GSA selects Kali St. Marie Thomas as recipient of 2016 Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Kali St. Marie Thomas, PhD, MA, of Brown University and the Providence VA Medical Center as the 2016 recipient of the Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award.

This distinguished honor is given annually by GSA's Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section (SRPP) to one of its members in acknowledgment of outstanding early career contributions in social research, policy, and practice. It was established in 2009 and honors Carroll L. Estes, PhD, a distinguished gerontological researcher, a tireless advocate for older persons, a former SRPP section chair, and a former GSA president.

The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16 to 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2016 for further details.

Thomas is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University, and a research health science specialist at the Providence VA Medical Center's Center of Innovation for Long-term Services and Supports.

She received her PhD in aging studies from the University of South Florida and completed an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded postdoctoral research fellowship at the Brown University Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research. Thomas' research focuses on identifying ways to improve the quality of life of older and disabled adults needing long-term services and supports. Funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institute on Aging, and multiple foundations, she has led research projects related to the quality of care delivered in long-term care facilities and the role of home- and community-based services in preventing or postponing nursing home placement.