Ask the Expert: Hattie Herman

AFAR is proud to participate in 2022 Careers in Aging Week, organized by our long-time partner Gerontological Society of Aging. In celebration this week, AFAR spotlights several of our Grants Program staff, who spearhead our funding and professional support for investigators.

Hattie Herman is AFAR's Program Manager. She began almost 28 years ago in the role, and has seen changes in both her position and the field in that time.

Tell us about your journey into the field of aging research. How did you end up working in grant funding and at AFAR?

My position has morphed somewhat over that time. I had no experience in aging before I came to AFAR, but I did have a background in granting through my time at the Institute for International Education (IIE). I have a liberal arts degree with a focus on music and philosophy, which allows me to value all our applicants equally leaving the science decisions to our expert reviewers.

Describe how your roles and responsibilities support aging researchers or the field at large.

My work at AFAR is dedicated to our applicants and grantees, with the goal of helping them as much as I can to succeed with their research and careers. I focus primarily on running the grant reviews for AFAR’s biology of aging grant portfolio, as well as organizing the annual AFAR Grantee Conference and the Beeson Annual Meeting.

What excites you about the current state of the field?

Aging research has advanced quite a bit since my start at AFAR and is rapidly gaining momentum. With the growth and wider interest in aging, we are excited for what lies ahead!

What advice would you give to someone looking to begin a career in aging, specifically in grant funding?

I would advise new researchers in the field who are interested in our programs to be sure that your proposal is truly an aging project and not a project focused on a condition or disease that occurs in the aged. We have some helpful guidelines on the AFAR website.