Our Mission

The goal of the University of Pittsburgh Pepper Center is to increase scientific knowledge that will lead to better ways to maintain or restore independence to older persons. We strive to promote this independence by optimizing balance and mobility and reducing injurious falls through disciplined inquiry and translational research. We train young investigators from multiple disciplines within a vibrant intellectual and collaborative environment and serve as a resource and partner to other investigators, institutions, and the public.

Core Descriptions

Leadership Administrative Core (LAC)

The Leadership/Administrative Core is responsible for the organizational, communication, budgetary, and regulatory functions of the Pepper Center.

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Clinical and Population Outcomes Core (CPOC)

Provides recruitment assistance, cohort study resources, and clinical research expertise to promote a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment of balance and mobility in Pepper clinical research studies. The CPOC encourages research activity with older adults in the community and long-term care and has various resources available through the Pepper Research Network on Aging.

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Data Management, Analysis and Informatics Core (DMAIC)

The DMAIC provides centralized data management, statistical analysis services, and informatics expertise to Pepper affiliated investigators to address the unique issues involved in studying balance and mobility in older adults.

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Integrative Systems Core (ISC)

The Integrative Systems Core provides state of the art facilities that support research spanning neuroimaging, biomechanics, physiology, and biology.

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Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC)

The Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core promotes and supports innovative multidisciplinary research related to balance, mobility, and aging. The PESC partners with other groups [i.e., Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Aging Institute].

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Research Education Component (REC)

The Research Education Component of the Pepper Center supports the development of independent investigators who wish to conduct age-related balance and mobility disorders research. These investigators will have expertise in basic, translational, and clinical approaches and will lead and participate in collaborative multidisciplinary projects.

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Biology of Mobility and Aging Core (BMAC)

The Biology of Mobility and Aging Core (BMAC) is a new Core within the Pepper Center. It has been established to facilitate the translational gap from basic research at the bench to the clinic, by providing Pepper Center investigators unprecedented access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, resources, and intellectual and technical expertise in aging biology and translational science.

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What is the Pittsburgh Pepper?

Presented by Dr. Susan Greenspan, Pittsburgh Pepper Center Director for the 2021 Pepper Seminar Kickoff on Monday, September 20th, 2021, at 8:30am.

Leadership

Jennifer Brach, PhD, PT, FAPTA

Jennifer Brach, PhD, PT, FAPTA

Steven M. Handler, MD, PhD, CMD

Steven M. Handler, MD, PhD, CMD

  • Pepper Center Co-Principal Investigator
  • Leadership Administration Core
  • Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine
  • Medical Director, Healthy Home Lab, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
  • Assoc. Chief of Staff, Geriatrics and Extended Care, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS)
  • Director, VISN 4/Technology Enhancing Cognition and Health – Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Innovation (TECH-GRECC)
  • Contact: handler@pitt.edu
  • Website »

 

Susan L. Greenspan, MD

Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH

  • Pepper Center Senior Advisor
  • Leadership Administration Core
  • UPMC Chair in Geroscience
  • Clinical Director of the Aging Institute of Pitt/UPMC
  • Director, Center for Aging and Population Health
  • Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science Institute
  • Contact: newmana@edc.pitt.edu
  • Website »
Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH

Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH

Daniel E. Forman, MD, FAHA, FACC

Daniel E. Forman, MD, FAHA, FACC

  • Leader, Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core
  • Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
  • Chair, Section of Geriatric Cardiology, Divisions of Geriatrics and Cardiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
  • Director, Emerging Therapeutics, Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh
  • Director of Translational Research, Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
  • Director of Research, Whole Health, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
  • Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation and VA Coordinated Transitional Care (C-TraC), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
  • Contact: formand@pitt.edu
  • Website »

Aditi U. Gurkar, PhD

Steven Albert, PhD, MS

Steven Albert, PhD, MS

Andrea Rosso, PhD, MPH

Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH

Mark Redfern, PhD

Subashan Perera, PhD, FGSA

Charity Moore Patterson, PhD, MSPH

Toren Finkel, MD, PhD

Stacy Rizzo, PhD

Stacey Rizzo, PhD

Pepper Scholars

The Pepper Center promotes the development of new investigators through a multilevel progressive training program including career development activities, education and training opportunities, and support for pilot research. The Research Education Component (REC) provides various levels of support to Novice Scholars, Pepper Scholars, Young Investigators, and Visiting Scholars.

