Irina Timofte, MD | University of Texas Southwestern
Competition Sponsor: US National Academy of Medicine
Award year: 2021 Recently there is a growing interest in developing effective interventions to slow the aging process and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Drugs that inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR inhibitors)…

Lisa Fournier, Doctorate | Texas State University
Competition Sponsor: US National Academy of Medicine
Award year: 2021 “Joi” is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Virtual Assistant to improve emotional well-being and independence for people living with dementia (PLWD), especially those aging-in-place. A positive emotional atmosphere is important for PLWD to thrive…

Xi Ren, PhD; Albert Hofman, MD, PhD; Lewis Lipsitz, MD | Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Competition Sponsor: US National Academy of Medicine
Award Year: 2021 When a car is zigzagging, it may be due to the car being compromised, or the road being slippery, or both. Aging…

Kate Hyun, PhD; Seri Park, PhD | University of Texas at Arlington
Competition Sponsor: US National Academy of Medicine
Award year: 2021 The National Highway Safety Administration showed that the population of people 65+ increased by 32 percent from 2009 to 2018 while traffic crash fatalities of this age group…

Konrad, Robert, PhD; Nitish Padmanaban, PhD; Kevin Boyle, PhD | Zinn Labs
Competition Sponsor: US National Academy of Medicine
Award Year: 2021 With age, humans gradually lose the ability to focus to near distances. By their late 40s, most people struggle to view objects within arm’s reach clearly, making it…