Kraus to receive 2013 Gene D. Cohen Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA) have chosen Nina Kraus, PhD, of Northwestern University as the 2013 recipient of the Gene D. Cohen Research Award in Creativity and Aging.

This award recognizes and honors the seminal work of Gene Cohen, MD, whose research in the field of creativity and aging shifted the conceptual focus from a problem paradigm to one of promise and potential. Cohen inspired individuals to approach longevity asking what wonders can be achieved, not in spite of age, but because of age. The award is presented annually to a professional whose research in the field of creativity and aging demonstrates these positive attributes.

The award presentation will take place at GSA's 66th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 20 to 24 in New Orleans. 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/annualmeeting for further details.

Kraus is a professor of neurobiology & physiology and otolaryngology, and the Hugh Knowles Chair at Northwestern University, where she also directs the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory.

She investigates the neurobiology underlying speech and music perception and learning-associated brain plasticity. This involves studies of listeners throughout the lifespan, clinical populations, and musicians.

Kraus has pioneered the use of a biological approach that reveals how auditory signals are encoded by a hub of cognitive and sensory influences. This approach reveals the fidelity of the brain's encoding of sound and the impact of experience. She has discovered biological mechanisms of aging and how software-based training and musical experience positively impact the adult brain.

Provided by The Gerontological Society of America