Wayne State University professor to receive 2026 Scientific Award of Distinction from the American Federation for Aging Research

DETROIT - The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) announced the 2026 recipients of three of its annual Scientific Awards of Distinction. Dr. Marianna Sadagurski, associate professor in the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University,will receivethe Vincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research.

AFAR'sVincent Cristofalo Rising Star Award in Aging Research is named in honor of the late Dr. Cristofalo (1933-2006), who dedicated his career to aging research and encouraged young scientists to investigate important issues in the biology of aging. Established in 2008, the award recognizes a research scientist in an early or middle phase of his/her career who has already made major discoveries in the fundamental biology of aging and whose work is deemed likely to be highly influential for decades to come. The award is a framed citation and carries a cash prize of $5,000.

Dr. Sadagurski's research focuses on the hypothalamic regulation of metabolism in states of environmental stress, obesity, and aging, and investigates how environmental exposures and age-related changes in the brain contribute to systemic metabolic disease. Her lab integrates conditional mouse genetics, multi-omics profiling, and in vivo metabolic physiology to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving brain aging and metabolic disease and to identify new pharmacological targets for extending health span. Her research aims to uncover new pathways and targets for improving metabolic health and resilience across the lifespan.

Among her notable discoveries, Dr. Sadagurski discovered that SGLT2 inhibitors protect the brain and prevent Alzheimer's pathology, and her research has substantiated how developmental exposures determine aging rates decades later. These findings reshaped how researchers approach aging as an integrated process across time and systems. Learn more about Dr. Sadagurski's research and lab here.

The 2026 Cristofalo Award will be presented on June 3^rd at the American Aging Association (AGE) Annual Meeting, on in Provo, Utah; upon receiving the award, Dr. Sadagurski will share a lecture, "Pharmacological rejuvenation of the aging hypothalamus."

"AFAR's Scientific Awards of Distinction are named after individuals whose dedication and discoveries have made incomparable contributions to the development of aging research while inspiring generations of investigators," notes Stephanie Lederman, Ed.M., AFAR executive director. "As AFAR celebrates its 45^th anniversary in 2026, these awards remind us of the vital contributions of talented investigators at early and experienced stages in their careers. Our 2026 awardees build upon their namesakes' legacies while forging important advances in aging biology and geroscien and represent a commitment to rigorous research that will help us all live healthier, longer."

Learn more about the history of the awards and past honorees here.

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Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu .

The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live can healthier and longer. For nearly half a century, AFAR has served as the field's talent incubator, providing $225,316,000 to 4,539 investigators at research institutions to date-and growing. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high quality grant programs and inter-disciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay-or even prevent-many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late-or too early-to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life-at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org.