The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Mary Tinetti, MD, MPH, of Yale University as the 2010 recipient of the Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging.
This honor, given annually, recognizes instances of practice informed by research and analysis, research that directly improved policy or practice, and distinction in bridging the worlds of research and practice.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 19 to 23, 2010, in New Orleans, LA. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit www.geron.org/2010 for further details.
Individuals who are mid-career and actively engaged in the conception and development of innovative programs that demonstrate excellence in translating research into practical application or policy are eligible for this prize. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The award is made possible through a generous grant from The New York Community Trust's Maxwell A. Pollack fund.
Tinetti is the Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health in the Division of Geriatrics at the Yale School of Medicine, where she also serves as director of the Yale Program on Aging. She has devoted much of her research to fall prevention for the elderly. She was the first investigator to show that older adults at risk for falling and injury could be identified, that falls and injuries were associated with a range of serious adverse outcomes, and that multifaceted risk-reduction strategies were both effective and cost-effective. She currently is involved in efforts to translate these research findings into clinical and public health practice.
Tinetti was responsible for establishing the successful Connecticut Collaboration for Fall Prevention, which is a large-scale, interdisciplinary program that aims to reduce the effects of injuries by integrating fall prevention exercises into the routine health care of older adults. This novel effort has since been emulated by several other states."
In 2009, Tinetti was the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" Fellowship. She is also a previous winner of GSA's M. Powell Lawton Award.
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,200+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.