The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has chosen Gerald McClearn, PhD, of the Pennsylvania State University as the 2009 recipient of the Robert W. Kleemeier Award.
This distinction is given annually to a GSA member in recognition for outstanding research in the field of 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.
McClearn is the Evan Pugh Professor of Health and Human Development and Biobehavioral Health in the Department of Biobehavioral Health at the Pennsylvania State University. He is a leading scientist in area of neurogenetics of aging.
He has pioneered several developments in both animal and human fields. His genetic analysis of alcohol preference in mice is a major body of work that advanced the pharmacology of addiction, as well as methods for quantitative behavioral traits. In the area of human research, he is renowned for his studies of cognitive changes in aging twins. Specifically, he played a crucial role in the design and execution of a number of studies based on the Swedish National Twin Registry, which explored the roles of heredity and environment as predictors of changes associated with aging.
McClearn is also a GSA fellow, which represents the Society's highest class of membership.
The Kleemeier Award was created in 1965 in memory of a former president of the Society whose contributions to the quality of life through research in aging were exemplary. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The Kleemeier Award lecture is traditionally one of the conference's highlights.
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.