2011 Grant Recipients

AFAR Research Grant Program

Gil Atzmon, PhD, Assistant Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Epigenetic profile in aging and healthy life span
Bas Baaten, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute: The regulation of mucosal immunity to influenza virus in the aged NALT
Claire Benard, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School: Neuronal aging: impact of life-extending manipulations on neuronal structure and function and their interactions with neuronal maintenance mechanisms
Arunabh Bhattacharya, PhD, Instructor, University of Texas Science Center at San Antonio: 12/15-lipoxygenase pathway derived lipid mediators in the regulation of age-related muscle atrophy
Arjumand Ghazi, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh: Study of Reproductive Signals that Regulate Aging
Ian Lanza, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic: Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Opportunities as Aging Countermeasures
Daniel Llano, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Illinois: Changes in auditory cortical circuitry in aging: Exploration of the links between aging and the cortical circuitry of attention
Christopher Park, MD/PhD, Assistant Member, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research: The role of microRNAs in stem cells of the aging hematopoietic system
Leah Siskind, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina: Regulation of kidney glycosphingolipid metabolism by caloric restriction during aging
Guang Yang, PhD, Assistant Member, New York University Medical Center: In vivo studies of age-related decline in synaptic plasticity

AFAR Affiliate Research Grant Program

Benedek Erdos, MD, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, University of Florida: Age-related dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system and blood pressure; the role of hydrogen peroxide

New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease

Einor Ben Assayag, PhD, Head of Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center: Stress vulnerability and post-stroke cognitive decline
Robert Morrison, PhD, Assistant Professor, Loyola University: Electrophysiology of Category Learning in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Salvatore Oddo, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Science Center at San Antonio: beta2 adrenergic receptors as mediators of the A-beta-induced cognitive decline
Ramit Ravona-Springer, MD, Instructor, Sheba Medical Center: Dietary factors, inflammation and cognitive decline in diabetic elderly
Subhojit Roy, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego: Neuronal trafficking and metabolism of key proteins in Alzheimer's disease and novel intervention strategies.

Julie Martin Mid-Career Awards in Aging Research

Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, Associate Professor, Buck Institute for Research on Aging: The Role of Muscle Dependent Changes in Lipid Metabolism upon Dietary Restriction in Drosophila Melanogaster
Terrence Town, PhD, Associate Professor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: Re-balancing TGF-beta Signaling in Age Alzheimer's Rats

Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award

Thomas Johnson, PhD, Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder: Dissection of the Stochastic Mechanisms Underlying Differential Longevity in Isogenic Populations of C. elegans
William Sonntag, PhD, Professor, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center: Mechanisms for the Early Pleiotropic Actions of IGF-1 on Aging

Paul Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research

William J. Ehlenbach, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: Cognitive Outcomes and Neuropathology in Older Adults Following Critical Illness
Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado Denver: Vitamin D and Immunosenescence in Older Long-Term Care Residents
Alison Huang, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Residence, University of California, San Francisco: A Multidimensional Approach to Urogenital Aging in Older Women
Richard King, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Utah: Cortical Complexity Changes in Normal Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Heidi Klepin, MD, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Wake Forest University Health Services: Minimizing Physical Function Decline in Older Adults Receiving Chemotherapy
Sei Lee, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco: Individualizing Treatment for Nursing Home Residents with Diabetes Mellitus
Dan Matlock, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver: Implanted Defibrillators and Older Adults: A Model of Decision and Technologies
Keith Vossel, MD, MSc, Research Scientist, UCSF/J. David Gladstone Institutes: Mechanisms and Treatment of Network Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellows

Eperanza Arias, PharmD, PhD, Research Associate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Changes in the crosstalk between autophagic pathways with age

Hua Bai, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown University: Identification of dFoxO direct targets regulation lifespan in drosophila melanogaster

Michael Bonkowski, PhD, Postdoctoral Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Caloric Restrictioin-Like Regulation of the Neuroendocrine Axis by SirT1

Julien Couthouis, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania: New ALS and FTLD disease genes: role of RNA-binding proteins

Nan Jiang, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown University: Increased loss of heterochromatic repression with age in drosophila

Shane Kruse, PhD, Senior Fellow, University of Washington: Mild oxidative stress induces mitochondrial uncouplin and energy sensitive signaling in vivo in aged skeletal muscle

Vyacheslav Labunskyy, PhD, Research Fellow, The Brigham and Women's Hospital: Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Aging

Samar Lowalekar, MBBS, Postdoctoral Fellow in Surgery, VA Boston Healthcare System: Loss of Caveolae Alters ROS Generation in the Aging Bladder

Florian Muller, PhD, Research Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Reversion of Aging-related brain atrphy by telomerase re-activation

Roderick O'Sullivan, PhD, Research Associate, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Modulating histone production to extend cellular lifespan of human cells

Yanfang Rui, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine: Disruption of Mitochondria Trafficking in Synaptic deficits of neurodegenerative diseases

Adeel Safdar, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: The role of muscle PGC-1alpha in Systemic Rejuvenation: Can Aging Be Reversed?

