CEO Blog

To kick off 2026 on a positive tone, I want to express my continued gratitude for the many roles our members play in advancing our understanding of aging, supporting the next generation of researchers, and improving our lives as we age. At GSA’s recent Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, I asked our opening session audience to take on one more role: that of scientist-citizens.

In my last blog, I shared that GSA became a partner on the new Americans for Medical Research campaign to educate policymakers and the public about the vital role played by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in funding scientific research. Now, GSA members are invited to the campaign’s first virtual training session focused on communicating the value of medical research.

I am excited to announce that GSA and several other scientific societies are engaged in a new campaign, Americans for Medical Research, led by Research!America. Our goal is to educate policymakers and the public about the vital role played by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in funding scientific research.

One of my favorite sessions at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting is the Donald P. Kent and Robert W. Kleemeier Award Lectures. It’s a wonderful opportunity to hear from the top scientists in our field and to celebrate the Society’s highest awards.

As we are in the midst of our late-breaking paper and poster submission period (deadline: August 21) for the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, I’ve been reflecting on all the hard work it took to bring us to this point.