2019 AFAR Awards Dinner

November 7, 2019, Lotte New York Palace

Awards Dinner

AFAR supporters and scientists gathered for our Annual Awards Dinner and Symposium at Lotte New York Palace.

Emmy Award-winning host and producer Meredith Vieira served as master of ceremonies.

AFAR presented the George E. and Marie J. Doty Award to geroscience philanthropist Howard P. Milstein, Founder and Chairman of the Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership (MMAAP) Foundation and Chairman, Milstein Program of Geriatrics.

AFAR presented the Honorary Leadership Award to actor, author, and science advocate Alan Alda, founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.

We also recognized Pinchas Cohen, MD, with the Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction and Nathan LeBrasseur, PhD with the Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research.

A new Fox Wetle Award in Health Services and Aging Research also was announced.

Dinner Highlights

Actor, author, and science advocate Alan Alda, founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, accepts the Honorary Leadership Award.

Geroscience philanthropist Howard P. Milstein, Founder and Chairman of the Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership (MMAAP) Foundation and Chairman, Milstein Program of Geriatrics, accepts the 2019 George E. and Marie J. Doty Award.

Pol Vandenbroucke, PhD, of Pfizer and Michael Hodin, PhD, of the Global Coalition on Aging, summarize the AFAR Scientific Symposium, which took place earlier that afternoon.

Scientific Director Steven N. Austad, PhD, and Deputy Scientific Director Nir Barzilia, MD, introduce the 2019 Honorary Scientific Awards of Distinction.

AFAR Executive Director Stephanie Lederman (left) and Board member and Past President Fox Wetle, PhD (right) celebrate a new named award in Dr. Wetle's honor.

Board member Ned David, PhD, of Unity Biotech, led a toast to AFAR grantees.

Read

Learn more about this year's honorees.

Download the Dinner Journal

Watch

Experience this year's dinner and speeches.

Watch The Dinner Video

Scientific Symposium

Earlier in the day, leaders across the public health, pharmaceutical, research and communications sectors gathered for a symposium roundtable, Adult Vaccinations: Opportunities for Healthy Aging, Barriers to Engagement.

AFAR Board Member and CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging Michael W. Hodin, PhD, moderated the discussion.

Panelists included:

Todd A. Black, PhD, Executive Director of Infectious Diseases/Vaccines [Basic Research] at Merck Research Laboratories
Sarah Chase, Chief Operating Officer at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Sean X. Leng, MD, PhD, AFAR 2006 Beeson Scholar, Professor of Medicine/Geriatrics at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the President of the Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership (MMAAP) Foundation
Pol Vandenbroucke, MD, AFAR Board Member and Chief Medical Officer at Pfizer Inc

Respondents included:

Nir Barzilai, MD (AFAR Scientific Director, Albert Einstein College of Medicine); Richard Besdine, MD (AFAR Medical Officer, Brown University); Harvey Jay Cohen, MD (AFAR Board Member, Duke University); Pinchas Cohen, PhD (AFAR grantee, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology); Ned David, PhD (AFAR Board Member, Unity Biotech); Donald Edmonson, PhD (Columbia University Science of Behavior Change Center); Mehmood Khan, MD (Life Biosciences); Nathan LeBrasseur, PhD (AFAR grantee, Mayo Clinic); and Fox Wetle, PhD (AFAR Board Member, Brown University).

The program was presented in partnership with the Global Coalition on Aging and with the support of Pfizer, Inc, Merck, and Life Biosciences.

Symposium Highlights

James Appleby, MPH, of the Gerontological Society of America, Sarah Chase of Alda Communication Training Co.. and Todd A. Black, PhD, of Merck, discuss how to communicate vaccination at our Symposium roundtable.

AFAR Board Member and CEO of the Global Coalition on Aging Michael W. Hodin, PhD, moderates discussion.

AFAR Immediate Past President Harvey Jay Cohen, MD, Scientific Director Nir Barzilai, MD, and Board Member a Pol Vandenbroucke, MD, in a lively conversation.

AFAR Grantees Pinchas (Hassy) Cohen, MD,Sean X. Leng, MD, PhD, and Nathan LeBrasseur, PhD were among the Symposium respondents.

We are grateful to all of our participants and sponsors for being involved in this year's Symposium roundtable.