| Dimension | Scoring Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Study Design | Mouse exercise metabolism and insulin sensitivity studies primarily. Some human correlational data on endogenous MOTS-c levels. No human intervention RCTs. Animal/in vitro. |
5 / 25 |
| Sample Size | No human intervention participants. |
0 / 20 |
| Replication | Replicated across several labs globally since initial 2015 discovery. AMPK/AICAR pathway activation findings confirmed independently. Growing preclinical base. |
15 / 20 |
| Journal Impact Factor | Original discovery published in Cell Metabolism (IF ~29). Subsequent papers in Aging Cell (IF ~8), Nature Aging. Strong journals for preclinical longevity research. |
8 / 15 |
| Funding Independence | NIH NIA and academic (USC) funded. Pinchas Cohen group — same independent researcher profile as humanin. |
7 / 10 |
| Population Diversity | Animal/in vitro. Not applicable. |
3 / 5 |
| Researcher h-Index | Pinchas Cohen (USC) h-Index 60+. Changhan Lee (USC) also strong. Top-tier longevity researchers. Capped at 5. |
3 / 5 |