Clin-STAR Distinguished Professorship

Sponsored educational and mentorship activities to raise visibility of aging research at annual meeting of non-aging specialty professional societies.

Group Leadership Glow

About Clin-STAR Distinguished Professorship

Raising Visibility of Aging Research at Annual Meetings of Professional Specialty Societies
Invite a clinical scientist in aging research to speak at a non-aging specific specialty or subspecialty society meetings.

For most professional specialty societies, the annual meeting is the highlight of the year. Indeed, a sizable proportion of members typically attend their specialty meeting, including a large contingent of junior faculty, fellows, and other trainees. Hence, the annual meeting provides a superb platform for raising the visibility of geriatrics and gerontology among its members and, in turn, for enhancing aging-related research and education, with the ultimate goal of improving the care of older persons.

The Clin-STAR Distinguished Professorship provides up to $4,000 to support visiting professor honorarium, travel expenses, meeting registration fee, and award(s) for best aging/geriatrics presentations and/posters. Meeting and travel must be within the US.

At this time, travel must be completed by 4/30/26.

Search the Clin-STAR Database to identify researchers across disciplines, specialties, and expertise.

Desired Characteristics of the Distinguished Professor

Potential candidates for the Distinguished Professorship Program should be recognized leaders in geriatrics and gerontology. Desired characteristics include:

  • An outstanding track record of mentorship of junior faculty, fellows, or other trainees
  • Charismatic with superb interpersonal skills
  • Untiring advocate for geriatrics and gerontology
  • The candidate should not usually attend the annual meeting.
Activities at Annual Meeting

The Distinguished Professor should be asked to participate in a range of activities at the annual meeting. Specific activities should be tailored to the unique skills of the Distinguished Professor and should be targeted preferentially to junior faculty, fellows, and other trainees. Examples include:

  • Giving a keynote lecture, moderating poster and/or paper sessions
  • Conducting small group and/or one-on-one mentoring sessions
  • Hosting a table of early-stage investigators at an Awards lunch
  • Meeting with the Geriatrics/Aging Interest group and/or the Society’s leadership/council.

Please note:

  • Webcasting and hosting of keynote lecture encouraged
  • Food and beverages may not budgeted

Examples of Clin-STAR Distinguished Professor Activities by Specialty Societies

Report and Evaluation

A short report should be submitted to the Clin-STAR National Program Office within 60 days after the meeting. The narrative report should describe:

  • The Distinguished Professor’s activities
  • The number of participants attending the organized activities
  • Any awards granted (e.g., aging research posters or travel awards)
  • Other materials such as photos, handouts, etc.
  • Expenses
  • Description of overall experience for society and participants

Distinguished Professor Experiences

Clin-STAR-Funded Distinguished Professor Malaz A. Boustani at the American College of Cardiology, speaking with attendees about incorporating implementation science into their research (2024).

Clin-STAR-Funded Distinguished Professor Ken Covinsky at the 2024 American Thoracic Society Conference.

In response to Dr. Kuchel’s inspiring distinguished professorship, CAIRIBU is launching an aging-focused interest group and one of their first activities is to draft a summary of the aging-focused talks and breakout groups for a white paper that Dr. Kuchel will help edit and publish.

Researchers Available to Participate

Miles Berger, MD, PhD
Professor; Adjunct Faculty
Stanford University; Duke University
Keywords: postoperative delirium and neurocognitive disorder, anesthetic brain sensitivity, prodromal/preclinical neurodegenerative disease pathology, novel roles for APOE4 in AD

Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH
Richard M. Fairbanks Professor of Aging Research
Indiana University School of Medicine
Keywords: physician scientist with research interests in designing, implementing, evaluating, sustaining and scaling Brain healthcare solutions with a special focus on agile science including the science of innovation and implementation

Cynthia Boyd, MD, MPH
Director and Professor
Johns Hopkins University
Keywords: multimorbidity, deprescribing, person and family-centered care, outcomes research

