Dr. Cathleen Colón-Emeric's current research focuses on the prevention of injurious falls and osteoporotic fractures, and enhancing physical resilience in older adults. Ongoing projects include a comparative effectiveness trial of models of care to improve outcomes after fracture, a randomized trial of osteoporosis screening in men, and a cohort study predicting recovery after orthopedic surgery. 

Dr. Darina Petrovsky is an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing. Her unique background in music training and nursing science has positioned her well to launch her research career to improve the lives of older adults living with cognitive impairment using non-pharmacologic approaches. Her additional research interests include ways to achieve health equity among older adults living with cognitive impairment and their caregivers as well as how music can be used to prevent cognitive decline. 

His research focuses on population health and development, particularly the impacts of shocks on individuals and families. He co-directs a study that follows a large population-representative sample of Indonesians who were at risk of exposure to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The study has documented the short and long-term impacts of the stresses of exposure to the tsunami on multiple dimensions of health and economic well-being. His research on relationships between health and economic status has investigated the impacts of unanticipated financial shocks on health and human capital (in Indonesia, Russia, and the U.S.) as well as a randomized intervention that documents the causal impact of health on economic prosperity (in Indonesia).

Dr. Xu’s research and scholarship center around social determinants of health and disparities in health care and outcomes in diverse older adult populations, with a particular focus on cardiovascular and brain health. Currently, she is leading several research projects that leverage the strengths of big data repositories such as electronic health records (EHR), Medicare claims, and national survey data to improve the cardiovascular and brain health of older adults through a lens of equity. 

 Dr. Ilene Siegler's research efforts are in the area of developmental health psychology and are organized around understanding the role of personality in health and disease in middle and later life. Siegler's primary research activity is as Principal Investigator of the UNC Alumni Heart Study (UNCAHS) a prospective epidemiologic study of 5000 middle-aged men and women and 1200 of their spouses that evaluates the role of personality on coronary heart disease and coronary heart disease risk, cancer, and normal aging. 

As a licensed psychologist specializing in geropsychology,  Dr. Ramos' clinical and research focus is on enhancing the psychological well-being and quality of life for older adults managing co-morbid medical conditions and serious life-limiting illnesses. Her expertise includes delivering various evidence-based therapies such as CBT, ACT, MBCT, and MBSR, which are tailored to individual needs and therapy goals, aiming to foster personal growth and meaning.  Funded by the National Institute of Health, she leads oncology, aging, and palliative care-focused research projects to improve distress management, communication, and resilience of older adults and their caregivers. 

Dr. Marquine is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine (Geriatrics Division) and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Associate Scientific Director for Research Career Development in the Duke Aging Center.  She is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Latina clinical scientist and neuropsychologist, and directs the Diversity in Aging Research (DAR) Team (https://agingcenter.duke.edu/dar). Her research focuses on addressing neurocognitive disparities in aging and promoting health equity. 

Marianne Chanti-Ketterl, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is a bilingual gerontologist specializing in the epidemiology of aging and serves as the Associate Core Lead for the Outreach Recruitment and Engagement Core of the Duke-UNC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Dr. Chanti-Ketterl's research focuses on environmental factors influencing cognitive function, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias, with interests including the exposome, social determinants of health, and resilience.

Dr. Smith focuses on improving the assessment and treatment of hearing loss in older adults. Her research includes comparing the effectiveness of current hearing interventions, developing new clinical tools, and exploring alternative service-delivery approaches to enhance patient outcomes and quality of life. Dr. Smith also works with multi-disciplinary teams to investigate the impact of hearing loss on other health conditions and services. Current projects include studying one versus two hearing aids for the treatment of age-related hearing loss, understanding the link between hearing loss and falls, and improving hearing healthcare in primary care settings. 

The interactions between gut microbes, bacterial molecules, and host aging physiology are far from understood. At a community level, human microbiota diversity decreases with age, suggesting age-associated changes in gut microbial composition and host biological processes. At the species level, dietary supplementation of probiotic bacteria species improves murine GI function and extends lifespan in C. elegans and in mice. However, it is not known 1) whether gut bacterial molecules mediate these host phenotypes and 2) how they do so by interacting with host aging pathways. Leveraging chemical biology and bacterial and host genetics, the Han Lab aims to identify intra-organismal pathways that define bacteria-host signaling in aging and longevity.