The UNC Center for Aging and Health is housed within the School of Medicine. Primarily, the Center advances innovative, high-quality geriatrics interprofessional education, research, and clinical care. As a result, we also work to improve the health and well-being of the aging population across North Carolina and the nation. Moreover, we support the Division of Geriatric Medicine to:
But we don’t stop there. Improving care for older adults means training different types of providers such as dentists, pharmacists, cardiologists, and even oncologists. Furthermore, we train these providers in best practices of geriatric medicine that are grounded in research, informed by patient priorities, and guided by compassion.
Whether you’re a medical resident applying to our Fellowship programs, a Triangle resident looking to become a patient, or a clinician taking our courses, the UNC Center for Aging and Health can connect you to the right resources for aging well.
1 day ago
Last month, Associate Professor of Medicine, John Batsis, MD, made his second official visit to Japan for a five-day international symposium. Hosted by the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, the event's main goal was connecting research and policy discussions with frontline practice.
3 days ago
Recently, Anna Kahkoska, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine) was lead author on a paper entitled Qualitative Analysis of Patient Portal Messages From Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Published in April 2026, several other Center for Aging and Health staff and faculty contributed to the paper including Social/Clinical …
2 months ago
According to Dr. John Batsis, drugs being prescribed to older adults for weight loss (incretin mimetic drugs or GLP-1s) do reduce fat, but may reduce muscle as well. Consequently, preserving muscle in older
3 months ago
The UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine has received $4.1 million in new grant funding to advance emergency care for older adults and individuals living with dementia.
I am so privileged to be surrounded by so many great people. Each of our clinicians, researchers, staff members, and partners work so well together through various challenges. Without a doubt, their hard work allows us to continue advancing the field of Geriatrics. Also, we have so many wonderful patients in our care. Without them, where would we be? When we all work together, we can truly help older adults live well for longer.
–Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead
Mary and Thomas Hudson Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Director, Center for Aging and Health
“Geriatricians take a holistic view of the patient. We provide care that is focused on the functional activities of daily living. A patient’s chronological age is not important, their functional age is what matters. What can people do? What do they want and need to do?” Read more