2012 Kopolow and Friedman Award Winners
The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging presented the 2012 Alene and Meyer Kopolow Award to Tanya Wildes, MD and the Dorismae and Harvey A. Friedman Award to James Williams at the 12th Annual Friedman Lecture on Monday, April 30.
2012 Kopolow Recipient: Tanya Wildes, MD
Dr. Wildes is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology. She graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 2002. She completed residency in internal medicine and fellowships in hematology/oncology and geriatrics, all at Washington University.
Dr. Wildes’s interest in aging began during her hematology/oncology fellowship when she noted that risk of side effects of chemotherapy were clearly not related to age alone. She observed that paradigms for decision-making in oncology did not incorporate other aspects of an older adult’s health, including comorbidities or functional status. She then undertook fellowship training in geriatrics to learn more about the assessment and care of older adults, to bring those skills to her research and the oncology clinic.
As a scholar in the KM1 Comparative Effectiveness Research Career Development Program, her current research focuses on incorporating geriatric assessment into the evaluation of older adults with cancer to develop prognostic models of chemotherapy toxicity in older adults. Her long-term career goal is to care for senior adults with cancer and to perform patient-oriented research to improve their clinical care.
2012 Friedman Award Winner: James Williams
James Williams has dedicated twenty years of his career in social work supporting “at-risk” populations. This dedication is exemplified through his work with the Memory and Aging Project Satellite (MAPS), sponsored by the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University. MAPS works in collaboration with the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging.
Williams interacts predominantly with minority seniors and is responsible for identifying, recruiting, educating, and referring them to appropriate supportive services. He says, “research shows that Alzheimer’s affects the minority population at a higher rate. Our efforts in the community over the past twenty years have heightened minority trust and awareness. The ultimate goal is to encourage participants to complete an assessment in the Memory and Aging Project. A byproduct of this goal is that seniors will benefit from effective diagnosis, therapy, and the eventual cure for Alzheimer’s.” Williams’s passion for his work has greatly enhanced the lives of those he serves.
James Williams received a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville and a Masters of Arts in public administration from Webster University. His numerous awards include the ADRC African Americans Memory and Aging Research Award and a Resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives for Work with Alzheimer’s Disease.