image: Nir Barzilai, MD, will receive the 2026 George M. Martin Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) at an awards ceremony on November 5 at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeeting in National Harbor, MD.
Credit: Image courtesy of Albert Einstein College of Medicine
New York, NY and National Harbor, MD -- The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), a national non-profit whosemission is to support and advance healthy aging through biomedical research, will host its annual Scientific Awards of Distinction ceremony in conjunction with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), onThursday, November 5, 2026, from 2:30pm-4:00pm ET in Room 313/315 at National Harbor, MD.
AFAR Scientific Director Steven N. Austad, PhD, will host the ceremony and present the awards to Nir Barzilai, MD (2026 George M. Martin Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award), Lauren B. Gerlach, DO, MS (2026 Terrie Fox Wetle Rising Star Award in Health Services and Aging Research), and Richard J. Hodes, MD (2026 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction).
Award recipients will share lectures and remarks. A reception will follow.
Nir Barzilai, MD, will receive the 2026 George M. Martin Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award.The award is named in honor of George M. Martin, MD (1927-2022), a pioneer in the field of aging research and AFAR’s Scientific Director for more than a decade, who devoted his long, distinguished career to growing the field of aging research while fostering the careers of junior colleagues. The award recognizes individuals who during their careers demonstrated extraordinary mentorship in the field of aging research. The award is a plaque and carries a cash prize of $5,000.
Dr. Barzilai is the Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair of Aging Research, Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Genetics, as well as Director of the Institute for Geroscience and the BIO-VITAL Batia and Idan Ofer program for Validation of Interventions Targeting Aging and Longevity, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Barzilai will share remarks.
Lauren B. Gerlach, DO, MS, will receive the 2026 Terrie Fox Wetle Rising Star Award in Health Services and Aging Research, named in honor of Dr. Wetle, who has devoted her professional career to improving the lives of older persons. The award is given to a health services researcher who has made important contributions that will be highly influential in shaping practice and research for decadesto come. Established in 2020, the award is a framed citation and carries a cash prize of $5,000.
Dr. Gerlach is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan.
She will present the lecture, "Medicating Distress in Older Adults: What National Data Tell Us About Prescribing, Policy, and Care.”
Richard J. Hodes, MD, will receive the 2026 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction. Established in 1982, AFAR’s most long-standing award is named after our founder and recognizes exceptional contributions to basic or clinical research in the field of aging. The award is recognized with a framed citation.
Dr. Hodes is the Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
He will present the lecture, "Advances in Aging Science and Innovation at NIA: Remarks from the NIA Director."
"AFAR's Martin, Gerlach, and Wright awards are named in honor of farsighted scientists, and the recipients are chosen for their leadership and accomplishments," notes Stephanie Lederman, EdM, AFAR Executive Director.
"This year's awardees join an impressive roster of scientists and practitioners who are advancing and applying research to improve health for older adults."
Nominations for AFAR’s Scientific Awards of Distinction are by invitation and are judged by independent panels of leading aging researchers. Learn more about the awards history and past recipients here.
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About AFAR - The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For nearly half a century, AFAR has served as the field’s talent incubator, providing more than $225 million to over 4,500 investigators at research institutions to date—and growing. In 2026, AFAR expects to provide approximately $6,522,000 to 56 investigators through a range of programs. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high-quality grant programs and inter-disciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay—or even prevent—many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late—or too early—to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life—at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org.