The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Steven L. Wolf, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FAHA, of the Emory University School of Medicine as the 2016 recipient of the Excellence in Rehabilitation of Aging Persons Award.
This distinguished honor is given annually to acknowledge outstanding contributions in the field of rehabilitation. The awardee's work may be in the areas of teaching or patient care, or publications that may include scholarly works, books, monographs, administrative directives, or public policy papers.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16 to 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2016 for further details.
Wolf is a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine within the Emory University School of Medicine. His professional career has spanned more than 50 years and has involved clinical practice, teaching, research, mentoring, and writing.
His work has changed the way that physical therapists approach intervention in key areas of rehabilitation -- including, but not limited to, fall prevention in older adults and upper extremity function post-stroke. Through his research, Wolf has explored novel therapeutic interventions, including machine-based balance training and Tai Chi among both robust and transitionally frail older adults. He has developed novel approaches to improving upper extremity function post-stroke, including constraint-induced therapy, task-oriented practice, and a novel robotic arm device.
Wolf has published more than 200 papers, with the majority focused on fall prevention and stroke rehabilitation. His 1996 paper on the use of Tai Chi to reduce frailty and falls in older persons was selected as the Best Paper of the 1990s by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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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 5,500+ 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.