T32 Training Grant
T32 Training Grant
The NIH-funded T-32 program from the National Institute on Aging has provided support to trainees in the Epidemiology of Aging program for over 35 years, since 1989. The program provides support for 3 pre- and 2 post-doctoral trainees. Training cycles typically begin in the fall term, to maintain alignment with course scheduling. Trainees are provided with 2-3 years of academic support and a stipend.
Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH, Director of the T-32 Epidemiology of Aging Training Grant Program, Co-Director of the Center for Aging and Population Health (CAPH), and Professor and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, , has expertise that focuses on metabolic-related conditions associated with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal declines in the etiology of fall injuries and mobility. Co-Directors and Distinguished Emeritus Professors of Epidemiology include Dr. Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH, with expertise in the epidemiology of aging, longevity and disability, and Dr. Jane A. Cauley, DrPH, , with expertise in women’s health and in establishing novel risk factors for several major diseases of aging including osteoporosis. Incoming Co-Director Dr. Nancy W. Glynn, PhD, Co-Director of the Center for Aging and Population Health (CAPH), and Associate Professor, Co-Vice Chair for Education, and Director, Master’s Degree Programs of the Department of Epidemiology, has extensive expertise in physical activity, fatigability, and physical function. The CAPH generates new solutions to optimize health in older adults through population-based epidemiologic and public health research, professional training in population research methods, and community outreach which emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention. The Epidemiology of Aging Training Program includes the following responsibilities and expectations:
- Independent Research
- Hands-on training of study operations in our state-of-the art Health Studies Research Center, advanced analytic instruction, and access to biorepositories for studies of biomarkers of health/disease, and -omics data for molecular epidemiology research
- Mentorship by experienced faculty in the field of Aging Epidemiology
- Career Development activities, including the Epidemiology of Aging Workshop
- Coursework including the Epidemiology of Aging Methods, Advanced Epidemiology of Aging, and Molecular Mechanisms of Longevity & Aging
- Participation in Research Conferences and Seminars
- Responsible Research Conduct Training
Candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be considered for the T32 Epidemiology of Aging Training Grant:
Pre-doctoral Trainee applicants must:
- Have US citizenship or have a permanent residency status
- Master of Public Health (MPH) or Master of Science (MS) degree from a CEPH accredited institution or program in public health
- Applicants who do not already have an MPH/MS are recommended to have successfully passed the preliminary exams for the Epidemiology doctoral program in order to be considered
Post-doctoral Fellow applicants must:
- Possess an MD, PhD in Epidemiology, or relevant doctorate
- Have US citizenship or have a permanent residency status
- Any post-doctoral candidates without an MS/MPH or doctoral degree in epidemiology must complete the application process to the GSPH Department of Epidemiology and be accepted to the MS or MPH program
View Requirements Documentation
Program Requirements:
Epidemiology of Aging Training Program Guide (PDF)
All trainees will undergo annual evaluations using the following Epidemiology of Aging Training Annual Evaluation Forms and Guidelines:
- T32 Progress Report and Annual Evaluation
- Checklist on Program Requirements
- GSPH CV Format (DOC)
- Center for Postdoctoral Affairs in the Health Sciences Required Forms:
Applications are being accepted for pre-doctoral positions and post-doctoral positions on a rolling basis depending on available openings for the Epidemiology of Aging T32 NIH Training Grant.
Pre-doctoral Position
Applications will be accepted in Summer 2025 for pre-doctoral position postdoctoral positions
Open Date: Available Summer 2025
Close Date: Until Positions are filled
To apply, eligible candidates should send the following items to Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH, Training Program Director, strotmeyere@edc.pitt.edu and Michelle Utz-Kiley, Project Coordinator, kileym@edc.pitt.edu.
- Cover Letter addressed to Dr. Elsa S. Strotmeyer describing in clear, concise language areas of interest, projects and/or specific faculty you would like to work with, what you as a trainee and the trainee program itself would gain from your appointment, and relevant experience in the epidemiology of aging
- Curriculum Vitae
Pitt Public Health considers the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff to be a strength and critical to its educational mission with a commitment to creating and fostering inclusive learning environments that value human dignity and equity and promote social justice.
T32 Post-doctoral Trainees
Name: Zachary Clemens, PhD
Advisor: Iva Miljkovic, MD, MPH
Undergraduate: B.S. in Ecology and Evolution, University Pittsburgh
Graduate: PhD in Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, School of Public Health
Research and professional interests: Aging, physical function and disability, environmental epidemiology, promoting healthy skeletal muscle aging
Email: zjc9@pitt.edu
CAPH Post-doctoral Trainees
Name: Lauren S. Roe, PhD, MS
Degree program: Postdoctoral Scholar, Integrated Clinical and Geroscience Research Training Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Advisor: Iva Miljkovic, MD, MPH
Undergraduate: BS, Exercise Science, Elon University
Graduate: MS, Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University; PhD, Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh
Research and professional interests: Understanding aging-related changes in muscle adipose tissue infiltration from middle-age to older adulthood and the impact of these changes on metabolism and function in at-risk populations.