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Current Pepper Scholars

Nami Safai Haeri, MD

Nami Safai Haeri, MD

Nami Safai Haeri is an Endocrinologist, Geriatrician, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. His research is primarily focused on metabolic musculoskeletal disorders in older adults. Currently, his work is aimed at examining the impact of osteoporosis medications on muscle mass and investigating the correlation between osteoporosis and sarcopenia in older adults.

Brendan McNeish, MD

Brendan McNeish, MD

Brendan McNeish is an Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests are in the underlying causes of mobility disability in older cancer survivors. Specifically, he is interested in investigating how neuromuscular and cognitive capacities change with cancer and treatment and how they are associated with changes in balance, gait, falls, and quality of life.

Aimee Pickering, MD, MS

Aimee Pickering, MD, MS

Aimee Pickering is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and practicing general internist in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/UPMC. Her research broadly focuses on de-implementing low-value care in older adults. Specifically, her current work aims to apply implementation science principles to support deprescribing potentially inappropriate diabetes medications in older adults. Her ultimate goal is to extend this work to deprescribing in other clinical areas to improve harms associated with inappropriate medication use in older adults.

Aimee Pickering, MD, MS

Marcelo Rocha, MD, PhD

Marcelo Rocha is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, Vascular Neurologist and Director of the Neurovascular Ultrasound laboratory at UPMC. His research is focused on the regulation of cerebrovascular hemodynamics and mechanisms of ischemic tolerance to stroke and aging.  His current work aims to define nitric oxide-related biomarkers of collateral capacity in older adults with large vessel occlusion stroke and related functional outcomes. 

Pepper Research Network on Aging (PRNA)

The mission of the Pepper Research Network on Aging is to promote and foster inclusion of older adults living in the community and across the continuum of care in University of Pittsburgh research studies. Older adults have traditionally been underrepresented in biomedical research, leading to a lack of evidence-based treatment for the population with the highest disease burden. The United States alone is home to over 40 million older adults, and adults over 65 years of age constitute 17% of Allegheny County. Due to aging of the Baby Boomer population and lack of representation of older adults in clinical research, there is a serious ethical obligation to search for advancements in care for this population through research inclusive of all adults, regardless of age and health status.

The PRNA aims to increase scientific knowledge to help maintain or restore independence in older persons by assisting University of Pittsburgh investigators with age-inclusive clinical research through partnerships between long-term care facilities, senior communities, community organizations, University partners, investigators, and physicians.

The PRNA expands knowledge about treatment of older adults through research studies ranging from double-blind clinical trials to qualitative studies about residents’ experiences in long-term care.

Our Research Registries

The PRNA maintains two registries that recruit and enroll older adults who are willing to be contacted about potential research opportunities.

Community Registry:

The University of Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Adults Independence Center Research Registry has been in operation since 2005 and has enrolled over 2,200 community-dwelling adults over 60 years of age.

Over 100 studies from various University departments have used the registry as a resource for recruitment. Learn more about using the Community Registry for recruitment

Learn more about becoming a registry participant ›

Senior-Living Registry:

The Platinum Registry for Senior-Living Residents is the only one of its kind and is inclusive of the frailest older adults with the greatest co-morbidities and disabilities. This registry recruits and enrolls older adults who reside in long-term care, senior communities, senior high rises, and those who attend an adult day program. The Platinum Registry has been in operation since 2016 and has fostered relationships with over 40 facilities and their residents.

This registry also recruits senior-living facilities and adult day programs as sites for future research studies. Participating sites agree to consider hosting research programs at their facility to eliminate the barrier of transportation that is prevalent for many older adults. Learn more about using the Senior-Living Registry for recruitment.

Learn more about enrolling in the Senior Living Registry ›