The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Daniel L. Smith Jr, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as the 2016 recipient of the Nathan Shock New Investigator Award.
This distinguished honor is given for outstanding contributions to new knowledge about aging through basic biological research. It was established in 1986 to honor Nathan Shock, PhD, a founding member of GSA and pioneer in gerontological research at the National Institutes of Health.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from Nov. 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.
Smith is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research focuses on nutrition and metabolism in relationship to aging and disease by using a number of model organisms, including budding yeast, zebrafish, and rodents. He is currently exploring the impact of reduced carbohydrate exposure by pharmacologic means in comparison with calorie restriction in rodent models, along with high-throughput quantitative methods to study the effect of nutrition on cellular lifespan using the yeast model. These types of studies aim to identify dietary interventions/optimization to increase lifespan and prevent disease across organisms.
Smith also is a GSA fellow, which represents the Society's highest class of membership.
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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.