AFAR Awards of Distinction

Each year at our awards dinner, AFAR honors leaders in science, business, and philanthropy for their contributions to the field of aging.

To date, AFAR has given more than 30 of our awards of distinction: the AFAR Award, the George E. and Marie J. Doty Award, the Honorary Leadership Award, and the Icon of Aging Award.

AFAR Awards

  • Brian Daniels, MD, Senior Vice President of Global Development and Medical Affairs - Bristol-Myers Squibb (2012)
  • Mehmood Khan, MD, CEO, Global Nutrition Group and Chief Scientific Officer - PepsiCo (2011)
  • Sam and Ann Barshop, Founders of the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (2010)
  • Sylvain Durrleman, MD, PhD, Vice President and Head of Aging Therapeutic Strategy - Sanofi-Aventis Research and Development, France (2010)
  • Bill Novelli, Professor, McDonough School of Business - Georgetown University; former CEO - AARP (2010)
  • Clarence E. Pearson, Global Health Advocate (2010)
  • John C. Erickson, Chairman and Founder - Erickson Retirement Communities (2009)
  • Husseini K. Manji, MD, FRCPC, Global Head - Neuroscience Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development (2009)
  • Peter D. Meldrum, President and CEO - Myriad Genetics, Inc. (2008)
  • Christoph Westphal, MD, PhD, CEO and Vice Chair - Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (2008)
  • Diane A. Nixon, Board Member - AFAR (2007)
  • John L. (Launny) Steffens, Managing Director, Spring Mountain Capital (2007)
  • Allen D. Roses, MD, Senior Vice President - Pharmacogenetics GlaxoSmithKline (2007)
  • Douglas J. LaVigne, Senior Vice President, Business Management - Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. (2006)
  • Richard L. Sprott, PhD, Executive Director - The Ellison Medical Foundation (2005)
  • Zach W. Hall, PhD, President - California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (2005)
  • Joseph M. Feczko, President, Worldwide Development - Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals (2004)

George E. And Marie J. Doty Awards

  • Howard P. Milstein, Founder and Chairman - Milstein Medical Asian American Partnership (MMAAP) Foundation, and Chairman - Milstein Program of Geriatrics (2019)
  • Jim Mellon, Chairman and Co-Founder - Juvenescence Limited (2018)
  • Edward Lanphier, Founder - Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. (2017)
  • Roger J. Ferguson, Jr., President and CEO, TIAA (2016)
  • Peter G. Peterson, Founder and Chairman - Peter G. Peterson Foundation (2016)
  • Roger Nitsch, MD, Founder and President,Neurimmune (2015)
  • Andrew Sieg, Managing Director and Head of Global Wealth & Retirement Services, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (2014)
  • Andrew Chan, MD, PhD, and Michael Varney, PhD, Genentech (2013)
  • The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation (2013)
  • Nancy M. Kissinger, Trustee Emerita - Rockefeller University (2013)
  • Michael Hodin, PhD, Adjunct Senior Fellow - Council on Foreign Relations; Executive Director - The Global Coalition of Aging (2012)
  • Fredric B. Garonzik, AFAR Emeritus Director, Former Partner - Goldman Sachs & Co. [posthumous recognition] (2009)
  • John C. Whitehead, Former Depute Secretary of State and Co-Chairman - Goldman Sachs & Co. (2009)
  • Norman H. Volk, Chairman - The John A. Hartford Foundation (2006)
  • Lawrence J. Ellison, Chief Executive Officer - Oracle Corporation (2004)

Honorary Leadership Awards

  • Mikael Dolsten, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer - Pfizer (2021)
  • Sami Sagol, Founder - Sagol Network (2021)
  • Alan Alda, Founder - Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science (2019)
  • Nathaniel "Ned" David, PhD, Co-Founder and President - Unity Biotechnology (2017)
  • Johannes J. Baensch, PhD, Former Chief Scientific Officer - Nestlé Skin Health S.A. (2016)
  • George M. Martin, MD, Professor of Pathology Emeritus - University of Washington School of Medicine (2015)
  • Corinne H. Rieder, EdD, Executive Director and Treasurer - John A. Hartford Foundation (2014)
  • Rose W. Dobrof, DSW, Brookdale Professor of Gerontology - Hunter College; Founding Director of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Longevity (2011)
  • Robert N. Butler, MD, President and CEO - International Longevity Center (2009)
  • John W. Rowe, MD, Professor - Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University (2008)
  • T. Franklin Williams, MD, Former Director - The National Institute on Aging; Board Member Emeritus - AFAR (2007)
  • Rev. Monsignor Charles J. Fahey, AFAR Emeritus Board Member; Marie Ward Doty Professor of Aging Studies Emeritus - Fordham University (2006)
  • Hinda Rosenthal, President - The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation (2006)

Icon of Aging Awards

  • Katy Fike, PhD, Co-Founder - AGING2.0; Managing Director - Generator Ventures (2019)
  • Prachi J. Vakharia, Founder - WOMANIUM (2019)
  • Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO - The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute (2016)