The wellness industry has seen an explosion of interest in NAD+, but finding credible, science-backed information can be challenging. That's where Dr. Rachele Pojednic comes in. As Chief Science Officer at Restore, she bridges the gap between academic research and real-world wellness applications, bringing the same rigor she developed during her PhD in nutritional biochemistry and exercise physiology at Tufts University and her postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School.
Restore is the largest interventional wellness company in the United States, operating 215 locations that offer both Core Therapies like Cryotherapy and Red Light Therapy, as well as advanced treatments like Niagen IV and micronutrient IV Drip Therapy. What sets Restore apart is its commitment to evidence-based practice through its RestoreLabs division, where Dr. Pojednic conducts clinical trials and partners with leading academic institutions to study the therapies they offer.
Dr. Pojednic's work at Restore represents a new frontier in wellness—one where rigorous scientific methodology meets real-world applications. Through validated surveys, FDA-cleared devices, and partnerships with leading academic institutions, she's building what she calls "a data set that doesn't really exist in the wellness world right now."
As the field continues to evolve, having researchers like Dr. Pojednic bridging the gap between clinical science and practical wellness applications ensures that treatments are not just trendy but truly effective for long-term health and aging.
We spoke with Dr. Pojednic about her unique role in the wellness industry, the science behind Niagen IV Therapy, and what patients are experiencing in Restore's studios across the country.
What does your role as Chief Science Officer at Restore entail?
I was recruited to spin up the RestoreLabs division, where we do all of our clinical trials and R&D. What excited me about this opportunity is that I had been studying healthy aging and nutrients that are challenging to research—like Vitamin D and CBD—in academic settings with all their regulatory constraints.
Restore reached out because I study real-world applications of nutrients using biomarkers and biometrics. They said, "You study things people are actually using, and we have all these therapies—whether it's Cryotherapy, Red Light Therapy, or IV micronutrients—that have an absence of evidence around them." My job is to study things people are using in the real world that lack data and figure out creative ways to research them.
What makes Restore unique in the wellness space?
As far as I know, there isn't another company doing the science of these restorative therapies. We are unique in that I have a funded lab where I conduct human subjects clinical trials. I partner with companies like Niagen Biosciences and academic institutions like Harvard MGH, UCSF and the University of Texas system.
I essentially took everything I knew from academia and transferred it into an industry lab. The equivalent might be food science labs in larger food companies or pharmaceutical research divisions, but as far as somebody doing this in the wellness industry, Restore is the only company that has a self-sufficient scientific arm.
| Find a Restore clinic near you that offers Niagen IV. |
Understanding NAD vs. Niagen® (NR): The Science Made Simple
How do you explain NAD+ and NR to your team and clients?
Making complicated science easy to understand has become one of my superpowers after nearly 20 years as a professor. I often start with jokes, then say, "Remember in ninth-grade biology, those little mitochondria where ATP gets made?" Everyone remembers that picture—the powerhouse of the cell.
I get them to conceptualize that this molecule works at the mitochondria to make ATP, which is energy. They may never understand the biochemical pathways, but they can grasp that concept.
Here's where it gets tricky with NAD+ versus NR: NAD+ is supposed to live inside the cell, but if we put it in people's veins, there isn't a channel to get that NAD+ into the cell. NR, however, can get in. When I explain this visually—drawing a circle and showing how NAD+ can't get in but NR can—they say, "Oh, so we skip the middleman." Exactly. And "skipping the middleman" is entrepreneurial language they understand.
Patient Observations and Anecdotal Reports
What have you observed in patients receiving Niagen IV therapy?
Right now, this is mostly self-reported feedback, though we're working on a formal survey study. I want to be clear that these are anecdotal observations, not proven clinical outcomes. Overall, people report feeling an energy boost from the Niagen IV Therapy, particularly from the 1,000 milligram infusion rather than the 500 milligram dose.
Some interesting patterns have emerged in patient reports: Our perimenopausal and postmenopausal female clients consistently report that brain fog seems reduced, and that anxiety and irritability appear tamped down. In our preliminary study data, we observed that people report sleeping better—an average increase of 30 minutes of sleep per night over 30 days, which patients found significant.
