News Release

2008 DeFriese Award Winners Named

February 18, 2008

The UNC Institute on Aging is pleased to announce the 2008 winners of the Gordon H. DeFriese Career Development in Aging Research Awards. These annual awards honor Dr. DeFriese's thirty-year distinguished career in the conduct and development of research to improve the quality of lives of older North Carolinians, and especially his unwavering commitment to developing and supporting the careers of his colleagues. The awards are given to a junior faculty/staff member and a doctoral student from UNC Chapel Hill who demonstrate commitment to and outstanding promise in aging research.

Lea Watson, MD, MPH, is this year's faculty member receiving a $5,000 award. Dr. Watson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine. Her overall career goal is to lead multidisciplinary teams that develop and evaluate innovative and practical interventions to improve the quality of mental health care for all older adults. Dr. Watson is currently supported by a UNC NIH Roadmap K12 career development award to pursue research and education. Her research projects focus on evaluating practical methods of depression screening and on improving the appropriate use of medications by vulnerable patients with psychiatric disorders. She is principal investigator of the UNC School of Medicine "Investments for the Future" EQUIPP trial that focuses on Enhancing Quality in Psychiatry with Pharmacists, and a study of perceived barriers to dementia screening in the community that is funded by the Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment in Mental Illness. Dr. Watson actively publishes in psychiatry, medical and aging journals and she has made numerous conference presentations and invitational lectures across the country. She is a highly praised instructor and mentor for nursing and medical students, and is a passionate community service advocate and clinician. Dr. Watson obtained her MD from Medical College of Virginia and her MPH from UNC. She also completed a Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship at Duke University and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at UNC. Other honors include the Barry Lebowitz Early Career Scientist Award and the Member-in-Training Research Award of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Cherie A. Rosemond, PT MS GCS, is this year's doctoral student recipient of the $3,000 award. She is a student in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health. Her career interests are related to the long term care experiences of older adults, particularly how nursing homes implement programs to improve resident care. In addition to her educational training, Ms. Rosemond serves as co-director of The Hubbard Program: Collaborative Clinical Practice in Geriatrics, and as Program Advisor for the Mobile Student Health Action Coalition. Currently, she is working on a research and training initiative conducted by The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) in partnership with the NC Division of Health Service Regulation to reduce restraint use in NC nursing homes. Prior research experience includes: a CCME initiative with funding from the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services to train leaders in NC Adult Care Homes on communication skills to promote quality improvement; an NIA funded project to study couples' social interactions following diagnosis of chronic diseases (Dr. Megan Lewis, PI); and an NINR/NCI funded study of managing uncertainty in advanced prostate cancer (Dr. Merle Mishel, PI). Board certified as a geriatric clinical specialist in physical therapy, Ms. Rosemond has several publications in key gerontology and physical therapy journals. She has made numerous conference presentations on topics related to the care of older adults and she provides clinical and classroom teaching to health professions students from four schools on the UNC campus. She also has received numerous awards for her community service. Ms. Rosemond obtained her master's degree in physical therapy at Duke University, and her bachelor's degree in Biology from Wake Forest University.

Congratulations to both recipients! The award recognition ceremony will be held at a later date. More information on the Gordon H. DeFriese Career Development in Aging Research Awards, including past winners, is available from our Funding & Awards page