Foundation in conversation with Allison Aubrey, Health and Science Correspondent at NPR.

Living at high elevations seems to pay off. The communities surrounding Aspen have the highest life expectancies in the nation, averaging about 86 years. And recent research has found an association between life at high altitudes and lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. But that advantage isn’t a guarantee, and there are plenty of things we can do to improve the odds of maintaining lifelong wellness at any altitude. Here is a look at the lifestyle and healthcare tools that can help keep us in peak form.

Megan Hiles is a Primary Care Internal Medicine Physician at Aspen Valley Health. Prior to Aspen Valley Health, she was Director of the Wellness and Prevention Clinics at National Jewish Health in Denver. She previously taught and practiced medicine as an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas and was Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine. Hiles is currently Chair-Elect of the American College of Physicians’ Council of Early Career Physicians. As a Primary Care Physician, Hiles focuses on preventative medicine and encourages her patients to make lifestyle choices that optimize wellness and longevity. She is a Co-Author of multiple peer-reviewed publications. Dr.

Jamie Justice, Ph.D. is a globally recognized translational scientist and pioneer in the field of geroscience—the medical field focused on targeting the basic biological mechanisms of aging to delay or prevent age-related chronic diseases and functional decline. She serves as the Executive Vice President of the Health Domain at the XPRIZE Foundation and the Executive Director of XPRIZE Healthspan, leading a historic $101 million, 7-year global competition to revolutionize human longevity. Concurrently, she maintains an academic appointment as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Allison Aubrey is a Health and Science Correspondent at NPR. An award-winning journalist, she is the creator of the “How to Thrive as You Age” project at NPR and covers the science of longevity, with a focus on lifestyle, including nutrition. Aubrey is a contributor to “CBS Sunday Morning” and the author of the book “Your Turn: How to Create a Midlife You Love.”

The three-part, Community Series at Aspen Ideas: Health was held at the Wheeler Opera House as part of the Aspen Institute Community Series in partnership with Aspen Public Radio on June 23rd and 24th. The series brought national health conversations to the Roaring Fork Valley with public-facing, local sessions held in downtown Aspen. Tailored specifically to local issues, the programming explored longevity, rural healthcare, and wearable health technology.