Austin City Limits: Join NIA at GSA!
Deputy Director,
Office of the Director (OD).
Austin, TX, is the scene for the 2019 annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America on November 13–17. This year’s theme is “Strength in Age: Harnessing the Power of Networks,” and it’s an excellent opportunity to strengthen your network by talking with NIA staff to learn about funding opportunities, ask about your application’s potential, or just catch up on the latest in aging science.
Many NIA staff will be there, and we hope to connect and reconnect with current and potential grantees for stimulating conversations (and maybe enjoy some live music and barbecue in the evenings). This year’s GSA meeting also kicks off the celebration of NIA’s 45th anniversary, so we hope you will join NIA Director Richard Hodes, myself, and other NIA senior staff there!
Friday, November 15, brings two major NIA sessions not to miss. The first, specifically designed for early-career investigators, will be held 8–9:30 a.m. and will give an overview of NIA’s mission, structure, budget, pay lines, and funding mechanisms. From 10–11:30 a.m., we will celebrate NIA’s 45th anniversary with a deeper discussion of the NIA budget and divisional updates, capped off with an opportunity to meet in small groups with NIA leadership and light refreshments (of course, not at government expense!). So be sure to mark your calendars and bring your best questions!
Join NIA Staff at Other Sessions
Several NIA colleagues and I will participate, either as presenters with other scientists or as discussants, in symposia throughout the meeting. If you haven’t already mapped these sessions to your conference agenda, we recommend that you add them to your schedule.
Wednesday, November 13
8 a.m.–noon
Identifying and Using NIA-Supported Longitudinal Data Collections: The Availability and Use of Secondary Data Resources in Gerontology Research—Dr. John Phillips, Chief, Population and Social Processes Branch, Division of Behavioral and Social Research, NIA, Speaker
12:30–2 p.m.
Expanding the Network: Nontraditional Organismal Models in Geroscience—Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, Scientific Director, NIA, Co-Author
12:30–2 p.m.
NIA Health Disparities Research Network: Approaches and Findings from Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology—Dr. Lyndon Joseph, Program Officer, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, NIA, Co-Chair
Thursday, November 14
8–9:30 a.m.
The Longevity Consortium: Multiomics Integrative Approach to Discovering Healthy Aging and Longevity Determinants—Dr. Evan Hadley, Director, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, NIA, Discussant
7–9 p.m.
Living in Dog Years: The Science of How Dogs Age and the Implications for Human Aging—Dr. Marie A. Bernard, Deputy Director, NIA, Presenter
Friday, November 15
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Overcoming Barriers to Including Older Adults in Clinical Trials—Dr. Marie A. Bernard, Deputy Director, NIA, Panelist
Saturday, November 16
8–9:30 a.m.
Inside Innovative Technologies: Assessing the Value of An Innovative Technology—Dr. Todd Haim, Chief, Office of Small Business Research, NIA, Panelist
12–1:30 p.m.
Neuroprotective Effect of APOE2: Evidence and Implication for Cognitive Aging—Dr. Nalini Raghavachari, Health Scientist Administrator, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, NIA, Discussant
12–1:30 p.m.
The ASPREE Study: Disability-Free Survival, Updated Results, Substudies, and Implications for Aspirin Use—Dr. Basil Eldadah, Supervisory Medical Officer, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, NIA, Discussant
3:30–5 p.m.
Epigenetics of Stress and Adaptation Across Healthspan and Lifespan—Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, Scientific Director, NIA, Chair and Discussant
3:30–5 p.m.
NIH Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Research Gaps for Long-Term Drug Therapies for Fracture Prevention—Dr. Lyndon Joseph, Program Officer, Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, NIA, Co-Chair
Find Us in the Exhibit Hall
Last, but not least, please be sure to stop by Booth #519 in the Exhibit Hall during your stay in Austin. Exhibits begin on Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. and will be open every day through 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. We’ll have the latest consumer publications and other research information from NIA for you to take home, as well as enthusiastic staff on hand to answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you there!