creative research jobs london

Opportunities in London

Explore opportunities across London and the home counties

65 Opportunities in London, UK

Unlock your creative career in London  

Why work in London?

London is the epicentre of UK arts and home to some of the most iconic hubs for creativity, and this means London is also home to many creative jobs. From the Southbank Centre and the National Gallery to the BBC ’s Broadcasting House and the National Theatre – every street corner tells a story and there are hundreds of creative organisations where you could make your mark.  

What kind of roles are based in London?

The diverse range of roles we share on this page reflect the varied creative industries that are based in London, including internships and jobs with book publishers , theatre companies , talent agencies , TV and film production studios , creative agencies , art centres , galleries , museums & so much more. 

You’ve come to the right place if you can imagine yourself being an editorial assistant with a leading publishing house or contributing to the magic of television as a runner on set! Performing arts venues like Sadler's Wells , Almeida Theatre or Donmar Warehouse provide a stage for your talents to shine. Explore all upcoming arts jobs in London on this page and make sure you follow our steps to securing that next role...

How to land a dream job in London’s creative sector  

• Develop and highlight transferable skills – Don't underestimate the power of transferable skills gained through a broad spectrum of experiences; your unique background and perspective could be the key to unlocking doors in the creative realm.  
• Educational background – While a degree can be beneficial, it's not always a prerequisite for breaking into the creative industries in London. Many successful professionals have forged their paths through alternative routes. 
• Creative projects  – Use your passion for creativity to your advantage with 'side hustles' and creative output. Engage in side hustles and personal projects to showcase your skills and build a compelling portfolio that sets you apart from the competition. 
• Networking magic – London's creative industries thrive on connections. Attend industry events, join online forums, and network with professionals who share your passion. Building relationships opens doors to opportunities you might not discover otherwise. 
• Write an application that stands out from the crowd – Explore our top tips for writing applications at this link , or click here to check if we are currently taking sign-ups for an upcoming group CV consultation led by our experienced recruitment team. 

Skip to job results

Skip to refine results

• Skip to user menu

Creative jobs in London (Greater)

• Refine results

Broaden your search

• Creative 35
• Media, London (Greater) 192

Refine your search

• Media, Creative Remove selection
• Administration   5
• Finance   1
• Marketing & PR   12
• Operations   1
• Project management   1
• Entry level   1
• Graduate   3
• Junior   4
• Experienced (non manager)   10
• Management   2
• Senior management   1
• London (Central)   23
• London (East)   3
• London (South)   8
• London (West)   2
• £10,000 - £15,000   1
• £15,000 - £20,000   1
• £20,000 - £25,000   11
• £25,000 - £30,000   14
• £30,000 - £35,000   11
• £35,000 - £40,000   10
• £40,000 - £45,000   9
• £45,000 - £50,000   9
• £50,000 - £55,000   2
• £55,000 - £60,000   3
• £60,000 - £65,000   1
• £65,000 - £70,000   1
• £70,000 - £80,000   1
• £80,000 - £90,000   1
• £90,000 - £100,000   2
• Over £100,000   2
• Up to £10,000   1
• Flexible   1
• Full time   23
• Part time   2
• Permanent   17
• Contract   7
• Temp   2
• Job vacancy   25
• Course   1
• A levels/Advanced GNVQ   4
• Undergraduate degree (or equivalent)   8
• Postgraduate degree (Masters or higher)   1
• Direct employer   13
• Recruitment consultant   13
• No remote option   3
• Part-remote option   9
• Fully remote option   2

Found 26 jobs

Salesperson - media.

• Epsom, Surrey
• At least £30k, rising with experience (well-paid long-term role for the right candidate)
• PRO GLOBAL MEDIA LTD

A media sales role, including substantial worldwide travel.

View details Salesperson - Media

• Save Salesperson - Media You need to sign in or create an account to save

Freelance Book Editor

• $35,000 - $50,000

As a Reedsy editor, you'll work with talented first-time and experienced authors on award-winning books.