Cathleen Colon-Emeric, MD, MHS
Professor of Medicine, Chief Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Duke University
Keywords: Physical resilience, osteoporosis/fracture prevention, skilled nursing facility research, models of care development

Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH
Edmund G Brown Distinguished Professor of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco

Keywords: Disability in Older Persons, Hospitalization Associated Disability, Functional Status in Older Patients, Prognostication in Older Persons, Overuse and Underuse of Health Care in Older Persons, Career Development Talks: Academic Publishing: A guide for early career investigators; K award secrets

William Dale, MD, PhD
Vice Chair, Academic Affairs, Supportive Care Medicine; Director, Center for Cancer & Aging
City of Hope National Medical Center
Keywords: cancer & aging, geriatric oncology, medical decision making, supportive care, value-based care

Stacie Deiner, MS, MD
Professor and LeRoy Garth Vice Chair for Research
Dartmouth Health
Keywords: postoperative neurocognitive disorders, delirium, frailty, anesthesia

Sara E. Espinoza, MD
Professor, Director of the Center for Translational Geroscience
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Keywords: improving the geriatric syndrome of frailty and healthspan in older adults utilizing a translational approach and clinical trials, effect of metformin on several hallmarks of aging, including cellular senescence, mitochondrial function, and epigenetic modifications, ADRD, geroscience

Daniel Forman, MD
Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Chair, Section of Geriatric Cardiology, Divisions of Geriatrics and Cardiology
University of Pittsburgh
Keywords: Geriatric Cardiology, Translation of Geroscience into Clinical Care, Cardiac Rehabilitation in Older Adults, Resilience and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Exercise Training for Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease, Frailty and Cardiovascular Disease

S. Duke Han, PhD, ABPP-CN
Professor of Psychology, Family Medicine, Neurology, and Gerontology
University of Southern California
Keywords: cognition, cognitive aging, financial decision making, neuroimaging, early dementia, financial vulnerability, neuropsychology

Richard Frank Loeser, Jr., MD
Distinguished Professor and Director, Thurston Arthritis Research Center
University of North Carolina
Keywords: aging and osteoarthritis, aging, oxidative stress and osteoarthritis

Donovan Maust, MD, MS
Professor
University of Michigan
Keywords: psychotropic and opioid use among older adults with and without dementia, workforce care to older adults with dementia, psychotropic prescribing

Dan Matlock, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Keywords: implementation science, shared decision making

Lona Mody, MD, M.S
Hickey Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Michigan

Keywords: translational research (Career Trajectories), preventing Infections, implementation science: complex methods, grantsmanship: tools of trade

Alison A. Moore, MD, MPH
Director, Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Chief, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care
University of California San Diego

Keywords: Alcohol and cannabis use in older adults, trials of behavioral interventions addressing substance use, and cultural adaptations. Health equity, Leadership in aging research and geriatrics. Mentorship.

R. Sean Morrison, MD
Professor and Chair, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Keywords: palliative medicine, models of care delivery, aging and exposome, health policy

Thomas Robinson, MD
Professor, Surgery-GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Keywords: GI, trauma and endocrine surgery, perioperative issues in geriatric patients

Mara Schonberg, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Keywords: shared decision-making around cancer screening or breast cancer treatment in older adults

Dorry Segev, MD, PhD
Professor of Surgery and Population Health
NYU Langone
Keywords: frailty, prehabilitation, cognitive decline, ESKD and aging, organ transplantation and aging; data science, risk prediction, artificial intelligence, cohort studies, clinical trials

Michael Steinman, MD
Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics)
University of California, San Francisco
Keywords: deprescribing; polypharmacy; pharmacoepidemiology; multimorbidity; research program development; mentorship

Kristine Yaffe, MD
Professor of Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco
Keywords: epidemiology of AD/ADRD; brain health, prevention of AD/ADRD, lifecourse approach