New York, NY (April 2, 2026)— Today, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Health in Aging Foundation announced Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, MA as the recipient of the Arti Hurria Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in Internal Medicine that are focused on the Care of Older Adults. Dr. Cudjoe is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology with joint appointments at the John Hopkins University Schools of Public Health (Epidemiology) and Nursing. Dr. Cudjoe will receive the Arti Hurria Memorial Award at the AGS 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS26), held Thursday, April 30 th – Saturday, May 2 nd with pre-conference days April 27 th -April 29 th .
“Dr. Cudjoe’s dedication to advancing the care of older adults and strengthening the foundation of aging research truly embodies the spirit of the Arti Hurria Memorial Award,” said Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHS, FACP, AGSF, President of the American Geriatrics Society. “His research examining the health effects of social isolation among older adults is impactful, helping to illuminate one of the most pressing yet underrecognized challenges in aging. His commitment to mentoring junior scholars and fostering the next generation of aging researchers further amplifies his contributions, and we are honored to recognize his work at #AGS26.”
Dr. Cudjoe completed his residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins. His personal experiences as a caregiver, along with his clinical interactions, guided his research path where he is focused on understanding the influence of social connection on health and on developing and implementing interventions that address social isolation in older adults. His contributions on the epidemiology of social isolation are highly cited and leveraged by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in its toolkit on social isolation (https://www.nia.nih.gov/ctctoolkit) as well as in studies examining the influence of social isolation on key health outcomes, including dementia and homebound status.
The recipient of a National Institute on Aging (NIA) GEMSSTAR award and currently a K23 and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Amos award grantee, Dr. Cudjoe’s work has been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), JAMA Internal Medicine , Nature Aging , and has been highlighted in the New York Times and on National Public Radio. He has received numerous awards, including the 125 Living the Hopkins Mission award and the Army Humanitarian Service Medal, and has contributed to multiple National Academies discussions on social isolation.
Dr. Cudjoe’s clinical practice is focused on providing home-based care to older adults. He has served in many leadership and mentoring roles, including in his current positions as the Director of Community Engagement, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and the Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging T32 Training program. He is a past chair of the AGS Junior Faculty Research Special Interest Group and currently serves on the JAGS editorial board.
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Our 6,000+ members include geriatricians, geriatrics nurse practitioners, social workers, family practitioners, physician associates, pharmacists, and internists who are pioneers in serious illness care for older individuals, with a focus on championing interprofessional teams, eliciting personal care goals, and treating older people as whole persons. AGS is an anti-discriminatory organization. We believe in a society where we all are supported by and able to contribute to communities where ageism, ableism, classism, homophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other forms of bias and discrimination no longer impact healthcare access, quality, and outcomes for older adults and their caregivers. AGS advocates for policies and programs that support the health, independence, and quality of life of all of us as we age.
About the Health in Aging Foundation
The Health in Aging Foundation is a national non-profit established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to bring the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics healthcare professionals to the public. We are committed to ensuring that people are empowered to advocate for high-quality care by providing them with trustworthy information and reliable resources. We also help nurture current and future geriatrics leaders by supporting opportunities to attend educational events and increase exposure to principles of excellence on caring for older adults. For more information or to support the Foundation's work, visit HealthinAgingFoundation.org .
About the Arti Hurria Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in Internal Medicine Who are Focused on the Care of Older Adults
Arti Hurria, MD, namesake of this award, joined the AGS in 2006 and championed some of our most influential programs connecting colleagues outside geriatrics to our principles, and to the rewards of supporting health, safety, and independence for us all as we age. Dr. Hurria, who sadly passed away in November 2018, believed in the need to infuse geriatrics into all specialties. She not only put that belief into action but also became a model for making it a priority across clinical care, research, and education. The Arti Hurria Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in Internal Medicine Who are Focused on the Care of Older Adults recognizes the geriatrics-focused accomplishments of junior and mid-career clinician-investigators in general internal medicine and its specialties. Chosen from a review of hundreds of research presentations, the Hurria Awardee presents ground-breaking scholarship on the geriatrics aspects of their specialty in a special plenary session at the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting.
About the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting
The AGS Annual Scientific Meeting is the premier educational event in geriatrics, providing the latest information on clinical care, research on aging, and innovative models of care delivery. More than 2,600 nurses, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, long-term care and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, and others will convene virtually April 30 – May 2, 2026 (pre-conference days: April 27-29) to advance geriatrics knowledge and skills through state-of-the-art educational sessions and research presentations. For more information, visit https://meeting.americangeriatrics.org/ .