View details Freelance Book Editor

• Save Freelance Book Editor You need to sign in or create an account to save

Specialist Technician (L&T) 3D Animation and Visualisation

• Merton Hall Road, London UK
• £38,359 to £47,109 per annum pro rata
• UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON

Wimbledon College of Arts is looking for a Specialist Technician (Learning & Teaching) 3D Animation and Visualisation

View details Specialist Technician (L&T) 3D Animation and Visualisation

• 5 days left
• Save Specialist Technician (L&T) 3D Animation and Visualisation You need to sign in or create an account to save

Editorial Manager - Ada Lovelace Institute

• London (Central), London (Greater)
• Starting salary equivalent to £40,452 FTE per annum.
• NUFFIELD FOUNDATION

We are looking for an Editorial Manager to oversee editorial standards and practice at the Ada Lovelace Institute.

View details Editorial Manager - Ada Lovelace Institute

• Save Editorial Manager - Ada Lovelace Institute You need to sign in or create an account to save

Travel Writer

• PETER CARTY

Do You Want To Be A Travel Writer? Choose a short online course led by Guardian, Telegraph and BBC travel writer Peter Carty. Sign up now.

View details Travel Writer

• Save Travel Writer You need to sign in or create an account to save

Commissioning Editor

• London, GB-LND
• Competitive Salary
• GUARDIAN NEWS AND MEDIA

We are now looking for a commissioning editor to fix, research, commission and edit content for Saturday magazine.

View details Commissioning Editor

• 3 days left
• Save Commissioning Editor You need to sign in or create an account to save

Film Archivist- Media/ Entertainment

• Great West End Location (London)
• £30,000 plus benefits
• FOURTEEN PEOPLE

Really interesting opportunity for a Film/ Digital Archivist with Adobe Media Encode and Premiere Pro skills to join this high-profile media company.

View details Film Archivist- Media/ Entertainment

• Save Film Archivist- Media/ Entertainment You need to sign in or create an account to save

Graphic Design Assistant

• £24,617 - £33,616 per annum + pro rata plus excellent benefits
• CLARION HOUSING GROUP LIMITED

We're looking for a Graphic Design Assistant to join our team on a 6 month fixed term contract.

View details Graphic Design Assistant

• 6 days left
• Save Graphic Design Assistant You need to sign in or create an account to save

Senior Creative Manager

• Hybrid working – between office location and home. At least one day per week in our Aldgate, London
• £43,000 – £46,000 per annum
• DEMENTIA UK

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Brand and Marketing Team playing a key role in the development, delivery & activation of our new brand.

View details Senior Creative Manager

• Save Senior Creative Manager You need to sign in or create an account to save

Create a job alert and receive personalised job recommendations straight to your inbox:

Senior Highways and Transport Urban Designer

• London, GB-LBH
• LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

Lead the charge in creating innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable designs that elevate user experiences.

View details Senior Highways and Transport Urban Designer

• 10 days ago
• Save Senior Highways and Transport Urban Designer You need to sign in or create an account to save

AR Finance Assistant

• Shoreditch, London (Greater)
• £28 - £32,000

C21Media is looking for an experienced accounts receivable finance assistant to join our busy finance team.

View details AR Finance Assistant

• 17 days ago
• Save AR Finance Assistant You need to sign in or create an account to save

Social Media Executive

• £30,000 – £35,000
• REVIVA SOFTWORKS

We have an exciting opportunity for a Social Media Executive to join our team & play a key role in developing our social media channels.

View details Social Media Executive

• 18 days ago
• Save Social Media Executive You need to sign in or create an account to save

Editorial Assistant

• £24,000 - £26,000 per annum (DOE)
• CASTLE MEDIA

Build It magazine is looking for an editorial assistant with strong writing skills, an eye for design and enthusiasm for the homes market.

