image: NIH researcher Rafael de Cabo, PhD receives AFAR 2023 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction view more
Credit: image courtesy of NIH
The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), a national non-profit organization whose mission is to support and advance healthy aging through biomedical research, is pleased to recognize the exemplary contributions of Rafael de Cabo, PhD, to the field of aging research through the 2023 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction.
This award is named in honor of AFAR’s founder and recognizes exceptional contributions to basic or clinical research in the field of aging. Established in 1982, the award is a framed citation and carries a cash prize of $5,000.
Dr. de Cabo is Senior Investigator of the Experimental Gerontology Section and Chief of the Translational Gerontology Branch at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His research has focused on improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of caloric restriction on aging and pharmacological interventions for healthy aging. In addition to his several important discoveries, one of the most relevant aspects of his research is the focus on the prevention of age-related functional decline. His work on calorie restriction in mice and his key involvement in the integration of two nonhuman primate projects are providing unique datasets to query and learn from for years to come. Equally impactful are Dr. de Cabo’s contributions in the development of interventions to enhance healthy aging; his research on age-targeting therapeutics is paving the way for translation into the clinic. In addition to authoring or co-authoring 320 publications to date, he is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Gerontology Biological Sciences, serves on the editorial boards of Aging Cell, BBA-Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Aging Research Reviews, Longevity & Healthspan, Impact Aging, and AGE, and is one of the founding editors of Microbial Cell. Dr. de Cabo received AFAR’s 2014 Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research.
“Across his research career, Dr. de Cabo has been a leader in translating our understanding of fundamental processes of aging into lifestyle interventions and drug therapeutics to extend healthspan,” notes Stephanie Lederman, EdM, Executive Director, AFAR. “A valued collaborator and trusted expert, he carries on the visionary commitment of AFAR’s founder to advancing research that will help us all live healthier, longer.”
The Irving S. Wright Award is one of AFAR’s three annual Scientific Awards of Distinction, in addition to the Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research and the Terrie Fox Wetle Rising Star Award in Health Services and Aging Research. Nominations for the awards are judged by a panel of leading aging researchers. To date, AFAR has presented 44 Wright Awards,16 Cristofalo Awards, and 4 Wetle Awards.
Dr. de Cabo will receive the Wright Award at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in November 2023, where he also will present a lecture on his research.
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About AFAR The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For more than four decades, AFAR has served as the field’s talent incubator, providing more than $193 million to nearly 4,350 investigators at premier research institutions nationwide. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high quality grant programs and interdisciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay—or even prevent—many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late—or too early—to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life—at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org.