David Roth Heads Hopkins Center on Aging and Health

The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health recently announced the appointment of David L. Roth, PhD, as its new director. Roth, who will also serve as a professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is a psychologist and biostatistician with considerable expertise in aging research. He is well known for his application of biostatistical approaches to clinical studies related to aging and chronic disease.

“Dr. Roth brings with him an impressive track record as a scientist, scholar, mentor and leader in the expanding field of aging research,” said Samuel C. Durso, MD, MBA, AGSF, director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. “It is with great pleasure that we announce his selection as director of our Center on Aging and Health.”

“As the number of older adults in our society continues to increase, it is more important than ever to conduct sound, sophisticated research to address the problems and needs of older adults and their caregivers,” said Roth. “I look forward to building upon the Center’s many accomplishments and working together to further improve the health and well being of our aging population.”

Prior to joining the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Roth served as a professor of biostatistics in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was a faculty member for more than 25 years. His background includes credentials as a research-oriented psychologist with expertise in neuropsychology and behavioral medicine; as an applied statistician with expertise in multivariate, longitudinal analysis; and as a principal investigator who has obtained multiple R01 awards for his research in gerontology and aging research.

Roth currently serves on the editorial boards for two of the leading journals in gerontology, Psychology and Aging and the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. He has also served as a National Institutes of Health study section member and as a grant review panelist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health was established in 1998 as a center of excellence for aging research at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. It is jointly sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Media contact: Tim Parsons, director of Public Affairs, at 410-955-7619 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.