Marton Toth, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rutgers University: Mechanisms Influencing C. elegans Neuronal Aging

Jennifer Wanat, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pennsylvania: The role of TERRA in regulating replicative senecece

Jia-Min Zhuo, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University: Functional disconnection in alzheimer's disease and its potential rescue by optogenetics

Medical Student Training in Aging Research Program

Subhan Ahmad, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

Armen Aivazi, Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Rachel Arakawa, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii

Jonathan Arnold, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Imran Aslam, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

Caroline Bader, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Rosemary Bailey-Pridham, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Michelle Barlow, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Braca Benizry, Indiana University School of Medicine

Alisa Berman, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Caitlin Biedron, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Daniel Branch, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

Noam Broder, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Maria Brown, Ohio State University College of Medicine

Elizabeth Burch, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

John Burkett, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Garrett Burnett, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

Catherine Callister, University of Utah School of Medicine

Tony Chen, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Bo Chen, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Vincent Cheng, University of Kansas School of Medicine

Anthony Choi, Weill Cornell Medical College

Danisa Clarrett, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Jennifer Coben, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

Denrick Cooper, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Jonathan Copp, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Nicole Cruz, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

Pavan Dalal, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Francesco Dandekar, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Michelle Dang, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Alvin Day, University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Theodore De Beritto, University of Utah School of Medicine

Rykoff Ritchie Mae Delara, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Liezel Dimaano, UCSF School of Medicine

Emily Dubina, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Michelle DuMond, Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Catherine Duncan, Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Allison Early, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Molly Easterlin, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Murray Echt, SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

Mitchell Eggers, Baylor College of Medicine

Dennis English, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

Amanda Ernst, Medical College of Wisconsin

Carly Fabrizio, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey

Francis Felice, Baylor College of Medicine

Megan Feng, Ohio State University College of Medicine

Jeanne Feuerstein, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Elisha Fredman, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Jenna Fritsch, Indiana University School of Medicine

Bess Gao, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

Alina Goldenberg, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Anna Goldenheim, Boston University School of Medicine

William Goodson, UCSF School of Medicine

Elizabeth Griffiths, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Emily Guh, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Nina Guo, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Tyler Gutkoski, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Luke Habegger, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Tiffany Harris, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine

Pehr Hartvigson, University of Washington School of Medicine

Sydney Harvey, University of North Texas Health Sciences Center at Fort Worth

Sana Hava, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine

Peter Hawkins, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Sannya Hede, Baylor College of Medicine

Julia Herbert, University of Washington School of Medicine

Salman Hirani, UT Southwestern Medical School

Li-Wen Huang, Duke University School of Medicine

Jessica Hubbs, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Megan Hughes, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Cameron Isaacs, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Marriyam Jawad, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Rebecca Kamil, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Brandon Kandarian, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Monica Katz, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Soo Jeong Kim, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Shannon Klebe, Duke University School of Medicine

Daniel Krall, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Gregory Kulhman, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Dulanji Kuruppu, Indiana University School of Medicine

Kevin Kwak, Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Minh-Phuong Le, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Dane Lee, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Amanda Leiter, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Anne Levenson, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Seth Levin, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Mimi Levine, Weill Cornell Medical College

Blair Limm, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Nancy Lin, UT Southwestern Medical School

Kaleigh Lindeman, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Matthew Lowery, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine

Felix Lui, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii

Stephanie Lukas, University of Washington School of Medicine

Shazia Lutfeali, Georgetown University School of Medicine

Elizabeth MacLean, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Marnonette Marallag, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

Samuel Mathis, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of Medicine

Chance Moore, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Lorraine Myers, Indiana University School of Medicine

Suvi Neukam, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Brian Nuyen, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Serena Michelle Okoronkwo, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, University of Rochester School of Medicine

Michelle Park, Western University of Health Sciences

Jared Pate, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

James Peairs, Boston University School of Medicine

Israel Pena, Jr., Baylor College of Medicine

Irina Perjar, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Adam Phillips, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Cleveland Piggott, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

David Priemer, Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Haider Rahbar, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Akriti Raju, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

MIchelle Ramirez, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Kendra Reed, University of South Alabama College of Medicine

Mary Alice Richter, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Toni Ann Riveros, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Lindsay Rothenberg, Stony Brook University School of Medicine

Tiranun Rungvivatjarus, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Sheila Rustgi, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Kelley Saunders, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Jessica Schancupp, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Linda Scheider, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Supriya Shah, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

