Jose Garcia to receive Outstanding Investigator Award

Dr. Jose Garcia, professor (Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine) has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Western Association of Physicians (WAP) and the Western Society for Clinical Investigation (WSCI) Outstanding Investigator Award.

The Outstanding Investigator Award is one of the most prestigious awards given by these societies, and is presented in recognition of Dr. Garcia’s outstanding scientific contributions to academic medicine.

He will receive the award at the annual meeting in January.

Dr. Garcia directs the Clinical Research Unit at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and is the associate director for clinical research and a clinical investigator at the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC). 

His research focuses on the role of ghrelin, androgens and other anabolic pathways in different wasting conditions including sarcopenia of aging and cancer cachexia. His basic laboratory is focused on understanding molecular pathways involved in these conditions using rodent models, and they are also involved in several clinical trials aiming at identifying the mechanisms of action of different potential therapies. He also leads a clinical research program to study hormonal deficiencies in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI).