CEO Blog

Clostridioides difficile (or C. diff) is the most common health care associated infection. Yet only 30 percent of Americans have heard of this dangerous and potentially deadly disease. So in this November’s C. Diff Awareness month, let’s do what we can to raise awareness among colleagues, partners, and the public.

GSA has teamed-up with several other organizations to address the challenges presented by this bacterium. The Peggy Lillis Foundation has a website dedicated to helping friends, family, and healthcare workers “See C. diff.” It covers the risk factors, symptoms, and potential treatments, so we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from this preventable disease.

The Friends of the National Institute of Aging (FoNIA) coalition, of which GSA is a founding member, has designed a social media campaign to highlight the research that NIA funds and enhances the lives of all Americans.

FoNIA is encouraging all aging researchers to take a picture of themselves and/or something emblematic of their research and post to social media using #NIAFundsMe. FoNIA can then funnel these posts to appropriate Congressional social media feeds to expand awareness of your research and the key role NIA plays in advancing science.

A new collaboration to build relationships between GSA and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) is underway, and you’re invited to be a part of it.

As initiated by four alumni/faculty of HBCUs from within the GSA membership — Drs. Tamara Baker, Ashley Jennings, Tiffany Washington, and Felicia Wheaton — a kick-off meeting for all interested parties will take place online on Friday, October 22, from 1 to 2 pm. ET. If you are an alumni, faculty, staff, or student who represents an HBCU, or just want to learn more, please sign up and put this on your calendar.

How have ongoing challenges to saving for retirement been exacerbated by COVID-19-related job losses? How does the legacy of race discrimination lead to negative economic and health impacts for older people of color? How could a proposed All Generations Plan for Social Security be a solution for preventing poverty in older people?

The answers to these questions can be found in the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR), “Retirement Structures and Processes.”

The Society is looking for participants for our upcoming GSA Diversity Mentoring and Career Development Technical Assistance Workshop! This is a perfect opportunity for talented early-career investigators from underrepresented backgrounds. It’s being held online October 28 and 29, and participants are also expected to participate in GSA’s Annual Scientific Meeting in November.