Author Archives: Jamie Garrett

In a recently published Nature Medicine article, Dr. John Batsis and colleagues discussed unintended risks of sarcopenic obesity during weight-loss interventions in older people. According to 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....

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.

Open Positions in the Division of Geriatric Medicine Division Chief Position After leading the Division of Geriatric Medicine for 22 years, Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead stepped down in July 2025. Since then, Dr. Cristin Colford has served as the Interim Division of Geriatric Medicine Chief. Currently, a nationwide search is on...

“The people I see in clinic, they care about getting out of a chair, playing with their grandchildren, not being admitted into a nursing home,” says Dr. John Batsis. So when working with older adults with obesity, he considers various factors. And his motto on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs is, “Start...

Dr. John Batsis recently participated in a virtual Capitol Hill briefing focused on comprehensive obesity treatment. As part of this effort, Dr. Batsis advocated for advancing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act and encouraged Congress to support coverage of obesity medications for weight loss in older Medicare beneficiaries. This initiative...

The ‘Grey Wave’ or ‘Silver Tsumani’ is here. These terms refer to the increasing number of elderly people around the world. Basically, the world’s population is aging much faster than in the past. In 2011, baby boomers began reaching the age of 65. In the United States, 18% of Americans...

Dr. Shenvi is widely recognized for her contributions in advancing medical education and Geriatric Emergency Medicine, and serving in key leadership roles in the field of Emergency Medicine, both at UNC and with numerous national and international professional associations.

Faculty and students are invited to join UNC Global Affairs, the UNC Center for Aging and Health, and the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine for a three-day multi-disciplinary symposium on “Aging and the Family,” October 14-16, in the Carolina Union, bringing together scholars and professionals from medicine, nursing, public...

Recently, Dr. John Batsis was a keynote speaker at the Artificial Intelligence Technology Center Consensus Guidelines Workshop for Older Adults in Washington, DC. At the workshop, he presented a talk entitled, “Implementation, Education, and Sustainability of Artificial Intelligence for Older Adults.” In his clinician-researcher role, Dr. Batsis applies scientific principles...

Josh Niznik, PharmD, PhD, recently presented his research during a Lightning Forum presentation at the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (IPSE) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. His research presentation was entitled “Outcomes Associated with Deprescribing Versus Continuing Bisphosphonates for Older Nursing Home Residents with Dementia”. This presentation was part of a...

Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD, M. Andrew Greganti Distinguished Professor and founder of the UNC-CH Division of Geriatric Medicine, has stepped down from her role as Division Chief. After leading for 22 years, she leaves behind a rich legacy of innovation and mentoring. However, she will continue in her role as Director...

Last month, faculty and staff from the Center for Aging and Health and the Division of Geriatric Medicine attended the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Chicago, IL. AGS describes this annual meeting as, “the premier educational event in geriatrics, providing the latest information on clinical...