News Release

Lipsitz earns GSA's 2018 Donald P. Kent Award

Grant and Award Announcement

The Gerontological Society of America

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Lewis A. Lipsitz, MD, FGSA, of Harvard Medical School (HMS), the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) as the 2018 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award.

This distinguished honor is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society. It was established in 1973 in memory of Donald P. Kent, PhD, for his outstanding leadership in translating research findings into practical use.

The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 14 to 18 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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/2018 for further details.

Lipsitz has served at HMS and its affiliated teaching hospitals for more than 40 years. He currently serves as director of the Institute for Aging Research and chief academic officer at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, where he holds the Irving and Edyth S. Usen and Family Chair in Medical Research. Lipsitz also serves as the chief of the Division of Gerontology at BIDMC, also in Boston.

Following his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1977, Lipsitz moved to Boston for his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in geriatric medicine at BIDMC. He subsequently became a National Institute on Aging (NIA) academic awardee in 1983 and began a systematic series of epidemiologic and physiologic studies evaluating syncope and abnormal blood pressure regulation in older adults.

He was the first to identify postprandial hypotension in the older adults and subsequently acquired funding for his studies through an NIA-funded program project, which he directed for 23 years. This program project supported the prospective, observational MOBILIZE Boston Study, which has elucidated several novel risk factors for falls. He currently directs an independent NIA-funded research program on the mechanisms, management, and prevention of impaired mobility and cognition in older people. Lipsitz is also a GSA fellow, which is the highest category of membership within the Society. He is also a previous recipient of GSA's Joseph T. Freeman Award.

###

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 Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.