The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has chosen Rita B. Effros of the University of California, Los Angeles as the 2007 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 60th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16th - 20th, 2007 in San Francisco, CA. The actual conferral will occur on Sunday the 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the Hilton San Francisco. The convention is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among clinical, administrative, and research professionals who specialize in the study of the aging process.
Effros is a pioneer and champion of T cell senescence and is largely responsible for a growing number of young investigators entering this field. She and her collaborators were the first to provide pre-clinical evidence for telomerase-based therapies in the area of immune-related diseases such as HIV/AIDS, inspiring an active drug development program at the Geron Corporation.
She received her PhD in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania under the mentorship of Peter C. Doherty, the 1996 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Effros's more than ten publications with him were part of the body of work for which the prize was awarded.
The 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 is the nation's oldest and largest multidisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society - and its 5,000+ members - is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public.