Geriatrics Research

Meet the Research Faculty

Redefining Aging Care

With more than 40 full-time faculty members, the UCLA Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology (MPGMG) is one of the world’s largest geriatric and gerontology research programs. Our faculty conduct groundbreaking studies that lead to new treatment paradigms for age-related disease and shift national policies that affect aging adults and their caretakers.

Cathy Alessi, MD

Cathy Alessi, MD

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Director, VA Greater Los Angeles Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

Areas of Interest:

  • Sleep problems in older adults
Steven C. Castle, MD

Steven C. Castle, MD

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Associate Director of Geriatric Clinical Innovation

Areas of Interest:

  • Improving fitness in older adults
  • Impact of Agent Orange exposure on veterans
Greg M. Cole, PhD

Gregory Cole, PhD

Professor in Residence

Department of Neurology & Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Associate Director, Geriatric Research Clinical Center GLA VAMC

Director, Gregory Cole Alzheimer Research Laboratory

Areas of Interest:

  • Amyloid and tangle PET imaging
  • Anti-amyloid agents
Sally A. Frautschy, PhD

Sally A. Frautschy, PhD

Professor in Residence of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Director, Sally A. Frautschy Alzheimer Research Laboratory

Areas of Interest:

  • Neuroinflammation
Constance H. Fung, MD, MSHS

Constance H. Fung, MD, MSHS

Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Areas of Interest:

  • Behavioral interventions for improving sleep-related conditions
  • Decision making
  • Human factors/usability
  • Consumer wearables use for sleep tracking
  • Clinical trials
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David A. Ganz, MD, PhD

Professor in Residence, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Staff Physician, VA Greater Los Angeles Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center

Affiliated Adjunct Physician Policy Researcher, RAND

Areas of research interest:

  • Preventing falls in older adults
  • Measuring and improving the quality of care for older adults
  • Implementation science
  • Data science
Gale Greendale

Gail Greendale, MD

Emeritus Professor

Areas of Interest:

  • Menopause
  • Women's health
Headshot of Andrea Hevener in Black Blazer

Andrea Hevener, PhD

Professor-in-Residence, Medicine, University of California Los Angeles

Areas of Interest:

  • Mitochondrial function
  • Metabolic health
Peifeng Hu, MD, PhD

Peifeng Hu, MD, PhD

Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Biomarkers of aging
  • Data harmonization
  • Cross-national comparisons
  • International cohort studies
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Mei-Hua Huang, PhD

Adjunct Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Nutrition
  • Cognition
Arun S. Karlamangla, MD

Arun S. Karlamangla, MD

David H. Solomon Term Chair and Professor-in-Residence in Geriatric Medicine

Chief, Division of Geriatrics, UCLA Department of Medicine

Director, Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology 

Areas of Interest:

  • Midlife predictors of aging outcomes
  • Menopause
  • Osteoporosis
  • Cognitive decline
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Monica R. Kelly, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA and researcher at the VA Greater Los Angeles Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

Areas of Interest:

  • Aging
  • Sleep
  • Behavioral sleep medicine
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder
  • Spinal cord injuries/diseases (SCI/D)
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Cathy Lee, MD

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics

Chief, Division of Geriatrics, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

Areas of Interest:

  • Sarcopenia
  • Frailty
  • Cognition and exercise
  • Exercise in older adults
David Lee, MD

David R. Lee, MD, MBA

Clinical Instructor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine 

Areas of Interest:

  • Dementia care
  • Multiple chronic conditions
  • Implementation science
  • Health policy and management
Heather McCreath, PhD

Heather McCreath, PhD

Adjunct Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Minori Ohashi

Minori Ohashi, MD, PhD

Clinical Instructor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine 

Areas of Interest:

  • Aging and stem cell biology
David B. Reuben, MD

David B. Reuben, MD

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Dementia care
  • Caregiver stress
  • Falls prevention
  • Implementation science
Debra Saliba, MD, MPH

Debra Saliba, MD, MPH

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Nursing home quality measurement
Catherine A. Sarkisian, MD

Catherine A. Sarkisian, MD

Professor-in-Residence, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Frailty
  • Low value care reduction
  • Physical activity
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Teresa Seeman, PhD

Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Social epidemiology
  • Social determinants of health
Benjamin J. Seligman, MD, PhD

Benjamin J. Seligman, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor-in-Residence, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Frailty
  • Epidemiology
  • Demography
Albert Shieh, MD

Albert Shieh, MD

Associate Clinical Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Menopause
  • Gut microbiome
Jonathan Wanagat, MD, PhD

Jonathan Wanagat, MD, PhD

Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine

Areas of Interest:

  • Biology of aging
  • Geroscience
  • Sarcopenia
  • Mitochondria