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For Immediate Release
May 7, 2007
For more information:
Erin Weller
(212) 308-1414 x 329
New York, NY -- The American Geriatrics Society (AGS), The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging have awarded nearly $2 million to support research to improve healthcare for the older adults. The awards were announced on May 4th during the AGS annual scientific meeting.
The awards, which foster the careers of clinicians and scientists committed to improving healthcare for older people, went to 16 noted physician-researchers. The awards aim to both further research into aging and health and help address a critical need for physicians researchers in multiple medical specialties with expertise in geriatrics. Over the next 20 years, the number of adults 65 and older in the US will nearly double, reaching 70 million.
"To better meet the needs of the rapidly growing population of older adults it's critical that we support geriatrics research and physician-researchers committed to improving healthcare for older people," said Jane F. Potter, MD, Chair of AGS' Board of Directors and Professor and Chief of the Section of Geriatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Twelve physician-researchers received Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards, intended to help ameliorate the shortage of academicians in surgical and other medical specialties who have a special interest in, and knowledge of, the care of older adults. In each of these specialties, the average age of patients is rising rapidly. Administered by the American Geriatrics Society, the awards are supported by grants from The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Over the course of two years, each Jahnigen scholar receives $150,000, with his or her home institution providing an additional $50,000 in matching support. The Jahnigen awards help promising academic specialists start and sustain careers in both education and research that are focused on aging issues. The awards go to faculty in the specialties of: anesthesiology, emergency medicine, general surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, thoracic surgery, and urology. This year's recipients will investigate, among other things: treatment of pancreatic cancer, age-related olfactory decline, and Alzheimer's disease. For a list of award recipients and their research focus, see below.
Four physician-researchers received Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Awards, sponsored and funded by the AGS' Foundation for Health in Aging and The John A. Hartford Foundation. The awards support physician-scientists committed to improving healthcare for older adults while making the critical transition from junior faculty to independent researcher.
Over two years, each Hartford Outcomes Award winner receives $130,000 in salary and research support. This year's recipients will conduct research investigating a range of topics, including delirium as a predictor of cognitive impairment among older ICU patients. For a list of award recipients and their research focus, see below.
The 2007 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards winners (listed by specialty) and the subjects of their research are:
Emergency Medicine
Brian J. Blythe, MD, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Pharmacologic Stabilization of HIF-1 for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
Jeffrey Caterino, MD, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Predictors of Clinical Course in Infected ED Elders
General Surgery
Taylor Riall, MD, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
Pancreatic Cancer in the Eelderly: Population-based Outcomes Following Surgical Resection
Dorry Segev, MD, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Kidney Transplantation in Elderly Patients with Renal Failure
Gynecology
Thomas Wheeler II, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, AL
Life Space Assessment in Older Women Undergoing Non-surgical Treatment for Urinary Incontinence
Ophthalmology
Joshua Dunaief, MD, PhD, F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Philadelphia, PA
The Effect of Dietary Iron Restriction on Longevity and Retinal Aging in Mice
Bradley Katz, MD, PhD, John A Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Proteomics and Genomics of Giant Cell Arthritis
Simon Law, MD, PharmD, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA
Optic Disc Appearance in Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Orthopaedic Surgery
Wael Barsoum, MD, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Age and Body Mass Index as Preoperative Predictors of Outcomes in the Geriatric Population after Total Joint Arthoplasty
Otolaryngology
Jayant Pinto, MD, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Age-Related Olfactory Decline: The Role of Genetic Factors
Urology
Misop Han, MD, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
Competing Mortality Risks of Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer
Adam Klausner, MD, VCU Health System, Richmond, VA
An Investigation of Urinary Incontinence in Geriatric Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
The 2007 Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Award Winners and the subjects of their research are:
Timothy D. Girard, MD, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Delirium as a Predictor of Cognitive Impairment in Older ICU Patients
Supriya Gupta M. Mohile, MD, MS, Columbia University Medical Center Milstein Hospital, New York, NY
Patterns of Care and Outcomes of Vulnerable Elders with Cancer
Brie Williams, MD, MS, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, CA
The Health, Functional Status and Health Outcomes of Older Adults in Prison and After Release
Heather E. Whitson, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC
Adding Insult to Insult: Functional Consequences of Comorbid Cognitive Impairment in Elders with Macular Disease
ABOUT THE AGS
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,700 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.
ABOUT THE FHA
In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.
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