View details Editorial Assistant

• Save Editorial Assistant You need to sign in or create an account to save

Social Media and Audience Development Manager, Hyphen

• Hybrid working; split between home and London office
• Competitive/DoE

Hyphen, a journalism start-up focused on issues relevant to Muslim communities in the UK & Europe,seeks a Social Media & Audience Development Manager.

View details Social Media and Audience Development Manager, Hyphen

• Save Social Media and Audience Development Manager, Hyphen You need to sign in or create an account to save

Secret Cinema Theatre Director / Creative Director (Fixed Term Contract)

• London (Greater)
• TODAYTIX GROUP

We are seeking outstanding applicants of all backgrounds to join our team to bring new voices, talent, and perspectives to the table.

View details Secret Cinema Theatre Director / Creative Director (Fixed Term Contract)

• Save Secret Cinema Theatre Director / Creative Director (Fixed Term Contract) You need to sign in or create an account to save

Senior Events Producer – Luxury Brands – Mat Cover [G5130]

• SEARCHLIGHT

Work for a leading creative events agency specialising in global luxury projects. This role is offered as a Mat Cover, across 12-14 months.

View details Senior Events Producer – Luxury Brands – Mat Cover [G5130]

• Save Senior Events Producer – Luxury Brands – Mat Cover [G5130] You need to sign in or create an account to save

Conference Producer - Public Sector

• £30,000 - £38,000 + Bonus + Excellent Company Benefits
• LIPTON MEDIA

Fantastic opportunity for a conference producer with a year plus experience to work for a leading public sector events business.  

View details Conference Producer - Public Sector

• Save Conference Producer - Public Sector You need to sign in or create an account to save

Conference Producer

Fantastic opportunity for a smart grad with 12 months + commercial experience looking to get their foot in the door within the exciting world of .... 

View details Conference Producer

• Save Conference Producer You need to sign in or create an account to save

Senior Conference Producer - Influencer Marketing

• £38,000 - £45,000 + Bonus + Excellent Company Benefits

Fantastic opportunity for a conference producer with 12 months experience + to join a highly successful, international events business.

View details Senior Conference Producer - Influencer Marketing

• Save Senior Conference Producer - Influencer Marketing You need to sign in or create an account to save

Account Director – Drinks PR

• London, W1R 1FE
• £45,000 - £52,000
• MEDIA CONTACTS

Are you a dynamic PR professional with a passion for both consumer and corporate communications? Do you thrive on building big-brand stories in a c...

View details Account Director – Drinks PR

• Save Account Director – Drinks PR You need to sign in or create an account to save

Senior Conference Producer

• £38,000 - £43,000 + Bonus + Excellent Company Benefits

Fantastic opportunity for a conference producer with 12 months experience + to join a highly successful events business based in Guildford.

View details Senior Conference Producer

• Save Senior Conference Producer You need to sign in or create an account to save

Sorry - something went wrong with our website.

Error Reference: 18.8fc5dd58.1726794544.4cb34ce0

Please try again and, if you are still having problems, contact us for further assistance.

Research Associate (FTC - 3 Years)

University of west london - school of medicine and biosciences.

The University of West London (UWL) is ranked the best modern* university (non-specialist) in London in the Complete University Guide 2023.

*University status awarded in or after 1992

The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory

We are a flagship Institute at the University of West London (UWL), delivering interdisciplinary applied research and education. Our focus is on delivering the evidence to inform high quality, cutting edge, health and social care to benefit people living with dementia, older people, and their care partners and families.

At the heart of our mission is to ensure the most vulnerable populations of people living with dementia and older people have better experiences of health and social care and are supported in living well and living at home for longer. All our research and education programmes are guided by an inclusive approach.

We are an interdisciplinary team, with expertise in sociology, psychology, social policy, epidemiology, nursing, and philosophy, with our research drawing upon a wide range of methodologies.

