American Geriatrics Society, John A. Hartford Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Award Nearly $2 Million for Medical Research to Address Urgent Health Care Needs of Growing Elderly Population

Through two important awards programs, the American Geriatrics Society and AGS Foundation for Health in Aging have awarded nearly $2 million to support research and foster the careers of clinicians and scientists committed to improving health care for the rapidly growing population of older adults.

The AGS and Foundation awards, generously supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, went to 16 accomplished physician-researchers.

"By supporting these researchers and their work, these awards aim to further understanding of aging and health and address a critical need for physicians, researchers, and medical specialists and academicians with expertise in geriatrics," said AGS President Todd M. Semla, MS, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, AGSF.

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.

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

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.

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