From May 31- June 2, 2023, AFAR hosted the joint annual Paul F. Glenn/AFAR Conference on the Biology of Aging in Santa Barbara, California. AFAR grantees, senior leaders the field, and foundation representatives convened to hear reports on AFAR-supported research and share insights on emerging directions in the field.
The event featured presentations, panel discussions, and a poster session where more than thirty AFAR grantees and Nathan Shock Center pilot awardees presented their research, along with numerous opportunities for networking.
A range of AFAR-affiliated experts and colleagues presented, including 2019 Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) awardees Ursula Jakob, PhD, and Norbert Perrimon, PhD; AFAR Senior Scientific Director Steven N. Austad, PhD; and AFAR 2021 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research recipient Jamie N. Justice, PhD. Additional speakers from academic and biotech sectors included AFAR grantee Mina Sedrak, MD, MS, of City of Hope; Susanna Rosi, PhD, of Altos Labs Bay Area Institute; and AFAR grantee Bess Frost, PhD, of UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Carl Bergstrom from the University of Washington provided the keynote address discussing misinformation in and about science.
A vital source of scientific exchange, and inspiration, the annual conference is a unique opportunity for emerging and established leaders in aging research to gather. As speaker Susanna Rosi, PhD, noted afterwards, “It was lovely to meet everyone in-person in Santa Barbara. It was such a small, intimate, and welcoming community. I [was glad] to be part of it!”
To learn about AFAR’s grant programs, click here.
AFAR is grateful to the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, as well as the many attendees, speakers, and researchers, for their help in making these annual meetings possible.
