CEO Blog

The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences — GSA’s top-rated journal as measured by impact factor for 10 years running — has introduced a new feature within its biological sciences pages that will be of interest to all members. The recently launched Fellows Forum enhances the journal’s connections to the GSA membership by providing a platform for fellows in our Biological Sciences Section to share their insights and experience in the field of aging biology.

Read more: Check out GSA’s New Fellows Forum — Insights on Aging Biology

The next few weeks at GSA offer some prime opportunities to share your science! Not only are we accepting abstracts for the 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting (until March 11), but GSA’s journals have three open calls for submissions across a wide range of disciplines.

Read more: Invitation to Submit Your Scholarship: Opportunities with GSA’s Journals and 2021 Meeting

GSA is now accepting abstract submissions for this November’s Annual Scientific Meeting! This is your chance to advance the science of aging — and as we take stock of the past year’s upheavals, we find that science was one of few arenas that brought us significant hope.

While the development of new COVID-19 vaccines may be the achievement most people remember from this time, there were critical advances in other important areas, too. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director, Dr. Francis Collins, recently authored a blog highlighting many of them.

Read more: Science Again Proves Itself a Winning Investment; Share Yours at GSA 2021!

The U.S. is back as a full-fledged member of the World Health Organization (WHO) — and that bodes well for bringing a quicker end to the pandemic, the success of the “Decade of Healthy Ageing,” and many other things.

One of the first acts of Joe Biden’s presidency was to retract the withdrawal from WHO enacted by the previous administration. And for the icing on the cake, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci has been tapped to represent the U.S. on the WHO Executive Committee.

Read more: With U.S. Back in WHO, Decade Ahead Looks More Promising

This week will witness the inauguration of our 46th president, Joseph R. Biden Jr. The Biden transition team has been navigating the normally delicate transition process made even more complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and an uncooperative outgoing administration.

The new administration finds itself preparing policy responses to multiple policy crises on day one. While acute policy responses will fill the initial weeks of the administration, there are longer-term aging issues that will need to be considered in the year ahead.

Fortunately, GSA has assembled the work of some top scholars to help illustrate many of these issues in the latest Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR), titled “Policy Considerations for a Post-COVID Presidency.”

Read more: Policy Considerations for a Post-COVID Presidency

Happy New Year! If one of your resolutions is to make a positive difference in people’s lives, the first new resource we’ve added to the GSA website in 2021 is an essential tool: COVID-19 vaccine information for older adults.

We recognize that our members are working with older adults and may get questions from family, friends, and colleagues about the COVID-19 vaccine. This fact sheet gives answers to common questions so that GSA members can share accurate information.

Read more: Promote Vaccine Awareness and Change the Course of History

The GSA family begins 2021 mourning the loss of our friend, colleague, role model, and Board Chair Kathryn Hyer, MPP, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE.

Many of you had the opportunity to work with Kathy over her more than 30 years of active involvement in GSA. Kathy served as AGHE treasurer, SRPP Section chair, and member of the GSA Executive Committee. And she had the distinction of serving as the first GSA president under the Society’s new governance model.

Read more: Undaunted: A Tribute to Kathy Hyer

GSA is offering emerging scholars the opportunity to be immersed in aging-related policy development and participate in this process at the national level! We’re now accepting applications for the 2021 cycle of the Greg O’Neill Student Policy Internship, which will be conducted remotely in the summer months. I invite you to apply or help spread the word! The application deadline is January 29.

Read more: GSA’s Policy Internship Will Go Virtual in 2021; Apply Now!

As of January 1, GSA welcomes three new editors-in-chief to its peer-reviewed journals! I extend my congratulations to these successors who are about to embark upon four-year terms, and thank the outgoing editors for their tremendous contributions which have led to the journals’ continued growth as leading journals in the field of gerontology and associated disciplines.

Read more: GSA’s Journals Continue Tradition of Strong Stewardship

To the 4,000+ researchers, clinicians and educators who’ve joined us so far for the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting Online: Thank you for making a difference.

In the middle of a pandemic, the science and insights you presented moved the field forward. You made the meeting a success and paved the way for GSA to host more online conferences for you in the future should the need arise.

The content on the meeting platform will be accessible through the end of this year. (We’re still accepting new registrations through the end of the year, too.) This new format brought a valuable alternative to in-person meetings. Chief among the benefits is the easy access to so much scholarship.

Read more: Your Hard Work Rewarded: The Scholarship Continues on GSA’s Meeting Platform