Summer 2008
e-Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 3
The Science of Healthier Aging
1. Thoughts from AFAR - A Note from the Executive
Director ____________________________________________ Thoughts from AFAR - A Note from the Executive Director
I had the pleasure of once again attending AFAR’s Research Committee meeting for the selection of the 2008 grant recipients of AFAR’s *biology of aging programs and observing what it is that makes AFAR truly unique.
The excitement and buzz was palpable this spring as the Research Committee hunkered down for the very challenging job of selecting the best and the brightest scientists. How do you decide when the quality of grants is so high and the competition is so fierce? That’s why we turn to Roger McCarter, PhD, who so ably leads this eminent committee, and Steven Austad, PhD, who leads the postdoctoral grants review, which also took place this spring.
According to Roger McCarter, "The grants were of the highest quality, higher than we’ve seen in a decade, and the scores were so close." So close that decisions on some of the AFAR Research Grants were pending for weeks following the review. We received many more applications than can be funded. For example, 38 applications were submitted for the Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award for just two, albeit generous grant slots.
We wish we could fund them all and we work hard all year to raise the money that will help us fund more and more of these talented researchers.
This year’s grantees are studying everything from how oxidative stress affects cardiovascular aging, to aging’s impact on memory, tissue regeneration and muscle maintenance.
Read about AFAR’s Grant Review Process
In tough economic times, AFAR is proud to continue its 27-year tradition of providing flexible support to early-career scientists, allowing them to pursue innovative research theories at a critical juncture in their professional lives. We have also expanded with the Julie Martin Mid-Career Awards, to help mid-career scientists maintain the progress of their promising research.
As we have often said, "Our people are our product." Our challenge continues to be to bring that product to the public to gain additional support so that no worthy research goes unfunded.
We look forward to working with our partners to make that possible.
*Selections were made for the AFAR Research Grants, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer’s Disease, Julie Martin Mid-Career Awards in Aging Research, Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award, Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Senior Postdoctoral Fellows Research Program and the Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research Program.
Selections for the Paul Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research were also made this spring through a different review process. See below.
____________________________________________ American Federation for Aging Research Awards Nearly $13 Million to Scientists Studying Biology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases
This spring, the American Federation for Aging Research, through support of its donors and its partnership with the National Institute on Aging, awarded a combined $13 million to 188 early-career scientists, mid-career scientists, and medical students through its series of grant program. More than $113 million has been awarded to nearly 2,500 researchers since AFAR’s inception in 1981. Many of the nation’s leaders in biogerontology have been beneficiaries of AFAR’s programs.
Fourteen early-career scientists were selected to receive AFAR Research Grants, AFAR’s flagship grant program that provides $60,000 to promising early-career MDs and PhDs studying the basic mechanisms of aging, age-related diseases and the processes underlying common geriatric functional disorders.
"This year’s award winners provide a truly impressive display of the dazzling talent of new investigators in the field of aging research," said Roger McCarter, PhD, chair of AFAR’s Research Committee and professor of Biobehavioral Health at the Pennsylvania State University. "The excitement and relevance of current research on aging to many of the problems facing our society have resulted in increased awareness by the public and the scientific communities of the importance of healthy aging. The researchers selected by the AFAR review committee represent the best and brightest talent. Their activities will enable a greater understanding of the complex interactions of genes and environment necessary to promote healthier and more productive life."
Some highlights:
The Anti-Aging Activity of Methylene Blue
Based on previous studies, Dr. Atamna has found that methylene blue (MB) delays cellular senescence by improving the metabolic activity of the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. Dr. Atamna found that MB restores the decline in memory and muscle strength in old mice fed methylene blue. MB, used for decades to treat various ailments and also to stain tissue, has no known side effects. Dr. Atamna hopes to understand how it works to improve memory and muscle strength in humans. "MB has the potential to treat or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Atamna said. "This research will justify clinical use to specifically target and cure Alzheimer's disease."
