Member Spotlight
Q&A with 2009 MacArthur Fellow Mary E. Tinetti, MD, from New Haven, CT.
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"I felt both grateful for the opportunity as well as burdened by the responsibility to use this fellowship in the most creative way possible to enhance the health and functioning of our aging population." | |
Meet Mary. |
Q: Tell us how you felt when you were selected a prestigious MacArthur fellow?
A: Needless to say I was very shocked and surprised. I had no idea that I was being considered. Later, I felt both grateful for the opportunity as well as burdened by the responsibility to use this fellowship in the most creative way possible to enhance the health and functioning of our aging population.
Q: How long have you been a GSA member? What GSA member benefit do you like best and why?
A: I have been a GSA member since 1989. I very much enjoy the networking opportunities at the annual meeting. The meeting provides an opportunity not only to get together with people at other institutions doing similar work, but as importantly, to meet and interact with people from a wide range of disciplines. I also enjoy reading the Journal of Gerontology every month.
Q: How as membership in GSA benefited you?
A: Again, the GSA meeting has been a wonderful networking opportunity. Several mentorship relationships and research collaborations have evolved from meeting people at the GSA meeting. Also, publication of much of my earlier work in the Journal of Gerontology has been a major help in my professional development.
Q: How did you get interested in the field of aging?
A: I first became interested in aging as an internal medicine resident at the University of Minnesota. I saw that a lot of older patients were receiving very good care for their diseases but we did not know what to do about their function and disability. The emerging field of Geriatrics seemed to address this gap. I was able to complete a geriatric fellowship under Dr. T. Franklin Williams at University of Rochester while also developing clinical epidemiologic research skills. I found it particularly rewarding to be able to add to the evolving science and methodology of geriatric and gerontologic research.
Q: How do you feel GSA serves the field of gerontology and aging research?
A: GSA is the only organization that brings together the full spectrum of disciplines necessary to address the issues facing the aging population. There is no other group that spans molecular biology (including the newly announced Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn), social sciences, clinical research, health policy and that includes Ph.D.s, M.D.s, nurses, social workers and many others.
Q: What are the key responsibilities at your job?
A: I direct the interdisciplinary Yale Program on Aging which involves a large staff of interviewers, data managers, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians as well as investigators from over a dozen departments at Yale School of Medicine. I mentor medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty in their research. I also remain active in clinical practice in both the outpatient and hospital setting where I help train medical students and residents in clinical care of older adults.
Q: What is your most memorable research/patient experience?
A: Identifying a single experience in 25 years is difficult. Experiences that I find most rewarding include seeing the fruits of our research finally influencing clinical care and watching my mentees evolve into successful researchers or clinician educators. What I find personally most enjoyable is looking at common problems from new and uncommon perspectives.
Q: Do you have any tips for emerging gerontologists?
A: I think the most important thing is identifying your passion. No matter what you do there will be a lot of mundane tasks. If these tasks are in pursuit of something about which you feel passionate, whether it is basic science, clinical research, patient care, or health policy, you will see the utility in these mundane tasks.
Q: Have you had an important mentor in your career? If so, how did it make a difference?
A: Dr. T. Franklin Williams was my initial mentor in geriatrics and gerontology and he has remained a very strong influence throughout my career. I have been fortunate at Yale to have strong support from several outstanding researchers and geriatric clinicians. I have also been able to rely on strong and supportive mentorship by leaders in geriatrics throughout the country. Also, I have a terrific group of peer mentors; we have relied upon each other for advice and feedback throughout our careers. There is no question that all of these mentors have made key differences in my career. I could not, and would not, have accomplished what I have been able to without their support, advice, and feedback.
