Neurogenerative Disease Researcher Receives Beeson Award

The American Federation for Aging Research and the Alliance for Aging Research named Dr. Albert La Spada, assistant professor of laboratory medicine, a 2002-2005 Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar.

La Spada’s primary research interest is neurodegenerative disorders of the elderly. In such diseases as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease, aberrant proteins accumulate and harm the nervous system. La Spada and his team are seeking therapeutic agents that might prevent and reverse the damage from this buildup.

Eighty-two researchers have been named Beeson Scholars since the award’s inception in 1995. The award is named in honor of a geriatric medicine researcher and educator. Beeson was chairman of medicine at Emory and Yale Medical Schools, Nuffield Professor at Oxford University, and professor and distinguished Veterans Administration Physician at the University of Washington. He is now a UW professor emeritus of medicine. Beeson chaired the first Institute of Medicine study on “Aging and Medical Education” in 1978.