Press briefings at The Gerontological Society of America’s 56th Annual Scientific Meeting

Saturday, November 22

The Future of Human Longevity: Probabilities and Possibilities (Press Briefing) 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. – GSA Press Room, Marriott Hotel The first briefing of the 56th annual meeting will feature all four members of one of the conference's most prominent symposia. The 2003 Laureate of the Fondation IPSEN Longevity Prize, Dr. James Vaupel of The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Studies, will be joined by Dr. James Carey of UC Davis, Dr. Leonard Hayflick of UC San Francisco, and Dr. Caleb Finch of The University of Southern California. The four will discuss the three main points at the heart of their symposium. First, to present the GSA audience with hard, baseline information about current U.S. and worldwide trends in life expectancy and life span, as well as a synopsis of recent developments and/or breakthroughs in the biology of aging. Second, to discuss from two disciplinary vantage points, the conventional wisdom regarding the future of human life expectancy and life span including views on topics such as life span limits, morbidity compression, and the gender gap. Third, for each speaker to consider the future of human life span in the context of what he considers 'possibility'--the constructive, scenario-building aspects of science that is akin to the conceptual arts. (The symposium itself will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, November 24 in the Columbia Room of the San Diego Marriott Hotel. Members of the press are invited to attend both.)

Research on Cancer and Aging (Press Briefing) 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – GSA Press Room, Marriott hotel Join Dr. Thomas Blank of the University of Connecticut and Dr. Karen Bowman of Case Western Reserve University for an important discussion on cancer survivors and their personal experiences. Dr. Blank is involved in a number of symposia at this year's meeting, all of which are affiliated with GSA's Research on Cancer and Aging Interest Group, which is headed by Dr. Bowman. As many cancers primarily strike older persons and also, as many cancer survivors live for decades after treatment, it becomes increasingly critical to understand psychosocial aspects of cancer among older persons, from decisions and behaviors of screening to long term survival, and to do so across diverse populations. (The briefing will present relevant information from the following presentations: "Cancer And Aging Interest Group: Age And Ethnic Differences From Screening To Survivorship," Sunday November 23 at 1:45 p.m., Upper Level 2 of the San Diego Convention Center; "Cancer and Older Adult Interest Group: Cognitive and Psychological Issues," Sunday, November 23 at 3:30 p.m., Upper Level 2 of the San Diego Convention Center. Members of the press are invited to attend both sessions.)

Sunday, November 23

Gender Differences in Alzheimer's Disease (Press Briefing) 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – GSA Press Room, Marriott Hotel Duke University's Dr. Elizabeth Corder will discuss her recent study on Alzheimer's Disease during Sunday's sole press briefing. She worked with a team of researchers to determine that Elderly women have a higher risk of dementia of the Alzheimer's type (AD). Women have a more rapid pathogenesis for AD, especially for women who carry the established genetic risk factor for AD (the APOE4 allele). Changes in the middle age set the stage for varying patterns of brain aging in later years for men and women. (Dr. Corder's work can be viewed in the Epidemiology and Aging Interest Group Session held Sunday, November 24, at 7 p.m. in San Diego Salon C of the Marriott Hotel. Members of the press are invited to attend both the session and the briefing.)

Monday, November 24

Menopausal Hormone Therapy: What's New, What's Hot? (Press Briefing) 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – GSA Press Room, Marriott Hotel A tremendous amount of attention is being focused on the final GSA Presidential Symposium, which deals with the topic of Hormones and Aging. The speakers are renowned investigators in their fields and are nationally recognized for their expertise. This briefing will allow the press closer access to the team of Ronni Chernoff of the Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System, Elizabeth Barrett-Connor of UC San Diego, Vivian Pinn of the Women's Health Initiative, Susan Resnick of the National Institute on Aging, and Phyllis Wise of UC Davis. The topics discussed will be all-encompassing, including the biology of hormones, the epidemiology of hormone-related therapy, the latest research data on the impact of hormones on cognitive function, the results of current population studies, future research initiatives, and lessons learned from the past year's experience with MHT studies. (The symposium itself will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 24 in San Diego Salon C of the San Diego Marriott Hotel. Members of the press are invited to attend both.)

Media Registration

Members of the media can pre-register for GSA's Annual Meeting by submitting the Media Registration Form, available online at http://www.eshow2000.com/geron/press_reg.cfm. Pre-registrants must check in at the GSA Press Room (Desert Springs Room, Marriott Hotel) to receive their name badge, etc. On-site registration is also available at the GSA Press Room.

Information for Non-Attendees

If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to receive material from the press briefings and/or arrange for telephone interviews with presenters during the Annual Meeting, please contact Todd Kluss at [email protected]. During the Annual Meeting, please call the San Diego Marriott Hotel (619-234-1500) and ask for the GSA Press Room.

For more information, visit the meeting's website at: http://www.eshow2000.com/geron/about_the_meeting.cfm.

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), founded in 1945, is the oldest and largest national multidisciplinary scientific organization devoted to the advancement of gerontological research. Its membership includes some 5,000+ researchers, educators, practitioners, and other professionals in the field of aging. The Society's principal missions are to promote research and education in aging and to encourage the dissemination of research results to other scientists, decision makers, and practitioners.