# Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in Aging

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $163,906

## Abstract

Project Summary
This is an application for the renewal of a K24 mentoring award for patient-oriented research (POR) from Anne
Cappola, MD, ScM, Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania (Penn). The candidate has had a strong record of mentorship, leadership, and research
productivity during the initial award period. Her research program encompasses POR studies at the
intersection of endocrinology and geriatrics. The scientific goals of this proposal are to investigate the age-
specificity of the cardiovascular risks of mild subclinical hypothyroidism and to examine thyroid stimulating
hormone (TSH) testing and levothyroxine prescribing patterns in older individuals. These studies are required
to support a change in the upper limit of the TSH reference range for individuals aged 65 years and older. This
change would improve the health and reduce health care costs for millions of older Americans through
prevention of unnecessary prescription of thyroid hormone treatment, reduction in excessive TSH monitoring,
and avoidance of iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis. The mentoring goals of this application are to support the
candidate’s six current K-award mentees’ transition to R01 funded independence and to engage a new
generation of Penn fellows and junior faculty to conduct POR in aging. The career development goal of this
application is to support the candidate’s professional development and program building in clinical
investigation. This will be achieved through focused learning about biomedical informatics, engagement in
Penn’s CTSA to enhance lifespan research, and ongoing leadership to promote the visibility of aging research
in the endocrine community. The institutional environment for clinical and translational science at Penn is
outstanding, and the proposal integrates multiple programs from Penn’s CTSA. The Department of Medicine at
Penn has made a substantial commitment, including protected time and dedicated space, toward the
candidate’s sustained success as a patient-oriented researcher responsible for training a new generation of
junior investigators who conduct POR in older participants. Renewal of this application will allow the candidate
to cement the programmatic gains achieved during the initial award period and to assure their sustainability
after the renewal has completed.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10055441
- **Project number:** 2K24AG042765-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** ANNE R CAPPOLA
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $163,906
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2013-07-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10055441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10055441, Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in Aging (2K24AG042765-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10055441. Licensed CC0.

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