Our research funding incorporates Department of Health and Social Care contracts (via NIHR), funding from national and international charities, and philanthropic support. We have established a reputation for the rapid translation of our research into impact, which is informing public discourse, shaping the policy agenda, and translated into practice improvements.

Our postgraduate education programmes offer interdisciplinary, research focused, evidence-based teaching and supervision. Our postgraduate courses are designed to cultivate leaders in ageing and dementia care, and improve practice across health and social care settings.

The School of Medicine and Biosciences

The School of Medicine and Biosciences at UWL, is an interdisciplinary research-driven School, embedded within an area of West London with diverse populations and significant pockets of both deprivation and affluence. We work in partnership with policy makers and practitioners to improve the health of our communities and reduce inequalities, developing and delivering hyperlocal health and social care initiatives, which have the potential to scale up locally and nationally. We deliver research-led undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses in Biosciences and Dementia Care. Our research themes: Ageing and dementia; Healthcare inequalities; Public Health; Gene-targeted cancer therapy; and Translational Medicine.

The post will have a key role in the delivery of the NIHR HSDR study “Understanding the support needs of African and African-Caribbean people living with dementia, their care partners and families and the impacts of delayed support: identifying inclusive strategies to facilitate timely and culturally appropriate social care support”. This 36-month mixed methods study uses a flexible exploratory sequential design, integrating evidence synthesis (co-produced meta-aggregation) and qualitative methods: case studies (narrative interviews), ethnography (observations, in-situ interviews, documentary analysis) and co-produced translation. The goal is to improve how services recognise and support African and African Caribbean people living with dementia, alongside their families and care partners.

The post-holder will work closely with the PI on all aspects of the study to deliver the evidence synthesis, qualitative work packages, programme of co-production, publications, and outputs, including the dissemination and the delivery of impact.

Applications for this position are invited from candidates who will ideally have experience of working within mixed-methods research projects in dementia, mental health or with other vulnerable groups, as well as excellent communication and organisational skills. We are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates with experience of ethnographic data collection.

Share on social media

Advert information

Type / Role:

Subject Area(s):

Location(s):

PhD Alert Created

Job alert created.

Your PhD alert has been successfully created for this search.

Your job alert has been successfully created for this search.

Account Verification Missing

In order to create multiple job alerts, you must first verify your email address to complete your account creation

jobs.ac.uk Account Required

In order to create multiple alerts, you must create a jobs.ac.uk jobseeker account

Alert Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your account is currently blocked. Please login to unblock your account.

Email Address Blocked

We received a delivery failure message when attempting to send you an email and therefore your email address has been blocked. You will not receive job alerts until your email address is unblocked. To do so, please choose from one of the two options below.

Max Alerts Reached

A maximum of 5 Job Alerts can be created against your account. Please remove an existing alert in order to create this new Job Alert

Creation Failed

Unfortunately, your alert was not created at this time. Please try again.

Create PhD Alert

Create job alert.

When you create this PhD alert we will email you a selection of PhDs matching your criteria. When you create this job alert we will email you a selection of jobs matching your criteria. Our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy apply to this service. Any personal data you provide in setting up this alert is processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice

Max Saved Jobs Reached

A maximum of 500 Saved Jobs can be created against your account. Please remove an existing Saved Job in order to add a new Saved Job.

Please sign in or register for an account to save a job.

More jobs from University of West London

Research Associate - Mental Health Care and Dementia (FTC - 30 months)

Research Associate - EMPOWER Dementia Network (FTC - 44 Months, 0.8 FTE)

Research Assistant (FTC - 24 Months, 0.2 FTE)

Visa Compliance Officer

Show all jobs for this employer …

More jobs like this

Post Doctoral Research Assistant - Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research

Research Assistant

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Clinical and Communications Skills

NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Nephrology

Join in and follow us

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2024

• Career Advice
• Jobs by Email
• Advertise a Job
• Terms of use
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility Statement

Browser Upgrade Recommended

For the best user experience, we recommend viewing jobs.ac.uk on one of the following:

Welcome to Arts Jobs & Events

Latest jobs.

