AFAR is pleased to announce the recipient of our 2023 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction, Rafael De Cabo, PhD.
This award is named in honor of AFAR’s founder and recognizes exceptional contributions to basic or clinical research in the field of aging. Established in 1982, the award is a framed citation and carries a cash prize of $5,000.
Dr. de Cabo’s research has focused on improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of caloric restriction on aging, and pharmacological interventions for healthy aging. In addition to his several important discoveries, one of the most relevant aspects of his research is the focus on the prevention of age-related functional decline. His work on calorie restriction in mice and his key involvement in the integration of the two nonhuman primate projects are providing unique datasets to query and learn from for years to come. Equally impactful are Dr. de Cabo’s contributions in the development of interventions to enhance healthy aging; his research on age-targeting therapeutics is paving the way for translation into the clinic.
In addition to authoring or coauthoring 320 publications to date, Dr. de Cabo is also Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Gerontology Biological Sciences, serves on the editorial boards of Aging Cell, BBA-Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Aging Research Reviews, Longevity & Healthspan, Impact Aging, and AGE, and is one of the founding editors of Microbial Cell.
Dr. de Cabo is Senior Investigator of the Experimental Gerontology Section, and Chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as a recipient of AFAR’s 2014 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research.
The Irving S. Wright Award is one of AFAR’s three annual Scientific Awards of Distinction. These awards will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in November 2023, where Dr. de Cabo will present a lecture on his research.
Discover past Irving S. Wright Award winners here.
Read a related press release on Dr. de Cabo’s award here.
