The economic, social, and medical advancements over the past 100 years have increased life expectancy at birth from just 47.3 years (all races, both sexes) at the turn of the 20th century to nearly 80 years today. This increase in quantity of life is one of the greatest public health successes of the 20th century.  Our challenge in the 21st century is to make those added years healthy. The geriatrics and gerontological research-focused centers and programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore foster interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration among faculty, staff, and students from across the graduate and six professional schools.

Biology and Behavior Across the Lifespan Research Center

The University of Maryland School of Nursing’s Biology and Behavior Across the Lifespan (BBAL) Organized Research Center strives for shared thinking across the UMB campus focused on the advancement of pioneering research ideas and interventions to promote and sustain health in all people, from infancy to old age. A UMB Center of Excellence, BBAL investigates the management of disease, the optimization of health, and the ways in which biological findings can influence disease prevalence and progression.

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Center for Research on Aging

The Center for Research on Aging was established as an organized research center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1998. The center coordinates research and research training opportunities at UMB that are amenable to an interdisciplinary approach. With more than 150 affiliates including leadership representation from all schools across the UMB campus — as well as from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Maryland, College Park; and the Baltimore VA Medical Center — the center investigates critical issues in aging, including the prevention of functional and mental disability in older persons and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

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Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

Established in 1994, the University of Maryland, Baltimore Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center (UM-OAIC) is one of the 15 Pepper Centers located throughout the United States. With grant funding from the NIH’s National Institute of Aging, UM-OAIC adds to the scientific knowledge related to maintaining or restoring independence in later life. Affiliates investigate the physiological, biomechanical, neuromuscular, and metabolic mechanisms by which exercise rehabilitation affects functional performance, and facilitate the translation of novel rehabilitation strategies into interventions that will prevent the progression of chronic disease and disability in older adults. UM-OAIC promotes the conduct of multidisciplinary research in exercise rehabilitation of older people with Type II diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and osteoporosis to prevent stroke, CVD complications, and hip fracture by providing the intellectual leadership and core resources to mentor the career development of junior faculty and trainees and develop collaborations with investigators that will translate innovative rehabilitation strategies into clinical trials to maintain functional independence and prevent the progression of chronic disease and disability with aging.

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Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center

The mission of the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) is to generate research knowledge about the process of aging and specific diseases. The Baltimore GRECC was established at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in 1992 to serve older veterans in Maryland, District of Columbia, and parts of West Virginia. It is one of 20 GRECCs across the country. Baltimore GRECC researchers carry out a wide variety of projects focused on personal, environmental, and genetic influences on aging, disease, and functioning in later life.

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Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program

The Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program (GGEAR) was established at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in 1987.  The program supports faculty and student research interests in the field of aging by providing funding for interprofessional pilot research projects and co-sponsoring campus activities that include aging research initiatives. GGEAR also sponsors student awards in aging research at events throughout the year.    

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Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging

Established in 1978, the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging is dedicated to improving drug therapy for aging adults through innovative research, education, and clinical initiatives. The Lamy Center’s research initiatives aim to produce new scientific knowledge using state-of-the-art data and methods that have practical applications in improving access to and outcomes of pharmaceutical care for older adults.

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