Digital Marketing

Red entertainment.

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 "> published - Tue, 17 Sep 2024

Red Entertainment is looking for a Digital Marketing & Sales team member to join the busy production office in London and work on the continually growing portfolio of UK & international touring productions.

Audience Development Manager

The national youth brass band of great britain.

Reporting to the CEO the primary purpose of this role is to develop and deliver the Band’s audience development and stakeholder engagement strategy so that we can meet the goals of our strategic plan.

Stage Hand Pantomime - Harrow Arts Centre

Harrow arts centre.

Stage Hand to assist with our pantomime production at Harrow Arts Centre. 8+ hours a day, must be available to work for the whole of December.

Assistant Principal

Musica kirklees.

We are seeking to appoint a dynamic and passionate Assistant Principal to work with our team based in Huddersfield with duties Kirklees-wide. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in the organisation's leadership and management, ensuring the delivery of high-quality music education and...

Head of Programmes

CASA are seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Programmes to oversee the artistic programme of CASA as we enter an exciting new phase in the life our of organisation.

Casual Event Coordinator

Quays Culture is a cultural programme generated through a consortium of partners who are leading the way in the fields of digital media, broadcasting, education, business, sport, arts, culture and heritage.

Head of Finance & Corporate Services

Crystal palace park trust.

The Head of Finance & Corporate Services role offers the opportunity to join a young and growing registered charity at an exciting point in its evolution.

Schools & Community Coordinator

Chiswick house & gardens trust.

We are now at a very exciting stage in the development of our new schools programme. With further funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are recruiting an experienced Schools & Community Coordinator.

House Technician

Kings place music foundation.

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 "> published - Mon, 16 Sep 2024

We are delighted to announce that we are recruiting for House Technicians to join the Kings Place Technical Team. By providing excellent customer service and technical delivery, House Technicians ensure all Kings Place events and performances are presented to the highest standards.

Marketing and Communications Officer

Pyramid of arts.

Pyramid is looking to recruit a new part-time Marketing and Communications Officer to support its work, investing in people with a learning disability, autism, or both, through the discovery, development and disruption of the arts. As Pyramid's Marketing and Communications Officer, you'll be at the...

King's College London

Job id: 095186 . Salary: £37,332 - £42,099 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance .

Posted: 16 September 2024 . Closing date: 03 October 2024 .

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine . Department: Department of Infectious Diseases .

Contact details: Dr Varsha Kanabar Raivadera . [email protected]

Location: Guy's Campus . Category: Research .

Back to job search

King’s College London is a leading University with nine Faculties. As part of King’s Health Partners, we have an excellent environment for health care interaction and a strong focus on mentoring and career development.

The Clinical Diagnostics Development Unit (CDDU) was launched in late 2023 funded by King’s Health Partners as a new core facility within the department of infectious diseases. The CDDU is a translational research laboratory dedicated to the processing of human samples to facilitate research in infection, inflammation and immune-related disorders and where adherence to harmonized protocols is essential. We also work together with our collaborators and external clients to develop novel protocols to aid biomarker discovery with diagnostic applications.

The CDDU was formed from the back of King’s College London’s COVID-19 testing programme, and we gained UKAS accreditation (ISO 15189) for our unique COVID-19 testing assay. Our expertise in this area and quality management systems will facilitate the accreditation of other novel assays which we hope will be routinely used in the clinics based upon these governing standards.

Together with local core facilities we provide end-to-end biological sample processing and data analysis for biomarker discovery from clinical samples that will help to dissect the signalling pathways dysregulated in disease and response to therapy. 

About the role

We are looking for a Research Assistant with a biomedical science or molecular biology background. The successful candidate should be skilled, meticulous and versatile, who will support the team in the day-to-day running of the new Clinical Diagnostics Development Unit (CDDU). The CDDU is a translational research laboratory dedicated to the processing of clinical samples to facilitate research in infection, inflammation and immune-related disorders and where adherence to protocols is essential. The role involves a combination of performing laboratory technical assays, quality audits, research, R&D, administration and training others.