Estrogen Attenuation of Cholinergic-Induced Alterations in Fronto-Parietal Brain Activation during Working Memory in Older Women
Studies have suggested that changes in mental abilities as we age may be the result of chemical changes in the brain. The loss of estrogen after menopause may accelerate this change in women. Dr. Dumas is looking at whether giving the hormone estrogen will affect the system in the brain that uses acetylcholine, a naturally occurring chemical associated with attention and memory. She will first administer estrogen to postmenopausal women ages 50-65. She then will give cholinergic medications that temporarily affect the ability to perform a working memory task. She will then use functional MRI to assess how estrogen changes the negative effects of the cholinergic drugs. "As women continue to take estrogen for management of menopausal symptoms, it is important to understand the neurobiology underlying the estrogen effect on cognition," she said. _____________________________________________ The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation and the American Federation for Aging Research Award New Generation of Alzheimer’s Researchers
New Investigators to Study the Biological, Genetic, and Environmental Factors Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease
Five researchers were awarded The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer’s Disease, created to address the much needed research into the biological, genetic, and environmental causes of Alzheimer’s disease. This is the second year of the New Investigator Awards program. The first cohort of investigators was launched in 2007.
The $60,000 research grants were awarded to support an important area in which more scientific investigation is needed to identify the earliest precursors of Alzheimer’s disease. The award provides a broad array of funding for research that investigates the causes and progression of Alzheimer’s, including the basic mechanisms of aging, genetics, biomarkers, inflammation, and the impact of exercise and the environment.
2008 Award Recipients:
RNAi and Genetic Linkage of AD
Current methods for discovering genes associated with Alzheimer's disease often require years of verification. Dr. Conrad hopes that by using cellular models, he can come up with a way to more quickly identify promising genes for further, in-depth study. He is focusing on 31 genes, all expressed in the brain, in a recently identified region on chromosome 3, 3q28, which is associated with late onset Alzheimer's disease. By eliminating each gene, he can see what impact that has on cellular models of Alzheimer's disease. "Our project will investigate whether our method will accelerate the identification of Alzheimer's disease-associated genes," he said.
The Role of Histone Modifications in Alzheimer’s Amyloid-Beta42-induced Neurotoxicity inVivo
Abnormal accumulation of a peptide composed of 42 amino acids, called amyloid-beta, in the brain is suspected of playing a central role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However, it remains unclear how amyloid-beta causes dysfunction and degeneration. De-acetylated histone proteins tightly package DNA. Regions of tightly packaged DNA are called heterochromatin; there is limited transcription of genes in these areas. In Alzheimer-affected brains, heterochromatin formation is increased. But, Dr. Iijima said, it is "not understood whether these changes are a cause or a mere consequence" of the disease. Using a genetically altered fruit fly carrying human amyloid-beta, Dr. Iijima found that histone acetylation levels were reduced in the fly brains. In addition, inhibiting the function of histone acetyltransferase (HDAC) complex appeared to protect against amyloid-beta induced dysfunction. The study "may encourage the exploration in the application of inhibitors of HDAC complex as a potential therapy" for Alzheimer’s disease," Dr. Iijima said.
Presenilin-2 Mutations and Microglia Function in Alzheimer’s Disease
Inflammation in the brain has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Jayadev hopes to understand how this inflammation causes or worsens degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease by introducing Presenilin-2 mutations into brain immune cells, or microglia. Her goal is to understand how Presenilin-2 may contribute to that degeneration. Presenilin-2 mutations have been shown to cause familial Alzheimer’s disease. She then will assess the impact of these mutations on the normal functions of the microglia. "Characterizing this novel role for presenilin and describing its function and dysfunction may reveal additional and perhaps more specific targets for drug therapies," Dr. Jayadev said.
