The Outstanding Junior Research Manuscript Award is targeted to clinician-educator junior faculty (Assistant Professor/Instructor) in the development stages of their careers. The junior investigator must be first author on an outstanding peer-reviewed geriatrics research journal article. Selection of award winners will be based on the novelty, methodological rigor, clarity of presentation, and potential to influence geriatrics practice, policy, or future research when considering the candidate’s article. Papers that were published between September 1 and August 31 of the previous year are eligible for consideration.
2025 Recipient: James Deardorff, MD
Dr. James Deardorff, Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Junior Research Manuscript Award for his original investigation “Development and External Validation of Models to Predict Need for Nursing Home Level of Care in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Dementia,” published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2023. Dr. Deardorff’s prognostic study aimed to develop models to predict the need for nursing home level of care among older adults with probable dementia. Two models were created - one using proxy reports and another using self-reports. Through this study, he found that relatively simple models can predict the need for nursing home level of care in community-dwelling older adults with probable dementia with moderate discrimination and excellent calibration. These models can aid patients, families, and caregivers in planning for future care needs.
His geriatrics research interest began during medical school through the MSTAR program and continued throughout his Internal Medicine residency at Duke, Geriatrics fellowship at UCSF, and T32 aging research fellowship at UCSF. His research focuses on improving clinical care for older adults through prognostic information. He has developed multiple prediction models for community-dwelling older adults with dementia, including a mortality prediction model and models to predict the need for nursing home level of care. These models provide individuals with a broad range of prognostic risk estimates that may help guide discussions about clinical decision-making and future planning. He is currently supported by NIA GEMSSTAR R03 and UCSF KL2 awards to develop prognostic models for older adults admitted to skilled nursing facilities.
Past Recipients of the Outstanding Junior Research Manuscript Award
2024 Katharina Jungo, PhD, MSc
2023 Lauren Hunt, PhD, RN, MSN
2022 Claire Ankuda, MD, MPH, MSc
2021 Jennifer Watt, MD, PhD
2020 Anil Makam, MD, MAS
2019 Victoria Tang, MD, MAS
2018 Benjamin Han, MD, MPH
2017 Halima Amjad, MD, MPH
2016 Rebecca Brown, MD, MPH
2015 Helena M. Blumen, PhD
2014 S. Ryan Greysen
2013 Jane Saczynski, PhD