Funds for Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars Program Now Exceed $37 Million
NEW YORK--(BW HealthWire via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--May 30, 2002--The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and the Alliance for Aging Research (The Alliance) are pleased to announce today that ten new researchers have been named 2002-2005 Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars.
The highly competitive three-year, faculty development award of $450,000 has been granted to up to eleven physician-faculty scholars each year since 1995.
''We are extremely pleased to recognize the cutting-edge research these scholars are conducting on such exciting and varied topics as Alzheimer`s disease, tissue engineering of vascular cells, and end-of-life care. We are hopeful that the work of these promising researchers will lead to the development of new treatments and therapies to help all people as they age,'' said William R. Hazzard, M.D., of the University of Washington School of Medicine and chair of the Beeson program committee.
This year`s recipients bring the total number of Beeson Scholars to eighty-two, representing a total investment since 1995 of $37,350,000 in aging research funds.
''The Beeson program`s sponsors are delighted with its ability to attract outstanding talent to the field of aging research. Beeson alumni are already contributing to increases in knowledge which will be the basis of efforts to ameliorate suffering and improve services and quality of life for our rapidly expanding aging population,'' said Donna Regenstreif, Ph.D., senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF). The JAHF is a major sponsor of the Beeson program.
The 2002-2005 Beeson Scholars:
-- David Casarett, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania is studying ''Improving the Decision-making about End of Life Care and Promoting Earlier Referral to Hospice.''
-- James E. Galvin, M.D., of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is studying ''In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Synucleinopathies.''
-- Brad Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania is ''Exploring Telomere Maintenance Functions of the Werner Syndrome Family of Proteins.''
-- Lorraine M. Kyne, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard Medical School is studying the ''Effect of Probiotic Therapy on Clinical Outcome and Immune Response to C. difficile Infection in Elderly Patients.''
-- Albert Russell La Spada, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Washington is studying a ''Development of Therapies for Polyglutamine Neurodegeneration and Related Disorders.''
-- Michael T. Lin, M.D., of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University is studying ''Mitrochondrial DNA Mutations in Aging and Alzheimer`s Disease.''
-- Robert Anthony Marciniak, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is studying ''Oxidative Stress and Telomere Maintenance: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.''
-- Laura Elizabeth Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., of Duke University is studying ''Lifespan Extension of Vascular Cells for Tissue Engineering.''
-- Michael Alan Schwarzchild, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School is ''Sorting Out Clues to Parkinson`s Disease: Caffeine, Postmenopausal Estrogen and Addiction.''
-- Jurgen Unutzer, M.D., M.P.H., of the UCLA School of Medicine is studying ''Improving Care for Chronic Pain and Depression in Late Life.''
AFAR and The Alliance administer the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research Program, which is sponsored by The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, the Alliance for Aging Research on behalf of donor friends, and The Starr Foundation. The Beeson Award enables each recipient to conduct independent research on the biology of aging, diseases of the later years or clinical management issues--all with the goal of enhancing the health and quality of life for older Americans.
The American Federation for Aging Research is a leading, national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting basic aging research. Since its founding in 1981, AFAR has provided some $64 million to more than 1,800 new investigators and students conducting cutting-edge biomedical research on the aging process and age-related diseases.
The Alliance for Aging Research is the nation`s leading not-for-profit organization highlighting a broad spectrum of medical and scientific research to improve the health and independence of growing numbers of older Americans.
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