50th Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association - We are requesting funds to support the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association (AGE) that will
take place on May 17-20, 2022 in San Antonio, TX. The 50th Annual AGE Meeting will be held in conjunction
with the Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging biennial Geroscience Symposium
(May 17). The American Aging Association is the only scientific society in the United States focused solely on
the biology of aging. The annual AGE meeting is one of the premier meetings in biogerontological research and
serves as a critical activity through which AGE advances its mission to promote biomedical aging studies towards
increasing the functional life span of humans, keep the public informed on these activities, increase knowledge
of biogerontology among health care professionals, and foster the scientific and professional career development
of AGE trainees and scientific members. The primary goal of the conference is to convene senior and junior
scientists in a forum where the latest discoveries in aging research are discussed and debated, highlight exciting
new research in the field, and promote the emergence of new ideas and collaborative activities among
participants. The theme for the AGE 50th annual meeting is “Changing the way we age: 50 years of research in
the biology of aging”. At this very special occasion of the Association’s 50th anniversary, the 2022 AGE meeting
will feature junior and senior participants representing areas of major advances in the field in the first 50 years
of AGE. The invited speakers include prominent established scientists, early career investigators, and trainees,
all of whom will be selected based on the quality and impact of their science. For the 50th meeting in San Antonio,
9 non-competing oral sessions will be held along with three special lectures, one of which will be open to the
general public. Fostering the next generation of biogerontologists is a primary goal of the society; therefore, one
of the sessions will be organized in its entirety by the Trainee Chapter of AGE. In addition, a minimum of two
speakers in each of the sessions, and usually three or four, will be early career investigators or trainees selected
from submitted abstracts. A poster session will be scheduled that will not compete with oral presentations and
poster presenters will be given the opportunity to present their posters in a two-minute oral “poster pitch” during
the regular sessions. Gender parity will be achieved and approximately 50% of all speakers will be early career
or trainees and at least 20% will be from underrepresented minority groups. We expect that the meeting will be
held in person with a live-streamed virtual component. The organizers will also be prepared to conduct the
meetings virtually or in an in person-virtual hybrid format if needed. We will adhere to established meeting
guidelines, including ensuring that day care opportunities and special need access will be provided.