"Helen Vlassara, MD, " is Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Diabetes and Aging Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. As an endocrinologist and pioneer in the science of diabetes and aging, Dr. Vlassara has devoted over thirty years to studying the effects of advanced glycation end products. The author's breakthrough work has been recognized by such organizations as the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and the National Institute on Aging.