Speaker: Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Aging

Sponsored by the Karen L. Wrenn Lectureship

(NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Hodes, a leading
researcher in the field of immunology, was named to head the NIA in
1993. The NIA leads the Federal effort supporting and conducting
research on the biological, clinical, behavioral and social aspects of
aging. Basic biologic research is examining genetic and other factors
influencing aging, how they affect longevity and the development of
age related diseases. Dr. Hodes also directs the Federal effort to find
effective ways to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease and improve
care for those living with dementia. Cutting edge research conducted
and supported by the NIA, often in collaboration across institutes at
the NIH, has helped to revolutionize the way we think about
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Studies in genetics, basic
mechanisms, imaging and biomarkers have spurred the development
of potential therapies aimed at a variety of targets and the testing of
interventions at the earliest signs of disease. A graduate of Yale
University, Dr. Hodes received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.