Posted on September 16, 2012

Ellison Medical Foundation, American Federation for Aging Research Announce 2012 Postdoctoral Research Fellows

The Ellison Medical Foundation and the American Federation for Aging Research have announced the winners of the 2012 Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research awards.

The program, which is designed to address the need for researchers able to examine critical yet fundamental issues in the biology of aging, provides grants ranging from $46,346 to $60,962 to help young scientists establish themselves in the field of aging research. Research by the latest cohort of fellows includes efforts to pinpoint mechanisms in the brain through which estrogen enhances memory; an examination of the causes and consequences of age-related metabolic imbalances; a study of cells that may play a role in the maintenance of muscle tissue as it ages; and the search for genes associated with both elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and longevity.

EMF is a longtime supporter of the program, which originally focused on senior postdoctoral researchers. The program was expanded in 2008 to include postdoctoral scientists at all levels of training, while also increasing the number of awards made.

"We want to attract talented young investigators to work in aging research and nurture their scientific curiosity and creativity," said EMF executive director Kevin Lee. "Traditional sources of funding to train the next generation of researchers have been stretched to the limit, so we have stepped into the breach to help address this important issue."

For a list of this year's fellows and descriptions of their research projects, see the AFAR Web site.