Lauren Ferrante, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine), has been honored by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) with the inaugural Arti Hurria Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in Internal Medicine.
"This award means so much,” said Ferrante. “Arti was a dear colleague, friend, and career mentor; so many of us in the aging/subspecialty world looked up to her. We are all still struggling to comprehend that she is no longer with us. I am deeply humbled and honored to be receiving this award in her memory."
Ferrante conducts clinical outcomes research at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) at the intersection of critical care medicine and geriatrics to understand and improve outcomes for older Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors. She is an advocate for integrating geriatrics principles into critical care medicine and increasing collaboration between the subspecialties and geriatrics.
"Maintaining functional independence is the number one health priority for most older adults -- and after an ICU stay, many older adults unfortunately experience functional decline and dependence,” explained Ferrante. “My goal is to understand the reasons for this functional decline and find solutions to help older ICU survivors maintain independence."
“We are all very proud of the achievements of Dr. Ferrante,” said Naftali Kaminski, MD, Boehringer-Ingelheim Endowed Professor of Internal Medicine and chief of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. “In a relatively short time, she has defined and made a significant impact on the emerging field of critical care for the aged and is definitely deserving of this prestigious award. Her research exemplifies the collaborative spirit of our department and will definitely affect the life and well-being of many.”
With the aging of our population, it's important that we work together to integrate geriatrics principles into subspecialty research and clinical practice. Arti's personal motto was, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.’ She exemplified this mission in her own life and research, and many of us who have followed in her footsteps are working to do the same.
Dr. Lauren Ferrante
Ferrante feels that there is much to learn from her colleagues in geriatrics. “With the aging of our population, it's important that we work together to integrate geriatrics principles into subspecialty research and clinical practice," said Ferrante. “Arti's personal motto was, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.’ She exemplified this mission in her own life and research, and many of us who have followed in her footsteps are working to do the same."
In addition to her work at YSM, Ferrante co-founded/co-chairs the Aging in Critical Care Interest Group of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and co-chairs the Medical Subspecialties Section of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). She is currently funded by a Beeson award from the NIH/NIA and the Parker B. Francis Program.
The Arti Hurria Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in Internal Medicine recognizes the geriatrics-focused accomplishments of junior and mid-career clinician-investigators in general internal medicine and its specialties. The award will be presented at the AGS 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting in May in Portland, Ore.