The environment and commitment to further develop aging research and training, and the recent recruitment of an internationally respected leader in Geriatric Medicine, make this an extremely opportune time for an NIA Career Leadership Award at Emory University. The development of a Center on Aging is a top priority in the strategic plans of both the Medical School and Wesley Woods Center of Emory University. This Award will serve as a critical building block and catalyst in the development of this Center. Since his relocation to Emory two and one-half years ago, the candidate, Joseph G. Ouslander, M.D., has made important progress in expanding aging research and training programs. His current leadership positions, which include Director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Director of the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center, and Vice President for Professional Services at Wesley Woods Center and chair of its Professional Interdisciplinary Strategic Committee, place him in an excellent position to capitalize on the support provided by this Award. The overall goals of this Award are to coordinate aging research, to facilitate the further development of interdisciplinary research and training activities with a special focus on frail older adults in long term care settings, and to provide infrastructure support and leadership as Emory and Wesley Woods develop a Center on Aging. Support from this Award will be critical in addressing two important areas needing further development in our program: aging research with strong interdisciplinary collaboration, and a relative lack of research on frail older adults in long term care settings. The goals of this Award will be accomplished by four specific aims, including: the development and implementation of strategies to enhance interdisciplinary aging research; an interdisciplinary pilot aging research program; the development of a Consortium of long term care facilities interested in participating in research and training programs; and the development and implementation of interdisciplinary training activities. The outcomes of each specific aim will be carefully tracked and evaluated utilizing a number of quantitative measures.