Pamela Sheridan, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey

Maheen Siddiqi, Medical College of Wisconsin

Jason Smart, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

Ellen Snyder, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Jamie Sparling, Boston University School of Medicine

Anna Stecher, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Jerrod Steimle, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Katharine Tam, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Darrell Tran, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Eric Trieu, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Dana Turker, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Andrea Vo, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Zoe Vomberg, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Sarah White, UCSF School of Medicine

Sean Wo, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Peter Wroe, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Albert Wu, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine

Michael Wu, UT Southwestern Medical School

Victoria Yeh, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Ayhan Yoruk, George Washington University School of Medicine

AFAR-GE Healthcare Junior Investigator Awards

Mark L. Andermann, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Fabio Demontis, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Rahul S. Desikan, MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, San Diego

Duygu Tosun, PhD, Associate Researcher Scientist, University of California, San Francisco

Hartford Scholars in Geriatric Medicine

Christina Bell, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii

Sophiya Benjamin, MD, Assistant Professor, Duke University Center for the Study of Aging

Andrea Berg, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Harvard University

Marian Betz, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver

Annette Beyea, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of North Carolina

C. Barrett Bowling, MD, Instructor and Third Year Medical Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Lisa Boyle, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester

Sara Bradley, MD, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Kathryn Callahan, MD, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Kellie Campbell, MD, MA, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Sandy Chang, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor, Yale University

Jessica Colburn, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

Linda DeCherrie, MD, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Jessica Eng, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Boston University

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD, Assistant Professor, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Kristine Erlandson, MD, Instructor, University of Colorado Denver

Manuel Eskildsen, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Emory University

Emily Finkelstein, MD, Assistant Professor, Weill Medical College of Cornell

Denise Flinn, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Jesse Foote, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Harvard University

Cesar Garcia, MD, Advanced Medical Fellow, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Suzanne Gillespie, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Rochester

Tanya Gure, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Anne Halli-Tierney, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Angela Hanson, MD, MS, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of Washington

Heather Herrington, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Katriina Hopper, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Yale University

Deborah Huang, MD, Third Year Medical Fellow, University of Washington

Megan Huisingh-Scheetz, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of Chicago

William Hung, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Alana Iglewicz, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of California San Diego

Michiko Inaba, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii

Lee Jennings, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of California Los Angeles

Scott Kaiser, MD, Fourth Year Medical Fellow, University of California Los Angeles

Helen Kao, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Amy Kelley, MD, MHSH, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Dae Hyun Kim, MD, Instructor, Harvard University

Heidi Klepin, MD, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Fred Ko, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Ilona Kopits, MD, Assistant Professor, Boston University

Chandrika Kumar, MD, Assistant Professor, Yale University

Won Lee, MD, Assistant Professor, Boston University

Sei Lee, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Pearl Lee, MD, Clinical Lecturer, University of Michigan

Christine Liu, MD, Assistant Professor, Boston University

Jeanne Maglione, MD, PhD, Second Year Medical Fellow, UCSD

Dan Matlock, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver

Sonal Mehta, MD, Assistant Professor, Weill Medical College of Cornell

Isaura Menzies, MD, MPH, Senior Instructor in Medicine, University of Rochester

David Merrill, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California Los Angeles

Lillian Min, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, University of Michiga

Supriya Mohile, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, University of Rochester

Neelesh Nadkarni, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

John Newman, MD, PhD, Second Year Medical Fellow, UCSF

Ugochi Ohuabunwa, MD, Assistant Professor, Emory University

Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Dennis Popeo, MD, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Heather Riggs, MD, Fourth Year Medical Fellow, Indiana University

Saleha Sajid, MD, Third Year Medical Fellow, University of Chicago

Jeffrey Sanders, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of California San Diego

Jason Schillerstrom , MD, Assistant Professor, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Krupa Shah, MD, MPH, Instructor, University of Rochester

Brijen Shah, MD, Assistant Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Armin Shahrokni, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, University of California Los Angeles

Kendra Sheppard, MD, Instructor and Advanced Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Alexander Smith, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Gabriel Solomon, MD, Clinical Lecturer, University of Michigan

Margarita Sotelo, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Keith Stowell, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Stasa Tadic, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Katherine Thompson, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Shachi Tyagi, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Ipsit Vahia, MD, Assistant Project Scientist, University of California San Diego

Gijsberta van Londen, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Elizabeth Vaughan, MD, Assistant Professor, Emory University

George Wang, MD, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Peter Ward, MD, Third Year Medical Fellow, University of California Los Angeles

Eric Widera, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Ilse Wiechers, MD, Instructor, Yale University

Brie Williams, MD, Assistant Professor, University of California San Francisco

Yanping Ye, MD, Assistant Professor, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio

Megan Young, MD, Second Year Medical Fellow, Boston University

Ezequiel Zamora, MD, Third Year Medical Fellow, University of North Carolina