The role holder will have the responsibility for the collection and processing of clinical and academic research generated human biological specimens to support research activities across various projects and themes. You will assist the team in all laboratory operations including: biological sample processing from clinical trials and academic research, method validation, various proteomic/nucleic acid assays, cell functional assays, sample inventory and documentation audits, and general laboratory and equipment maintenance as well as troubleshooting. You will create and maintain a database of results for routine and research purposes. You will liaise with research groups within King’s Health Partners and external clients.

Analytical techniques include: quantitative PCR, infection research (viral detection and cell infectivity assays), cytology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, PBMC isolation and other technical assays as required to deliver the client-based operational plan. You will also be involved in bespoke assay development and validation. You will work closely with the CDDU Quality Manager to regularly review our quality processes and documentation towards GCLP and UKAS ISO 17025 regulatory compliance.

On a day-to-day basis, you will take ownership of your assigned work to completion including associated data analysis and necessary written reports. Updating paper and digital logs of samples, data generated and required communications with team members, clients, service engineers and local estates. Maintain adherence to the required quality, safety and regulatory requirements. You will be expected to write laboratory schedules, standard operating procedures (SOPs), data reports and participate in audit preparation and risk assessments. You will be expected to present study data to the team, board members and clients.

The post holder should be familiar with graphical and statistical packages and spreadsheets for data entry and analysis. The successful candidate will be expected to help train other staff and students, be self-motivated to update their technical and scientific knowledge. To manage their workloads to strict timelines and ensure sample and data integrity.

There will occasionally be clinical research studies requiring extended hours and weekend work for sample processing which will require the candidate to have a flexible approach within the team.

Informal enquiries about the role are encouraged. Please get in touch with the CDDU manager. 

This is a full time (35 Hours per week) fixed term contract until April 2027.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• BSc in biological/biomedical sciences/molecular biology/ or equivalent
• Experience working in a laboratory environment (GCP)
• Experience of handling and processing human biological samples
• Tissue culture experience, particularly primary human cells and blood
• Able to organise, analyse and summarise data, report experimental or processed sample results using a variety of scientific, word processing, spreadsheet or statistical software applications or program platforms
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to multi-task and prioritise, and complete work within deadlines
• Ability to follow laboratory SOPs and to be able to advise and supervise others in these tasks Effective verbal and written communication

Desirable criteria

• Experience with immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry
• Human Tissue Act and Good Clinical Laboratory Practice training
• Experience in western blotting, ELISA, flow cytometry, qPCR
• Experience with next-generation sequencing
• Bioinformatics

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit ’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held between September-October.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK. Please note this is dependent on the salary offered which is based on your experience and will be discussed at the offer stage.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearance.

New Research Uncovers Evidence Of Clerical Errors And Pension Fraud Behind Blue Zones’ Longevity Claims

The new study found that longevity claims in blue zones, or regions famous for long lifespans, are largely based on clerical errors and pension fraud..

philipjbigg / Alamy Stock Photo Elderly women playing a ballgame in Okinawa, Japan, one of the five supposed blue zones.

The concept of “blue zones,” or areas where people supposedly live longer and healthier lives, gained widespread attention after journalist Dan Buettner coined the term in the early 2000s and wrote several books about the phenomenon. These regions were said to boast astonishingly high numbers of supercentenarians, or people who live past 110 years. However, this concept may have just been debunked.

A new study from University College London researcher Saul Justin Newman found that data related to claims of extreme old age is rife with clerical errors and pension fraud. Many of the supposed supercentenarians lack birth certificates or valid documentation proving their ages. And many people in supposed “blue zones” who’ve been reported to be over 100 are in fact dead, but were never registered as such

Newman’s findings indicate a strong correlation between high poverty rates and inflated reports of extreme longevity, calling into question the accuracy of these blue zone claims. For his research, Dr. Newman was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Demography, an award given to researchers who present humorous yet thought-provoking research.