Manipulation of Unfolded Protein Response in Neurodegeneration
Both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases share a common pathology: accumulation of insoluble, misfolded protein deposits. Dr. Qi’s research focuses at the genetic level on defense mechanisms in the brain that might prevent the accumulation of those deposits, also known as unfolded protein response (UPR). Specifically, he is looking at whether enzymes, histone acetylases CBP/P300, can activate a key protein in UPR, XBP1. XBP1 is known to control many components of protein folding and degradation. Thus, it may be capable of preventing the accumulation of protein aggregates and, ultimately, the death of neurons. This one day could lead to gene therapy, he said. "Genetic regulation is very complex," he said. "This is the very first step to understand the transcription event occurring during UPR. It can lead to future investigations so that we may get closer and closer to understanding these diseases."
Initiation of Alzheimer's Disease: From Inhibition of Neprilysin Activity to Temporal Code at Individual Hippocampal Synapses
A loss with age of neprilysin, an enzyme participating in the clearance of beta amyloid peptides in the brain, has been proposed to cause the cognitive impairments in common, late-onset Alzheimer's disease. "The mechanisms transforming neprilysin deficiency to synapse loss in AD subjects remain obscure," she said. Synapse loss is the most obvious physical sign of memory loss in Alzheimer patients. Dr. Slutsky hopes to determine how neuronal activity regulates neprilysin expression, release of beta amyloid peptides and the number of functional synapses in physiological and pathological conditions. She will use high-resolution optical imaging that can look at individual synapses in hippocampal neurons and electrophysiology that can monitor neuronal connections. "Understanding the physiological functions of neprilysin and amyloid beta peptides is crucial for targeting the early synaptic dysfunctions to prevent synapse loss and memory decline in AD," she said.
About the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
_____________________________________________ Mid-Career Research on Aging Supported by More than $1 Million in Grants from The Ellison Medical Foundation Holly Van Remmen, PhD, associate professor, University of Texas Health Science Center, and Brian Kennedy, PhD, associate professor, University of Washington, received the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research with funding of nearly $550,000 each. Sponsored solely by The Ellison Medical Foundation, the award provides funding for mid-career scientists engaged in innovative research that has the potential for higher yield in advancing understanding of basic mechanisms of aging.
While early-career scientists need a foothold into the field of aging research, a cornerstone of AFAR’s mission, the achievement of tenure can provide a mid-career scientist an opportunity to pursue a line of research that is high risk but that has great potential if successful. The Ellison Medical Foundation partnered with AFAR in 2005 to create the Julie Martin Mid-Career Awards in Aging Research with the hope that this program will enable a significant increase in such creative research.
Dr. Van Remmen is studying the relationship between muscle atrophy and alterations in the neuromuscular junctions (NMJ). Her research is aimed at determining whether maintenance of NMJs during aging relies on mitochondrial function, as well as how to prevent age-related muscle atrophy. This research will provide crucial information that may provide potential therapeutic interventions that would prevent age-related muscle loss.
Dr. Kennedy is working to identify longevity genes that are likely to modulate aging in mammalian organisms. One such gene is SIR2, which when overexpressed, has been found to extend lifespan in yeast, worms, and flies, and to delay the onset of many age-related diseases in mice. He intends to determine how longevity genes can modulate aging through different mechanisms in different organisms.
About The Ellison Medical Foundation
_____________________________________________ Thirteen Scientists Named Beeson Scholars and Receive $10 Million to Support Research on Age-Related Diseases and Clinical Care
The American Federation for Aging Research, The National Institute on Aging (NIA), The Atlantic Philanthropies, The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Starr Foundation, and other program partners are pleased to announce the 2008 recipients of the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Program. This highly competitive and prestigious award, seeks to create a cadre of clinically-trained faculty who are committed to academic careers in aging research, teaching, and practice. The award is granted to scholars who are laying clinically relevant groundwork in many areas related to aging, including the biology of aging, age-related diseases, as well as health services and clinical management issues, with the aim of enhancing the health and quality of life of older adults.
Through a partnership with the National Institute on Aging, Scholars receive $600,000 to $800,000 for a three- to five-year period, allowing them flexible and protected time for innovative research.
