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 Sociology
    Associate Dean of Research
    Associate Dean of International Programs and Global Initiatives

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

    Associate Professor of Gerontology, Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

    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, Resilience, Mechanisms of aging
  • 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

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology and Psychology

    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
  • Caleb Finch, PhD

    University Professor
    ARCO/William F. Kieschnick Chair in the Neurobiology of Aging

    Expertise: Alzheimer's and dementia, Environment, Biology
  • 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

    Associate Professor of Gerontology
    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

  • 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
    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
  • Edward Schneider, MD

    Professor of Gerontology, Medicine and Biology

    Expertise: Elder abuse, Mortality and life expectancy, Long-term care
  • Marc Vermulst, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Gerontology, Molecular and Computational Biology, Biological Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

    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 Assistant Professor of Gerontology

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

    Research Associate Professor of Gerontology
    Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

    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, PhD

    Research Assistant 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
  • Hiroshi Kumagai, PhD

    Research Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Genetics, Mitochondria, Biology
  • 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
  • Caroline Cicero, PhD, MSW, MPL

    Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Policy, Housing, Sociology
  • Deborah Fui-Yuen Hoe, PhD

    Instructional Assistant Professor for Gerontology

    Expertise: End-of-life, Palliative care
  • Aaron Hagedorn, PhD

    Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology

  • Cary Kreutzer, EdD, MPH, RD, FAND

    Instructional Professor of Clinical Gerontology and Pediatrics

    Expertise: Nutrition and diets, Nutrigenomics, Wellness
  • Tara Mastro, PhD

    Instructional Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Memory, Neuroscience, Biology
  • Paul Nash, PhD

    Instructional Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Ageism and intersectionality, HIV and aging, Stigma and discrimination
  • Min-Kyoung Rhee, PhD

    Instructional Assistant Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Social-determinants and disparities, Technology, Translational research
  • Roberto Vicinanza, MD, PhD

    Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology

    Expertise: Age-related diseases, Nutrition and metabolism, Mental health
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
  • 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