About Me

I am a Professor of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology. I am also Chief, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine. I am an internationally known geriatrician and clinical trialist. I also serve as Director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation. I am co-leader, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Clinical Core leader for the Wake Forest Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center.

I received my medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, a Master's degree in Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and completed my fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Johns Hopkins.

My primary research interests are in understanding relationships between chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes and maintaining brain health and physical function in aging adults, the prevention of aging-related loss of independence, and in developing research methods for including elderly persons in clinical trials.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading history and biographies, sailing, and travel to quiet places. My wife Vera, and I, are blessed with five children (Benjamin, Andrew, Hannah, Rachel, Samuel).