The Obesity Society (TOS) offers awards to promote, reward and encourage the kinds of research and service you and your peers are doing in the field of obesity.
TOPS Research Achievement Award
Dympna Gallagher, EdD, FTOS
Professor, Columbia University
The TOPS Research Achievement Award is for singular achievement or contribution to research in the field of obesity and made possible through an annual grant from the Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Foundation.
Friends of Albert (Mickey) Stunkard
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mary Story, PhD
Professor, Duke University
The Friends of Albert (Mickey) Stunkard Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to recognize an individual who has made a commitment to the field of obesity in terms of scholarship, mentorship, and education.
Atkinson Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service
Gary Foster, PhD, FTOS
Chief Scientific Officer, WW International, Inc.
This award was established by a donation from Dr. Thomas A. Wadden to recognize an individual or organization whose work has improved the lives of those affected by obesity, whether through research, public policy, or patient care.
George A. Bray Master’s Thesis Award
Cara Ruggiero, MS
Pennsylvania State University
The award recognizes one student for their master’s thesis. The thesis is evaluated by the overall relevance and potential impact on the field of obesity with an emphasis on scientific methodology and approach.
Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award
Belen Perez-Pevida
Imperial College of London
Amber Alhadeff, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Pasquale Rummo, PhD
New York University
Elizabeth Adams, PhD
Virginia Commonwealth University
Rizaldy Zapata, DVM, PhD
University of California, San Diego
These are the finalists for the 2019 Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award, which recognizes excellence in research by young investigators based on their submitted abstracts for presentations during ObesityWeek®.
The Rolls-Simons Travel Award
John Griffin, PhD
Tufts University
Thomas Cassimatis
National Institutes of Health
Emily Noble, PhD
University of Georgia
Nicole Gilbertson, PhD
University of Virginia
Alexandre Caron, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Matthew Landry, PhD
University of Texas at Austin
Kelli Lytle, PhD
Mayo Clinic
Abdul-Latif Armiyaw
National Institutes of Health
This award was established by TOS Past President Barbara Rolls in honor of her mother Pat Simons and is a continuing part of The Obesity Society’s commitment to young investigators in the field of obesity research.
Oded Bar-Or Award
Jennifer Orlet Fisher, PhD
Professor, Temple University
The Bar-Or Award was founded in 2007 by TOS’s Pediatric Obesity Section to recognize significant contributions to basic and applied pediatric obesity research that have resulted in major advances in scientific understanding of etiology, prevention, and treatment.
The George L. Blackburn Award for Excellence in Obesity Medicine
Donna Ryan, MD, FTOS
Professor Emerita,
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The George L. Blackburn Award for Excellence in Obesity Medicine is made possible by funding from the Center for Nutritional Research Charitable Trust (CNRCT) to honor George L. Blackburn, MD, PhD, whose career spanned nutrition, metabolism, and obesity.
George A. Bray Founders Award
Michael Jensen, MD, FTOS
Professor, Mayo Clinic
The George A. Bray Founders Award recognizes an individual for active involvement with The Obesity Society (TOS) and whose contributions advanced the scientific or clinical basis for the understanding or treatment of obesity.
Thomas A. Wadden Award
for Distinguished Mentorship
Jack Yanovski MD, PhD, FTOS
Chief, Section on Growth and Obesity,
National Institutes of Health
Created in 2015, the award honors a TOS member for distinguished mentorship of the Society’s early career investigators. The award is named for Professor Thomas A. Wadden, PhD, who mentored many individuals who went on to pursue successful careers in obesity research and clinical care.
George A. Bray Doctoral Dissertation Award
Anna Kahkoska, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The award recognizes one student for their doctoral dissertation, which is judged on the significance, scope, innovation, and scientific methodology in the field of obesity.
Early Career Travel Award
Ishita Jindal, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
Ying Meng, PhD
University of Rochester
This award is funded by TOS to support the efforts of early career investigators that contribute to the field of obesity.
WW Student Travel Award
Caleigh Sawicki, MS
Tufts University
Aseel El Zein, MS
University of Florida
Tujan Irshied
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Genevieve Davison, MS
Washington University in St. Louis
Jami Anderson, MSc
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lindsey Parnarouskis, MS
University of Michigan
Sponsored by WW (formerly Weight Watchers), this award is based on submitted abstracts to this year’s ObesityWeek® and recognizes student excellence with an emphasis on behavioral research.
Master of the American Board of Obesity Medicine Award
Arya M. Sharma, MD, DSc (hon), FRCPC, FTOS
Professor of Medicine, University of Alberta
This award is presented by The American Board of Obesity Medicine and recognizes physicians that have made significant contributions to the science, practice and/or advancement of obesity medicine.
Foster Schauer Award: The Obesity Society Recipient
Anna Kamocka, M.Ed.SE
Imperial College London
An ObesityWeek® Award and The Obesity Society presents an award to a non-US, early career investigator or student who presents at this year’s annual meeting.