In 2007, supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Beeson program expanded to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with the goal of helping to train physicians in geriatrics, build Ireland’s capacity to provide high-quality care for older adults and advance knowledge of effective geriatric care. Three physician-scientists have been named Beeson Ireland Scholars thus far.
The research of the 2008 Scholars address a broad spectrum of topics related to aging clinical care and quality of life issues: from consequences of self-neglect in a biracial population of older adults to epigenetic factors in vulnerability to aging and stress to insulin signaling’s impact on metabolism and aging.
The 2008 Beeson Scholars
Stephanie Cosentino, MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, "Awareness of Deficit in Alzheimer’s Disease"
XinQi Dong, MD, Rush University Medical Center, "Consequences of Self-Neglect in a Biracial Population of Older Adults"
Susan Hardy, MD, University of Pittsburgh, "Functional Recovery in Post-acute Care"
Paul Rosenberg, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, "PET Imaging of Microglial Activation in Alzheimer’s Disease"
Joseph Ross, MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, "Impact of Publicly Reporting Hospital Outcome Measures for Older Adults"
Steven Russell, MD, Harvard University/Joslin Diabetes Center, "Adipocyte Insulin Signaling in Metabolism and Aging"
Arthur Simen, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, "Epigenetic Factors in Vulnerability to Aging and Stress"
Farzaneh Sorond, MD, Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women’s Hospital, "Hypoxia-Inducible Transcription Factor 1 (HIF-1) in Vascular Aging"
Michael Steinman, MD, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, "Guideline Adherence in Elders with Multiple Comorbidities"
Douglas White, MD, University of California, San Francisco, "A Randomized Trial to Improve Surrogate Decision-Making for Critically Ill Elders"
Heather Whitson, MD, Duke University School of Medicine: "Developing Interventions to Improve Function in Seniors with Comorbidity Conditions"
2008 Beeson Ireland Scholar
The Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Program is sponsored by the NIA, The John A. Hartford Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Starr Foundation and an anonymous donor, and is administered by the NIA and AFAR.
To read more about the Beeson program, please visit, www.beeson.org. _____________________________________________ BIG Research Could Lead to Breakthroughs in Increased Lifespan and Prevention of the Development of Cancer Two Researchers Selected for $200,000 Prize
Thomas Rando, MD, PhD, associate professor, Stanford University, and Yuji Ikeno, MD, PhD, assistant professor, University of Texas Health Science Center, were selected as recipients of the Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award sponsored by the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and the American Federation for Aging Research. Established in 2005, the BIG Award provides $200,000 for high risk, innovative research that offers significant promise of yielding transforming discoveries in the fundamental biology of aging.
Dr. Rando will carry out a new line of research that goes back to the classic paper by John Cairns concerning what is often referred to as the "immortal strand" hypothesis of DNA replication – a fundamental question in biology and one with clear relevance to the biology of aging. Dr. Rando will investigate how stem cells are able to divide throughout the life of an individual to give rise to new cells in tissue, such as new skin cells or cells in the blood, without acquiring mutations in their DNA and causing cancer. He will seek to identify ways the body is able to limit the development of cancer as individuals age, a time when the disease is most likely to occur. Understanding these basic mechanisms may also reveal ways in which cancer could be further prevented or treated.
One of the most widely accepted theories in aging research is the free radical or oxidative stress theory of aging, which states that age-related loss of physiological function is due to the progressive accumulation of oxidative damage. Dr. Ikeno’s research seeks to understand the protective role of a major antioxidant in obese mammals. His initial research found that overexpression of the antioxidant Cu/ZnSOD resulted in a significant increased lifespan and a reduction in age-related pathologies in a strain of rat that is characterized by obesity. These findings did not occur in mice that were not obese. Dr. Ikeno’s research will further determine whether overexpression of Cu/ZnSOD will increase lifespan and reduce age-related pathologies in other obese rodents, such as mice fed a high-fat diet. The outcome of his research could provide important clues in preventing age-related pathological changes associated with obesity in humans.
