Faculty in the Section of Geriatrics are committed to managing complexity with compassion
WashU Medicine Geriatrics provides primary and specialty care for older adults, conducts critical research to improve lives and trains future specialists in geriatric medicine.
Our geriatricians work closely with patients, families and primary care providers to deliver the highest quality of care for older adults. Our focus is providing compassionate, comprehensive care that meets the needs of our patients.
- Recognized as an Age Friendly Health System by the Institute for Healthcare improvement
- Among the top hospitals in the nation for geriatrics, according to U.S. News & World Report
- Providers who are recognized as national leaders and top doctors in geriatric medicine
Our Section of Geriatrics includes outpatient geriatric assessment clinics; geriatric primary care, long term care, a geriatrics fellowship program; a mandatory geriatric rotation for internal medicine residents, medical students and other trainees; and a past and current body of research focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and treatments, AD blood-based biomarkers use in primary care, older drivers, sarcopenia, exercise interventions in older adults, and hip fracture rehabilitation.
Section chief
David B. Carr, MD
Alan A and Edith L Wolff Professor of Geriatric Medicine
Chief, Section of Geriatrics
- Phone: 314-273-4374
- Fax: 314-286-2701
- Email: dcarr@nospam.wustl.edu
Geriatrics faculty
Lenise Cummings-Vaughn, MD, CMD
Associate Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-273-4374
- Fax: 314-286-2701
- Email: lcumming@wustl.edu
Ellie Fishbein, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director of Geriatric Primary Care
- Phone: 314-273-4374
- Email: ellief@wustl.edu
Patient care
WashU Medicine Geriatrics provides comprehensive primary and specialty care for older adults. Our specialists help people maintain independence, improve quality of life, reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and offer guidance for older adults who need specialized care.
Education
Our geriatric medicine fellowship prepares physicians for careers as leaders in clinical geriatrics, medical education, aging research and healthcare improvement. The one-year clinical educator track provides a strong foundation in teaching, in addition to clinical subspecialty training. We have outstanding opportunities for one-to-two years of additional research training for trainees who want to develop careers in geriatric research.
Research
Faculty in the Section of Geriatrics are Principal Investigators and Co-PIs on studies ranging from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk reduction and treatments, AD blood-based biomarkers use in primary care, older drivers, sarcopenia and hip fracture rehabilitation. Our faculty have published findings in leading journals and regularly present their research at national meetings.
Dr. Ellen Binder and colleagues recently completed the STEP-HI clinical trial (Binder cPI) with multiple publications and presentations at national meetings. She also was a co-PI for the Risk Reduction for Alzheimer’s disease (rrAD trial).
Dr. David Carr has had successful recruitment to date for the SUNBIRD study (Carr cPI) to validate a new diagnostic test for Alzheimer disease in the primary care setting. He was recently funded on a new NIA initiative on older drivers to study preclinical AD in naturalistic settings (Carr cPI). He is active in two clinical trials, one for symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (Trontier) and one for prevention in asymptomatic patients (PrevenTRON). He had a recent R13 proposal accepted for a national conference on Older Drivers.
