Clin-STAR Journey Story

Building transdisciplinary support for aging research through related professional societies

Drs. Lauren Ferrante and Nathan Brummel’s research focuses on the intersection of critical care and aging/geriatrics. They are working together to drive interdisciplinary efforts that will advance geriatric research. By combining their expertise and efforts with support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA)’s Clin-STAR initiative, multiple professional societies are now fostering interdisciplinary research and programming that will improve outcomes of older adults who need critical care.

Both Ferrante and Brummel are recognized leaders in the fields of critical care and aging research, and their career pathways share many commonalities. Both received funding from NIA’s GEMSSTAR R03 program and went on to complete Beeson Career Development Awards. While Ferrante investigated how factors before and after intensive care unit (ICU) stays impact outcomes in older adults, Brummel studied the long-term outcomes of physical activity in older adults with critical illness. When asked what sparked their interest in this interdisciplinary focus, Brummel recalls being inspired by seeing an ICU patient walking while receiving ventilator support. His desire to understand how to improve mobility and outcomes for more patients during critical illness has enabled him to work with several different specialties. During her residency, Ferrante noticed the large number of older adults in the ICU and was immediately drawn to the unique concerns of older adults. Building on landmark epidemiology and ICU outcomes research published around the same time, she pursued fellowship training in both aging research and pulmonary and critical care medicine and began investigating the functional outcomes of older ICU patients.

Their active interest in critical care and aging populations is why Thomas Gill, MD, introduced the two researchers to each other over a decade ago. Shortly after their introduction, they attended a breakfast session at the 2014 American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting. Experts from various specialties discussed how they were introducing geriatric-specific approaches to their fields, but no one was addressing the specialties of critical care or pulmonary medicine. Together, Drs. Ferrante and Brummel decided to fill that gap and begin the process of engaging related professional societies to support studies and guidelines that focus on specific, evidence-based practices to improve the outcomes of older adults admitted to the ICU.

They began by contacting the assembly chair for the American Thoracic Society (ATS), who advised them on how to apply to create a working group. By 2016, their working group was approved and had 16 members—many of whom had also received NIA GEMSSTAR funding. “The benefits of a GEMSSTAR award extend beyond the financial research support. You are introduced to a network of professionals who are dedicated to aging research.” This working group led to an increase in the amount of programming at ATS that was focused on critical care and aging issues. They then applied to create the ATS Aging Interest Group. “After two years, ATS requires working groups to sunset. We were initially concerned about this transition, but moving from a working group to an Interest Group greatly expanded the breadth of involvement across the ATS.” Today, ATS’s Aging Interest Group has four subgroups, and Ferrante and Brummel co-chair the Critical Care subgroup. The other subgroups include Palliative Care, Geriatrics in Pulmonary, and Lung Aging. Each subgroup works to organize collaborative sessions, mentoring opportunities, and discussions focused on interdisciplinary research and guidance. Now, aging/geriatrics is an area that is firmly embedded in the ATS. “There is so much more awareness and enthusiasm about aging research and the care of older adults at ATS,” Ferrante stated. Brummel supported this observation by saying, “Aging research has moved from a niche interest to a core topic that is fully integrated at ATS conferences.”

Building upon their success, Ferrante and Brummel began working with the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) to allow them to reach other critical care specialties. SCCM has a broad interprofessional membership including surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, and researchers. In addition to forming an interest group and increasing the amount of programming at conferences, including a full-day Geriatric Critical Care track at the 2025 Congress, Ferrante and Brummel received support from SCCM to spearhead the development of a clinical practice guideline that is focused on older patients in the ICU. They gathered leaders in the field, and the final product will be published in 2026. It will be the first guideline of its kind.

When asked what advice they would give to those pursuing the creation of aging research-focused groups in other professional societies, Brummel commented, “Know how your society works. Identify who is responsible for reviewing applications and motions.” Ferrante recommended “working within your society to build momentum and help them understand the importance of your initiative.” Both physicians declared that Clin-STAR can be an instrumental resource in helping others achieve these milestones in their careers. “You have a network of like-minded folks,” said Ferrante, “and the Clin-STAR Database can be valuable as you seek collaborators and experts for different initiatives and projects…[Clin-STAR] has funding mechanisms that can cover the costs of bringing in visiting professors who can inspire teams and advance aging-focused projects.” Brummel continued, “The [Clin-STAR] community is not pretentious. The senior experts are available, engaging, and supportive.”

Looking ahead, Brummel and Ferrante want to establish a nationwide network that will enable innovative research dedicated to interdisciplinary medicine for the aging population. “During our work on the forthcoming guideline for older adults in the ICU, the methodologists consistently confronted a lack of data. There is an urgent need for critical care trials focused on the older ICU population.” Infrastructure will be needed to create a network of institutions and investigators capable of conducting high-quality trials and studies to enhance the care of the large and growing aging population. These two investigators are hopeful that such a network will not only advance aging research but will also enable additional training opportunities specific to critical care and aging.

Together, Drs. Brummel and Ferrante are making a difference and demonstrating how interdisciplinary partnerships in geriatric and critical care medicine will enable better care and better outcomes.