About the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research _____________________________________________ Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Commits $5 Million
to the Study of Why and How We Age Boosts Much-Needed Support for Biomedical Research
This summer, the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, founded by philanthropist Paul F. Glenn, announced a $5 million commitment to the American Federation for Aging Research to provide grants to scientists studying the biology of aging and age-related diseases. This grant provides timely support as current cutbacks in federal funding jeopardize the careers of hundreds of promising investigators who are working to understand how aging influences disease.
The Glenn Foundation funds will go toward the AFAR Research Grant Program and the Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Awards. AFAR Research Grants provide start-up funding to scientists in the early phases of their careers, enabling them to study the basic mechanisms of aging, age-related diseases and processes underlying common geriatric functional disorders. The Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology Awards support innovative higher-risk research that may offer significant promise of yielding transforming discoveries in the fundamental biology of aging that could lead to major new insights into the factors that regulate aging.
About the American Federation for Aging Research
_____________________________________________ AFAR would like to thank the sponsors of its 2008 grant programs:
AFAR Research Grants
Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer’s Disease
Julie Martin Mid-Career Awards in Aging Research
Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Awards
Paul Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research
Paul Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Program for the Island of Ireland
Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Senior Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research Program
Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research Program
Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program
_____________________________________________ Our Grantees: Talking Trash with Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD
2000 AFAR Research Grant Recipient and 2008 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research Award
Dr. Cuervo’s interest in aging research and her specific field of focus stems from her experiences in medical school. "When I was in medical school, I became very interested in geriatrics, and in particular why some people age so well while others seem to go into such fast decay," said Dr. Cuervo. "I was very lucky to be accepted into the groups of Dr. Erwin Knecht and Dr. Fred Dice as a post-doc, both of whom introduced me to the field of protein turnover and in particular to lysosomes and the dramatic consequences the loss of function this organelle has on cells and organisms," she added. Dr. Cuervo has brought her enthusiasm to the lab at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, and her work along with that of her colleagues, has produced astounding insight and potential interventions for diseases associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even cancer and diabetes.
Dr. Cuervo is an associate professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Structural Biology and of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is also a member of the Liver and Aging Centers at the same institution. She obtained her MD and PhD degrees from the University of Valencia (Spain) in 1990 and 1994, respectively. She is a 2000 AFAR Research Grant Recipient, as well as the first recipient of the Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star in Aging Research Award.
_____________________________________________ Other News: Save the Dates – October 6 and 7, 2008
Back to Basics – AFAR Awards Dinner
Peter D. Meldrum, president and CEO, Myriad Genetics, Inc., Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD, CEO and vice chair, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, and John W. Rowe, MD, professor, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, will be among the honorees at AFAR’s annual awards dinner, taking place on October 6, 2008, at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Please join AFAR as we celebrate the remarkable advances in the field of aging research and recognize the individuals, corporations, and foundations that have made significant contributions.
For more information, please contact Nancy O’Leary at 212-703-9977 or Nancy@afar.org.
AFAR to Host Conference on Aging and the Biology of Cancer
On October 6 and 7, 2008, AFAR will host a premier scientific conference, "Aging and Cancer: Two Sides of the Same Coin?" that will explore fundamental aspects of aging and cancer processes and their interactions, both from the basic research and translational perspectives. The conference will be held at the Union League Club, located at 38 East 37th Street, NYC. For more information and to register, please visit our web site, http://www.afar.org/cancerconf.html or contact Stacey Harris at 212-703-9977 or Stacey@afar.org.
