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For Immediate Release American Geriatrics Society, John A. Hartford Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies & AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Award Nearly $3 Million for Medical Research to Address Urgent Healthcare Needs of Growing Elderly Population New York, NY -- Through three important awards programs, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging have awarded nearly $3 million to advance research and support clinicians and scientists working to improve healthcare for older adults. The awards, generously supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, went to 15 noted physician-researchers, and were announced on May 2 during the AGS' annual scientific meeting. The awards aim to both further research into aging and health and help address a critical 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, reaching 70 million. "These awards serve a vital purpose of supporting researchers and their work in geriatrics at a critical time when more physicians, researchers, medical specialists, and academicians are needed to care for our aging population" said AGS President John B. Murphy, MD, professor of medicine and family medicine at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Chief Physician Officer at Rhode Island Hospital. "These awards help further our understanding of aging and health and support the career development of the next generation of healthcare providers in the field." ******** Nine academic researchers were selected as recipients of the Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards. These awards are intended to address 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 AGS, 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 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. For a list of the 2008 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Awards recipients (listed by specialty), their affiliations, and their research projects, see below. ******** Five 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. Each Hartford Outcomes Award winner receives $200,000 over two years in salary and research support. For a list of 2008 Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Award winners, their affiliations, and the subjects of their research, see below. ******** The T. Franklin Williams Research Scholars Award went to George Wang, MD, of Johns Hopkins University, for his research concerning the role of the cytomegalovirus and immunologic dysregulation and inflammation in the pathogenesis of frailty in late life. The Williams Award goes to an academic geriatrician conducting research applicable to care provided by internal medicine specialists. The Williams Scholar receives $75,000 to support his or her work over two years. Intended to help academic geriatricians begin and sustain careers in research and education, the award is administered by the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging in collaboration with the Association of Specialty Professors (ASP). It is supported by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A. Hartford Foundation. The award is part of a broader effort in internal medicine, in which specialty medical societies collaborate with ASP, The Atlantic Philanthropies, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and internal medicine specialty societies to support research on aging. 2008 Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Award Scholars Winners and the subjects of their research are: Emergency Medicine Jeremiah Schurr, MD, MHS, Harvard Medical School General Surgery Thomas Robinson, MD, University of Colorado Health Science Center Gynecology Ophthalmology Jacque L. Duncan, MD, University of California, San Francisco Otolaryngology Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation The 2008 Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Award Winners and the subjects of their research are: Sarah Berry, MD, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Roslindale, Massachusetts Holly M. Holmes, MD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Sei Lee, MD, University of California, San Francisco, California Stephen Thielke, MD, MA, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Alexia Torke, MD, MS, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana ABOUT AGS ABOUT THE FHA |
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