The American Geriatrics Society - News - American Geriatrics Society, With Support from The Atlantic Philanthropies, Awards $1.05 Million In Grants to 7 Researchers Named 2009 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars

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May 4, 2009

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Erin Weller
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American Geriatrics Society, With Support from The Atlantic Philanthropies, Awards $1.05 Million In Grants to 7 Researchers Named 2009 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars

Jahnigen Awards Further Research That Improves the Health of the Nation's Growing Number of Older Adults and Help Address Growing Need for Medical Specialists With Expertise in Geriatrics

Chicago, IL - With the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) awarded $1.05 million in grants to seven academic researchers who were named 2009 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars today, during the Society's Annual Scientific Meeting.

The two-year Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards, are supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A. Hartford Foundation, aim to further research that improves the health of and healthcare for older adults, and help address the critical and growing need for physician-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, exceeding 70 million.

Administered by the AGS, the Jahnigen Awards help promising academic specialists start and sustain careers in education and research focused on aging. 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. The average age of patients seeing practitioners in these specialties is increasing rapidly. This year's Jahnigen recipients -- who are practicing general surgery, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, thoracic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, urogynecology, and urology -- are conducting research focused on age-related macular degeneration, care for geriatric trauma patients, and other areas critical to senior health. 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 physicians selected for awards this year exemplify the very best in scholarship and promise to make great strides in our understanding of aging-related diseases and their impact on the health system," said Paul Katz, MD, AGSF, Professor of Medicine and Director of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical School in Rochester, New York, and Director of the Jahnigen Central Committee.

The 2009 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Award winners, their specialties, and the subjects of their research are:

Anesthesiology
Amanda Fox, MD, Harvard Medical School
The influence of in-hospital ventricular dysfunction and related genetic polymorphisms on the development of long-term heart failure and quality of life outcomes in older patients after primary coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Emergency Medicine
Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
Vitamin D Supplementation and Acute Respiratory Infection in Older Nursing Home Residents

General Surgery
Areti Tillou, MD, MSEd, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Developing Quality Measures to Improve the Care of Elderly Trauma Patients

General Surgery
B. Robert Gibson, MD, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
The Efficacy of GLP-1 (7-36) Amide for Glycemic Control in Critically Ill Elderly Surgical Patients

Ophthalmology
Pradeep Ramalu, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Real-World Assessment of Mobility in Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration

Urogynecology
Phillip P. Smith, MD, University of Connecticut Health Center
Urethral Sensory Contributions to Lower Urinary Tract Function on Old Age

Urology
Philipp Dahm, MD, MHSc, University of Florida and Gainesville VA Medical Center
Evidence Based Decision-Making in Geriatric Genitourinary Oncology

For additional information about the Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards Program, please visit www.americangeriatrics.org/hartford/jahnigen.shtml.

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 6,500 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.