American Aging Association

The American Aging Association is a non-profit, tax-exempt biogerontology organization of scientists and laypeople dedicated to biomedical aging studies intended to slow the aging process. The abbreviation AGE is intended to be representative of the organization, even though it is not an acronym (avoids possible confusion with the American Automobile Association, AAA).

Mark A. Smith was the 2010–11 executive director and treasurer until he was killed in a car accident, December 19, 2010.

History and organization

AGE was founded in 1970 by Denham Harman, MD, PhD, who is often known as the "father" of the "free-radical theory of aging". Dr. Harman's goal was to form a lay-scientific organization patterned after the American Heart Association to promote biomedical aging research. Dr. Harman served as the first president of AGE, and was executive director of AGE for 20 years (1973 to 1993).

AGE has received research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Ellison Medical Foundation.