Congratulations to Antonio Terracciano, a Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Successful Longevity and an associate professor in the Department of Geriatrics in FSU’s College of Medicine, who has been named a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.

The GSA conveys fellowship on researchers and scholars to acknowledge outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology.

In his research, Dr. Terracciano aims to single out factors that contribute to health and longevity, by reducing health risk behaviors and promoting resilience against diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Terracciano received his doctoral degree from the Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli and Università degli Studi di Cagliari. Before joining the Department of Geriatrics, he was a staff scientist at the National Institute on Aging. His research focuses on how psychological traits and genetic factors contribute to physical and mental health across the lifespan.

Dr. Terracciano uses longitudinal and cross-cultural methodologies to examine changes in traits with age, from adolescence to older adulthood.

He also has led and participated in large collaborative genome-wide association studies to identify common genetic variants associated with personality traits, depression, and cigarette smoking.

Founded in 1945, The Gerontological Society of America is the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the society and its 5,500 members is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public.