The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Derek M. Isaacowitz, PhD, of Brandeis University as the 2009 recipient of the Margret M. & Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology.
This distinguished honor, given annually, recognizes outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 18 to 22, 2009, in Atlanta, GA. 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/am for further details.
Isaacowitz is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Volen National Center for Complex Systems at Brandeis University. His research focuses on emotion in adulthood and old age. He heads the university's Emotion Laboratory, which investigates how people of different ages manage their emotions, and what role attention plays in emotion regulation and maintenance of well-being. The facility uses eye tracking to investigate ways individuals process emotional material from their environment while viewing different types of stimuli.
Isaacowitz received a PhD in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001. He is the recipient of several grants from the National Institutes of Health, and has previously won The American Psychological Association's Division 20 Springer Early Career Achievement Award and the Brandeis University Michael Laban Walzer '56 Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The Baltes award is given to a person from any discipline in the social sciences. Only individuals who have received their doctorate within the last ten years are eligible. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The award is given by GSA in conjunction with the Margret M. & Paul B. Baltes Foundation.
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 of Gerontology in Higher Education.