Dr. Janey Peterson Receives Paul B. Beeson Career Development Award in Aging Research
Dr. Janey Peterson, assistant professor of clinical epidemiology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been awarded the prestigious Paul B. Beeson Career Development Award in Aging Research from the National Institute on Aging and the American Federation for Aging Research.
Dr. Janey Peterson
The Beeson award program supports primarily physician-scientists who are committed to advancing knowledge about the basic mechanisms of aging, prevention and management of illness. Every year, a limited number of outstanding junior faculty are chosen from medical schools nationwide and awarded grants from between $600,000 to $800,000 for three to five years to conduct aging-related research.
Dr. Peterson, who is a clinical epidemiologist and behavioral scientist and received her clinical training as a nurse, was selected in August for a $720,596, four-year grant to develop a physical activity intervention for older adults with multiple high-risk chronic diseases. She joins a cadre of 193 other Beeson Scholars who, since the program's establishment 19 years ago, are committed to academic careers in aging-related research, training and practice. Beeson Scholar designation tends to be career changing and establishes awardees in their area of aging research as a result of the flexible and generous funding, the outstanding support system of Beeson mentors and alumni, extensive networking opportunities and the selection of scholars from the top medical schools and research institutions. In addition to the NIA, the award is sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A. Hartford Foundation.
"I am deeply honored to have received this award and to represent Weill Cornell as a Beeson Scholar," Dr. Peterson said. "The award will enable me to advance my career as a leading investigator in aging research. The other 193 Beeson Scholars are now my colleagues, collaborators and mentors."
"I congratulate Dr. Peterson on receiving this prestigious and most deserved award, which reflects her dedication to improving the lives of older adults," said Dr. Mark Lachs, co-chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Irene F. and I. Roy Psaty Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine and professor of medicine. "Dr. Peterson's honor is significant for countless reasons, not the least of which being that she is the first nurse to receive the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Award in Aging Research. As her Beeson mentor and an alumnus of the Program, I take great pride in her achievement, as does the entire Weill Cornell community."
While physical activity interventions have been developed to help older adults who are frail or at risk of disability, and can preserve or even improve function in the elderly, none have been expressly designed for the growing number of people with multiple chronic diseases, who are two to four times more likely to develop functional impairments over the course of just a few years.
Working with colleagues and mentors from Weill Cornell and Cornell University, Dr. Peterson previously developed Positive Affect Induction for Regular Exercise (PAIRE), an intervention that employs positive affect to promote physical activity in patients with cardiovascular disease. Positive affect, a feeling of happiness and wellbeing, is a personality trait associated with lower risk of mortality, improved function and less pain in epidemiological samples and clinical cohorts. Positive affect can be induced by seemingly small interventions, such as small, unexpected gifts or listening to music, and has been shown in studies to enhance positive feelings, lead to higher self-efficacy, increase intrinsic motivation and promote flexible thinking and healthier behaviors, she said.
Using the Beeson grant, Dr. Peterson will develop a new PAIRE intervention that specifically targets the needs of older adults with multiple high-risk chronic diseases to motivate and maintain their physical activity.
Dr. Theodore Schwartz Wins Gentle Giant Award
Dr. Theodore Schwartz
Dr. Theodore Schwartz, professor of neurological surgery, was awarded the Gentle Giant Award from the Pituitary Network Association during a ceremony Nov. 8 at Griffis Faculty Club.
The award, the association's highest honor, recognizes individuals who have significantly advanced the field of pituitary disorders through patient care, education and pituitary medicine. Dr. Schwartz was honored for his work with Dr. Vijay Anand, clinical professor of otolaryngology, in advancing the use of endoscopy in pituitary surgery.
"It is a great honor to receive the Gentle Giant Award and to be recognized as having contributed to the field of pituitary tumor surgery," Dr. Schwartz said. "Ultimately, the lives of our patients and their outcomes are the most satisfying aspect of this work and I am appreciative of the opportunity to utilize these new, minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of patients suffering with pituitary tumors.
"These tumors are benign and curable," he added, "and returning patients to a normal life after surgery is the ultimate goal."
In recent years, Weill Cornell and its affiliate NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have become world leaders in endoscopy pituitary surgery, Dr. Schwartz said. He and his team recently published a textbook on endoscopic pituitary surgery, and educate medical providers about these latest surgical approaches through Weill Cornell continuing education courses, at the Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center's Surgical Innovations Lab, and at medical centers around the world.
The Pituitary Network Association is an international nonprofit for patients with pituitary tumors and other disorders. It also serves patients' families, loved ones and their health care providers. The association's mission is to support, pursue, encourage, promote and fund research on pituitary disorders.
Additional Awards and Honors
Dr. Thanakorn Jirasevijinda, associate professor of pediatrics (education), was an invited speaker at the Ciclo Internacional de Workshops em Comunicação Clínica e Profissionalismo hosted in September at the University of Porto, Portugal. The University of Porto is the largest education and research institution in Portugal which hosts doctors from May to December to present on topics related to current standards in clinical care.
Dr. Lee Shearer, assistant professor of medicine and assistant professor of medicine in pediatrics, received the James Horowitz Award for Chief Resident in July. This annual award, now in its second year, is given to one NewYork-Presbyterian chief resident of any discipline for outstanding resident advocacy.