When I walk into any drip room in the country, I notice that people who regularly receive NR therapy often have notably healthy-looking skin, though I can't definitively attribute this to the therapy alone.
I have one particularly intriguing anecdotal observation: a client who's been getting consistent monthly 1,000 milligram treatments for about two years. He's a natural redhead in his late 40s with a completely gray beard—except the area closest to his chin, which appears to be coming back in red. This is purely anecdotal, N-of-1 observation, and there could be many factors at play, but given how long he's been receiving this therapy, it's an interesting case to note.
Bridging Science and Marketing: The Art of Translation
How do you navigate the different languages of science versus wellness marketing?
There are marketing words that the average consumer understands, and that's very different from scientific language. We have to find either a happy medium or a compromise, depending on who the end user is.
If I'm speaking to an influencer, using the word "boost," they get it. They understand, and it helps them conceptualize how to promote the product. But if I said "boost" to Charlie Brenner [a leading NAD+ researcher], he would think I don't know what I'm talking about.
I use the term "code switching" a lot between these two groups. Speaking to one group is very different than speaking to another, and it doesn't make one right or wrong because they have different purposes and different understanding around vocabulary. For whatever reason, I see both worlds—being part of the wellness industry and academic science for so long—and I can help them understand each other in ways that most people in academia or industry just don't speak each other's languages.
Building the Industry's First Comprehensive Wellness Dataset
Tell us about the research methodology you're bringing to Restore.
Everything we do is validated in one way or another. If we use wearables, we partner with Oura, whose devices are FDA-cleared or registered. If we use surveys, they're validated surveys from the NIH's PROMIS toolkit—patient-reported outcomes created and maintained by the National Institute of Health.
I'm building what I believe doesn't exist in the wellness world right now: a large observational dataset where we can track people over time who receive continuous NR infusions. We're looking at blood biomarkers, biometrics, body composition, integrating Oura rings and Whoop devices for HRV and sleep data.
This approach is similar to major epidemiological studies like the Framingham Study or the Nurses' Health Study, but focused on interventional wellness therapies. With over 50,000 members and 500,000 people coming into our studios, we hope to do really high-level science on targeted therapies that nobody has studied before.
The Future of NAD+ Research
What populations are you most interested in studying?
I'd love to see more work in brain health applications, given where some of the preliminary data seems to be pointing. I'm also very interested in athletic performance data, since that's where my traditional research background lies. We have a significant number of professional athletes using our studios, and I've had many Major League Baseball team dietitians reach out asking about this therapy.
For healthy aging and longevity, the study design is more challenging because you're trying to show that something doesn't happen—that people stayed well because of the product. But I think this is where we might be playing the long game.
Are you exploring any combination therapies?
We're looking at two main areas. First, combining NR with our GLP-1 products for weight loss. People who are losing weight are in a significant calorie and energy deficit, so we're exploring how these therapies might work together. The major barrier right now is cost—pairing two high-ticket items.
The other area we're investigating is skin health—combining NR infusions with our facial treatments and cosmetic products. We're exploring companies that have liposomal delivery systems for NAD+ directly into the skin. The concept would be getting NAD+ from both inside and outside, since research suggests it may be beneficial for this organ.
What should someone know before trying Niagen IV therapy?
We know from research that NAD+ stores and production decline as you age. You might not experience a huge immediate change, but that might not be what we're looking for. The hypothesis is that we're working toward healthy aging and longevity—potentially helping people maintain how they feel now as they age.
People report some changes—feeling more energetic, experiencing less brain fog and sleeping better. But remember, the theory behind this therapy is that we're playing for the long game. We're not necessarily looking for short, acute effects. This is why at Restore, we have monthly treatment plans—the goal is to potentially help prevent age-related declines.
Don't come in expecting to feel like a completely different person after your treatment. The idea is that you're potentially working toward feeling like the person you are now in 20 years, though more research is needed to confirm these long-term effects.
| Find a Restore clinic near you that offers Niagen IV. |