Faculty

Comprised of some of the world’s most talented minds in gerontology, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty is a group of intensely talented and passionate researchers and educators. Our faculty members include both the visionaries who pioneered modern aging study and the up-and-coming investigators who take gerontology research and service in exciting new directions.

Dean
  • Pinchas Cohen, MD

    Distinguished Professor of Gerontology, Medicine and Biological Sciences
    Dean, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
    William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Mitochondria, Technology, Personalized aging
Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty
  • Jennifer Ailshire, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology and Spatial Sciences
    Associate Dean of Research
    Associate Dean of International Programs and Global Initiatives
    Chair of the UPS Foundation in Aging and Justice

    Expertise: Environment, Social-determinants and disparities, Global aging
  • Bérénice Benayoun, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology, Biological Sciences and Cancer Biology and Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Sciences

    Expertise: Big data, Sex differences, Immune function
  • Lauren Brown, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology
    Edward L. Schneider, MD, Chair in Gerontological Research

    Expertise: Stress, Ethnic disparities, Biodemography
  • Pinchas Cohen, MD

    Distinguished Professor of Gerontology, Medicine and Biological Sciences
    Dean, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
    William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Mitochondria, Technology, Personalized aging
  • Constanza Cortes, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Mechanisms of aging, Sex differences
  • Eileen Crimmins, PhD

    University Professor
    AARP Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Mortality and life expectancy, Demography, Cognition
  • Sean Curran, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology
    Vice Dean
    Dean of Faculty and Research
    James E. Birren Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Biology, Genetics, Nutrition and diets
  • Teal S. Eich, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology and Psychology
    Associate Dean for Arts and Healthy Aging

    Expertise: Cognition, Memory, Neuroscience
  • Susan Enguídanos, PhD, MPH

    Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Palliative care, End-of-life, Ethnic disparities
  • Francesca Falzarano, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Caregiving, Alzheimer's and dementia, Technology
  • Eleanor Hayes-Larson, PhD, MPH

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Stress, Social-determinants and disparities
  • Cristal M. Hill, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Nutrition/Metabolism, Mechanisms of aging, Nutrigenomics
  • Andrei Irimia, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology, Quantitative & Computational Biology, Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Brain injury, Brain aging, Deep learning
  • Mireille Jacobson, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology and Public Policy
    Assistant Dean of Academic Initiatives

    Expertise: Health economics, Policy
  • Michelle Keller, PhD, MPH

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology
    Leonard and Sophie Davis Early Career Endowed Chair in Minority Aging

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Social-determinants and disparities, Translational research
  • Changhan David Lee, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Mitochondria, Mechanisms of aging, Stress response
  • Valter Longo, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences
    Edna M. Jones Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Fasting, Nutrition and diets, Chronic diseases
  • Mara Mather, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology, Psychology, and Biomedical Engineering

    Expertise: Neuroscience, Emotion, Cognition
  • Daniel Nation, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology and Medicine
    Merle H. Bensinger Professorship in Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Neuroscience, Brain aging
  • Christian Pike, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology
    Kevin Xu Chair in Gerontology
    Assistant Dean of Research

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Neuroscience, Sex differences
  • Ryo Sanabria, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Stress response, Mechanisms of aging, Genetics
  • Marc Vermulst, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology and Cancer Biology

    Expertise: Mitochondria, Mutagenesis, Transcriptomics
  • John Walsh, PhD

    Associate Professor of Gerontology
    Associate Dean of Education

    Expertise: Chronic diseases, Neuroscience, Biology
  • Kathleen Wilber, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology
    Mary Pickford Foundation Chair in Gerontology

    Expertise: Caregiving, Elder abuse, Long-term care
  • Elizabeth Zelinski, PhD

    Professor of Gerontology and Psychology

    Expertise: Cognition, Memory, Technology
Research Faculty
  • T. Em Arpawong, PhD, MPH

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Social-determinants and disparities, Genetics, Resilience
  • Donna Benton, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Caregiving, Long-term care
  • Sebastian Brandhorst, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Nutrition and diets, Translational research, Longevity
  • Amy Christensen-Pacheco, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Sex differences, Nutrition and diets
  • Jung Ki Kim, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Big data, Social-determinants and disparities, Biodemography
  • Kaoru Nashiro, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Cognition, Neuroimaging, Emotional well-being
  • Junxiang Wan, MD, PhD

    Research Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Age-related diseases, Mitochondria, Longevity
  • Kelvin Yen, PhD

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Mitochondria, Mechanisms of aging, Biology
Instructional Faculty
Lecturers
Joint Appointees
Adjunct Faculty
Visiting Scholars
Emeritus
  • Kelvin J. A. Davies, PhD, DSc, FRSC, FRCP

    Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Gerontology, Molecular & Computational Biology, and Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine

    Expertise: Mechanisms of aging, Mitochondria, Stress
  • Caleb Finch, PhD

    University Professor Emeritus of Gerontology, Molecular and Computational Biology, and Anthropology

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Environment, Biology
  • Henry Jay Forman, PhD

    Research Professor Emeritus of Gerontology

  • Todd Morgan, PhD

    Research Professor Emeritus of Gerontology

    Expertise: Environment, Alzheimer's and dementia, Neuroscience
  • Jon Pynoos, PhD

    Professor Emeritus of Gerontology

    Expertise: Housing, Fall prevention, Home modifications
  • Edward Schneider, MD

    Dean Emeritus, Professor of Gerontology, Medicine and Biology

    Expertise: Elder abuse, Mortality and life expectancy, Long-term care