2. AFAR Awards Nearly $13 Million to Scientists Studying Biology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases
3. The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation and AFAR Award New Generation of Alzheimer’s Researchers
4. Mid-Career Research on Aging Supported by More than $1 Million in Grants from The Ellison Medical Foundation
5. Thirteen Scientists Named Beeson Scholars and Receive $10 Million to Support Research on Age-Related Diseases and Clinical Care
6. BIG Research Could Lead to Breakthroughs in Increased Lifespan and Prevention of the Development of Cancer
7. Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Commits $5 Million to the Study of Why and How We Age
8. Thank you to the sponsors of AFAR's 2008 grant programs
9. Our Grantees: Talking Trash with Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD
10. Other News
Hani Atamna, PhD
Assistant Professor
The Commonwealth Medical College
Julie Dumas, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
University of Vermont
Read about all of AFAR’s 2008 AFAR Research Grant recipients
Christopher Conrad, PhD
Assistant Professor
Columbia University
Koichi Iijima, PhD
Assistant Professor
Thomas Jefferson University
Suman Jayadev, MD
Acting Assistant Professor
University of Washington
Ling Qi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Cornell University
Inna Slutsky, PhD
Lecturer
Tel Aviv University
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation (www.thegilbertfoundation.org) invests in programs in the areas of College Access, Healthcare and Israel. In addition, The Foundation funds Arts Education & Culture in Los Angeles, Jewish Programs in Los Angeles, and Universities in California. In the area of Alzheimer’s disease, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation focuses its grantmaking on the advancement of research by junior investigators in the United States and Israel and investments in Alzheimer’s disease caregiving.
Opportunities for scientists to exercise their imaginations and explore new directions are remarkably hard to find within today’s research framework. Science itself is usually a painstakingly slow, deliberate, and expensive process. Research progress is hard to direct and even harder to predict. Progress is usually made by incremental advances in knowledge that build on current knowledge. The U.S. scientific infrastructure is generally geared to supporting the slow, steady march of progress. Investigators frequently have difficulty obtaining financial support through traditional sources to follow up novel ideas or observations that challenge current dogma. Yet these are the very creative opportunities that may foster a "quantum leap" or "paradigm shift" in scientific understanding, eventually contributing to advances in human health. The Ellison Medical Foundation’s goal is to respond to that need, providing scientists with the resources, freedom, and flexibility to pursue high-risk research that could have a scientific impact worldwide. The Foundation expects that its programs will stimulate exciting innovative research that will improve lives and influence future discoveries.
Sarwat Chaudhry, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, "Comorbidity and Functional Outcomes in Older Patients with Heart Failure"
Stephen Todd, MD, Queens University of Belfast, "Investigation of Platelet beta-secretase Activity in Alzheimer’s Disease"
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research was founded in 1965 to extend the healthy productive years of life through research on the mechanisms of biological aging. For more information, visit www.glennfoundation.org/.
AFAR is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support biomedical research on aging. It is devoted to creating the knowledge that all of us need to live healthy, productive, and independent lives. Since 1981, AFAR has awarded more than $113 million to nearly 2,500 talented scientists as part of its broad-based series of grant programs. Its work has led to significant advances in our understanding of the aging process, age-related diseases, and healthy aging practices. AFAR communicates news of these innovations through its organizational web site www.afar.org and educational web sites Infoaging (www.infoaging.org) and Health Compass (www.healthcompass.org).
AFAR Board of Directors
Dorothy Dillon Eweson Endowment
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
The Partners of Goldman Sachs & Company
David W. Gore
F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc.
Diane Nixon
Pfizer Inc
The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation
Joseph L.K. Snyder Trust
The Starr Foundation
The Irving S. Wright Endowment
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
The Ellison Medical Foundation
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
National Institute on Aging
The Atlantic Philanthropies
The John A. Hartford Foundation
The Starr Foundation
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
and an anonymous donor
The Atlantic Philanthropies
The Ellison Medical Foundation
The Ellison Medical Foundation
National Institute on Aging
Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York
The John A. Hartford Foundation
Lillian R. Gleitsman Foundation
Taking out the trash is usually not something to get excited about. But for Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD, taking out the trash, the cellular trash that is, couldn’t be more of a thrill. As Dr. Cuervo launches into her explanation of the many intriguing and innovative research projects taking place in her lab, it becomes apparent just why her job is so exciting.
October 6, 2008
Grand Hyatt, NYC
October 6-7, 2008
Union League Club, NYC