The UCSF Division of Geriatrics, based at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, is a national leader in research and offers premier training opportunities for physicians, other health professionals, and post-doctoral candidates interested in careers involving aging research.

• Research and Health Care Improvement Fellowships
• Formal Training and Conferences
• Mentorship
• Research Faculty
• Current and Past Research Fellows
• Application Information

A variety of research tracks and funding mechanisms are available, but the core experience of research fellows in each of these pathways is largely the same (see Formal Training and Conferences and Mentorship ). Applicants interested in research are encouraged to discuss these options with the research fellowship director (Dr. Landefeld) to determine which track is best suited for that candidate's needs. Although the research focus of the Division is on clinical epidemiology and health services research, the Division has also nurtured successful fellows in the basic sciences.

This pathway is designed to provide the highest quality training for physicians and post-doctoral candidates interested in careers involving research. For many physicians, this fellowship is offered in conjunction with clinical geriatrics training at UCSF, with research occurring before, after, and in some cases concurrent with clinical training. Other highly-qualified applicants are also encouraged to apply. Research training generally requires 2 or more years before fellows successfully enter a junior faculty position. Training in this program is supported by grants to the Division of Geriatrics from the National Institutes of Health and the John A. Hartford Foundation.

For information about the VA National Quality Scholars Program, please click here.

As noted above, fellows from the various research tracks share an extensive core experience of research training. Elements of training include:

Advanced Training in Clinical Research (ATCR) / TICR.
ATCR is an intensive, highly-regarded year-long course on research methods for fellows and junior faculty across UCSF pursuing careers in clinical, epidemiologic, and health services research. Students also have an option to extend their studies for a second year and obtain a master's degree in clinical research. Coursework includes classes on epidemiologic methods, introductory statistical analysis, advanced statistical methods, statistical computing, clinical trials, database management systems, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, publishing and presenting clinical research, and an ongoing seminar. Additional elective courses are available in decision and cost-effectiveness analysis, medical informatics, clinical research with diverse communities, and outcomes research. Click here for more information.

Division of Geriatrics Works-in-Progress Conferences
This weekly conference provides a venue for all faculty and fellows to present ongoing academic work to the entire division. Like the fellows conference, many consider the discussions to be highly valuable in improving their own projects and developing the skills necessary to think critically about research and scholarship.

National Conferences
All research fellows are funded for travel to at least one national conference per year, in addition to other conferences at which they present original work. Meetings with researchers at other institutions for the purposes of research collaboration and mentorship are highly encouraged. In addition, fellows in the Quality Scholars Program also attend three other conferences each year, including the Quality Scholars Summer Symposium, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement National Conference, and the VA Health Services Research and Development Annual Conference.

The Division of Geriatrics takes mentorship very seriously, and considers it the cornerstone of research fellowship training. Research fellowship directors Drs. Seth Landefeld, Kenneth Covinsky, Louise Walter, and Sandra Moody-Ayers personally mentor many of the research fellows, and are widely regarded as superb mentors. Trainees are expected to publish their work in leading journals, including Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Previous trainees now hold senior and junior faculty positions at over 10 medical schools in the US and Canada. In addition to the above faculty, a diverse group of other faculty work closely with the Division and are available for mentorship and research collaboration. This includes Dr. Kristine Yaffe, who has successfully mentored many fellows on projects relating to cognition and mental health, and faculty members of the Research Enhancement Awards Program (REAP) for Health Services Research and Development at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (see below). A wide variety of other faculty are available to serve a wide range of interests. The Division works closely with the Research Enhancement Awards Program for Health Services Research and Development at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. In addition to providing a wider range of faculty for collaboration, this provides access to on-site biostatistical support, computer and database support, and a core analytic laboratory for fellows.

Fellows have access to all faculty in the Division and a wide array of affiliated faculty. This includes researchers affiliated with the Research Enhancement Awards Program (REAP) for Health Services Research and Development at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. This program works very closely with the Division of Geriatrics, and under this affiliation is known as the Interdisciplinary Program to Improve Care for Older Veterans. In addition, many other faculty members at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, UCSF, and beyond have been enthusiastic mentors for and collaborators with research fellows on a broad range of projects.

C. Seth Landefeld, MD - Chief, UCSF Division of Geriatrics and Director of Research Fellowships

Stephen Bonasera, MD, PhD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

John Boscardin, PhD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH - Associate Professor of Medicine, co-Director of Research Fellowships

Sei Lee, MD -Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Kala Mehta, DSc - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Sandra Moody-Ayers, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Alex Smith, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Michael Steinman, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Rebecca Sudore, MD -Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Louise Walter, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Brie Williams, MD - Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatrics

Deborah Barnes, PhD, MPH - Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Mary-Margaret Chren, MD - Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director of the REAP Program for Health Services Research and Development.

Sara Knight, PhD - Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Urology and Associate Director of the REAP Program for Health Services Research and Development.

Kristine Yaffe, MD - Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Epidemiology