The Rise Of Blue Zones In Contemporary Culture

Maxime Bessieres / Alamy Stock Photo Two men converse in a cafe in Nicoya, Costa Rica, an alleged blue zone.

The term “blue zones” was coined by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Explorer and Fellow and journalist. After traveling to Okinawa in 2000, Buettner noticed a large and unusually active elderly population there and set out to identify other areas of the world that boasted high rates of longevity.

In the mid-2000s, he singled out five “blue zones”: Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica. Buettner went on to write several books about how residents of these places were able to live so long.

Blue zones exploded in popularity with the release of the Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones in 2023. In the show, Dan Buettner travels to each of the five blue zones, meeting with supercentenarians there and learning about their lifestyles.

Buettner’s research rippled through the health and fitness communities, causing an influx of advice and content geared toward longevity based off of blue zones data.

However, new findings from Dr. Saul Justin Newman, a demographer at University College London, found that much of the data on these supercentenarians is inaccurate and even fraudulent, calling the legitimacy of blue zones into question and posing new challenges for a society obsessed with longevity.

A University Demographer Discovers Fraud Behind Longevity Claims

University College London Dr. Saul Justin Newman (left) accepting the Ig Nobel award in Demography for his research on blue zone fraud.

In March of this year, researcher Dr. Saul Justin Newman published a study exploring the longevity claims of blue zones.

In his research, Dr. Newman discovered that only 18 percent of “exhaustively” validated supercentenarians in the world have a birth certificate, meaning that the remaining 82 percent do not have documentation to prove their impressive age. In the United States, Dr. Newman found that close to zero percent of supercentenarians had a birth certificate, and even worse, only 10 percent of them had a death certificate.

Overall, the introduction of birth certificates was associated with a 69-82 percent fall in the number of supercentenarians.

With the supercentenarians who did present a birth certificate or a birthdate, Dr. Newman also discovered a suspicious pattern in the dates.

“Supercentenarian birthdates are concentrated on days divisible by five: a pattern indicative of widespread fraud and error,” Dr. Newman wrote in his study.

Importantly, Dr. Newman established a strong correlation between poverty rates and the number of supercentenarians.

“Remarkable longevity is instead predicted by poverty, low per capita incomes, shorter life expectancy, higher crime rates, worse health, higher deprivation, fewer 90+ year olds, and residence in remote, overseas, and colonial territories,” Dr. Newman explained. It seems as though the number of supercentenarians increases as access to official government documentation decreases, and pressure to commit pension fraud increases.

Unsplash People enjoying the beaches on Ikaria Island, a blue zone in Greece.

In the blue zones of Sardinia, Okinawa, and Ikaria, low incomes, low literacy, high crime rate, and short life expectancy are higher than the national average.

“As such, relative poverty and short lifespan constitute unexpected predictors of centenarian and supercentenarian status and support a primary role of fraud and error in generating remarkable human age records,” Dr. Newman noted.

Additionally, Eurostat records dating back to 1990 place Ikaria at 109th out of 128 regions in Europe in terms of old-age life expectancy, and Sardinia at 51st.

“It’s amazing the cognitive dissonance going on. With the Greeks, by my estimates at least 72% of centenarians were dead, missing, or essentially pension-fraud cases,” Dr. Newman stated to The Conversation . Indeed, many of the reported supercentenarians across the board turned out to be dead.

“The secret to living to 110 was, don’t register your death,” Newman said.

For his work, Dr. Newman received an Ig Nobel prize in Demography, an award that recognizes scientific discoveries that “make people laugh, then think.”

After reading about widespread supercentenarian fraud, dive into the stories behind 11 of the oldest people in the world . Then, read about one of history’s grossest health practices: bloodletting .

PO Box 24091 Brooklyn, NY 11202-4091