According to Yale gerontologist Dr. Becca Levy, “The single most important factor in determining longevity—more important than gender, income, social background, loneliness or functional health—is how people think about and approach the idea of old age.” In addition, Dr. Levy’s research reveals that it’s never too late for a person to cultivate a more positive … Read more

Since 2010, the UNC Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR)* Program, led by PI, Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD, has welcomed 148 medical and osteopathic students to Chapel Hill. These students all came to gain experience in aging-related research. Students are paired with an UNC faculty mentor that currently has funding in an aging-related research area. … Read more

Dr. Shakira J. Grant, an assistant professor in the Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Hematology, was recently selected for the 2022 Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) cohort.

UNC Geriatrics is the largest older adult-focused primary care practice in the Triangle. Also, the past two years have been eventful for the clinic.

In October 2021, Dr. John Batsis represented the American Geriatrics Society at an Obesity and Equitable Aging Roundtable held by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). As a follow-up to that event, the NCOA held a virtual meeting on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Featured in this meeting was Dr. Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD, the Deputy … Read more

Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD was recently accepted into the AGING Initiative MCCs Scholars Program. As one of twelve MCCs Scholars, Dr. Niznik will attend an in-person workshop in Washington D.C. this spring. In addition, he will attend 6 webinars during his scholarship year.

Occupational therapist Teepa Snow has made it her mission to show dementia in a positive light. “Dementia is a syndrome, not a single condition,” Teepa says. “It can be a primary or secondary issue, can happen at any age, and has many causes and forms.”

The National Institute on Aging has awarded Shakira Grant, MBBS, and the UNC Center for Aging and Health a 2-year, $200,000 grant to study multiple myeloma.

Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded funds from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, a prestigious Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).

“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