GSA Steps into Leadership Role with FoNIA Coalition

By CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH

The important work of the Friends of the National Institute on Aging (FoNIA) is continuing in 2022, and for the next two years, it will do so with GSA Vice President, Policy and Professional Affairs Patricia “Trish” D’Antonio serving as chair.

Congratulations to Trish for being named to this important post! Our society was a founding member of FoNIA, which now boasts more than 50 organizational members. It’s a broad coalition of organizations committed to the advancement of health sciences research that affects older Americans.

FoNIA supports the research and training missions of the NIA. It also serves as a bridge between the NIA and supportive organizations and groups in order to promote and advocate for the NIA and its initiatives as public policies in health and research take shape. By bringing together like-minded organizations to support the federal government’s leading aging research institute, FoNIA addresses current and future challenges in advancing public awareness and understanding of research goals.

You’ll often see reports on GSA’s involvement with FoNIA in the “Recent Policy Actions” section of our monthly Gerontology News newsletter. The group regularly interacts with representatives from the federal government and the Office of Management and Budget, visits Capitol Hill for briefings and for meetings with members of Congress, and engages with high-ranking personnel at the NIA itself. This is an important channel we use to showcase the value of aging researchers to policy makers.