Research

Research Environment

Research conducted in the Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) focuses on two areas:

1. Clinical research applying epidemiologic and biostatistical methods to understanding the causes and outcomes of illness in older persons, and to defining optimal clinical strategies for caring for those persons;

2. Laboratory research applying molecular genetics to the biology of aging and aging-related disease. Eight division faculty are independent or junior investigators.

Active areas of clinical research include:

1. Determinants of comprehensive health outcomes and prognosis (Ken Covinsky, MD, MPH)
2. Improving functional outcomes in hospitalized older persons (Seth Landefeld, MD)
3. Determinants of the course and outcomes of dementia (Kala Mehta, DSc)
4. Health disparities in care for older persons, especially in the area of palliative care (Sandra Moody Ayers, MD)
5. Drug therapy in older persons, polypharmacy, and optimization of prescribing decisions (Michael Steinman MD)
6. Screening older persons for chronic disease such as cancer, and optimizing screening and treatment decisions (Louise Walter, MD)

Active areas of laboratory research:

Serotonergic regulation of dementia-related behavior (Steve Bonasera, MD, PhD)

The Division of Geriatrics provides access to computing and software resources, large datasets in the public domain (e.g., National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Health and Retirement Study), proprietary data sets (outcomes of hospitalized elders), and consultants in epidemiology and biostatistics. The Division's research space consists of 2,500 square feet at the UCSF Laurel Heights Campus and 2,000 sq ft at the San Francisco VAMC.

The Division also supports two weekly research conferences, one of which is specifically targeted for the presentation and discussion of fellows' research. In addition to the resources provided by the Division of Geriatrics, substantial resources are provided for the Research Fellows by the Department of Medicine and the School of Medicine. Courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, clinical trials, decision-making, and the conduct of research are available and taken by the Divisions' research fellows.

Mentors outside the Division of Geriatrics in other divisions of the Department of Medicine and in other departments (e.g., Psychiatry, Neurology) are available to research fellows with interests in the areas of those faculty (e.g., dementia, depression, health literacy).