Email: Lauren.S.Roe@pitt.edu
Name: Aarohee Fulay, PhD, MPH
Advisor: Tamara Dubowitz, SM, MSc, ScD
Undergraduate: BA in Biology (concentration in Human Nutrition) and Psychology, Cornell University
Graduate: MPH in Nutritional Sciences, PhD in Nutritional Sciences (Track: Nutritional Epidemiology), University of Michigan
Research and professional interests: nutrition security, food security, diet, and health outcomes in aging and high-risk populations
Email: apf31@pitt.edu
T32 Pre-doctoral Trainees
Name: Ruel Beresford
Degree program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Iva Miljkovic, MD, MPH
Undergraduate: BS Biological Sciences, BS International Relations & Politics, Carnegie Mellon
Graduate: MPH, Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh
Research and professional interests: Interested in using Genomics, exposomics , and lipidomics to study adiposity and cardiometabolic aging in underrepresented populations.
Email: reb169@pitt.edu
Name: Emma Gay, MPH
Degree program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Nancy W. Glynn, PhD
Undergraduate: BS, Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Research and professional interests: Molecular epidemiology, fatigability, aging, cancer
Email: elg74@pitt.edu
Name: Reagan Garcia, MPH
Degree program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Nancy W. Glynn, PhD
Undergraduate: BS in Exercise Science, Saginaw Valley State University, MI
Graduate: MPH in Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA
Research and professional interests: Physical activity, physical activity maintenance, and fatigability
Email: rem168@pitt.edu
CAPH Pre-doctoral Trainees
Name: Theresa Gmelin, MSW MPH
Degree program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Nancy W. Glynn, PhD
Undergraduate: BA English, Ithaca College
Graduate: MSW, Social Work University at Buffalo, the State University of New York; MPH, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Research and professional interests: Perceived physical and mental fatigability in the aging disability pathway, including impaired physical and cognitive function, perceived hearing trouble in older adults, health education as an attention control in clinical trials
Email: thg15@pitt.edu
Name: Hajin Jang, MPH
Degree program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH
Undergraduate: BA, Health Policy and Management, Statistics, Korea University
Graduate: MPH, Epidemiology, Korea University
Research and professional interests: Obesity and body composition, fall injury and fracture, cross-cohort data harmonization, healthy aging
Email: haj90@pitt.edu
Name: Namhyun Kim, PharmD, MS
Degree Program: PhD in Epidemiology
Advisor: Nancy W. Glynn, PhD
Undergraduate: PharmD in Pharmacy, Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea
Graduate: MS in Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, PA
Research and professional interests: Physical Activity, Sleep, Nutrition, Fatigability
Email: nak264@pitt.edu
The Epidemiology of Aging Training Program represents collaboration between several major administrative units within the University of Pittsburgh. Training program faculty members were selected because of their expertise in aging, mentorship track record, active engagement in the training program through a collaborating role on the research projects and/or service on doctoral committees. Our core Primary and Collaborating faculty listed below focus their research activities in a number of programmatic areas, defined as two or more grants and investigators, led by a senior faculty member. Please refer to the descriptions on the faculty webpages for details.
Co-Directors
Elsa S. Strotmeyer, PhD, MPH
Executive Vice Chair, Department of Epidemiology
Director, NIH/NIA T-32 Epidemiology of Aging Training Grant
Leader, Research Education Component (REC), University of Pittsburgh’s Claude D. Pepper Center
Nancy W. Glynn, PhD, FGSA, FACSM
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Co-Vice Chair for Education and Director, Master’s Degree Programs
Director, Recruitment and Measurement Core of the Epidemiology of Aging Training Program
Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH
Distinguished Professor Emerita
Jane A. Cauley, DrPH
Distinguished Professor Emerita
School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
Maria Mori Brooks, PhD
Co-Director, Epidemiology Data Center
Tamara Dubowitz, SM, MSc, ScD
Chair and Professor, Epidemiology
Samaneh Farsijani, PhD, RD
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, PhD, MHS
Associate Director, Center for Health Equity
Iva Miljkovic, MD, PhD, FAHA
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Epidemiology
Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program
Caterina Rosano, MD, MPH
Associate Director for Clinical Translation, Aging Institute
Andrea L. Rosso, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Akira Sekikawa, MD, MPH, PhD
Director, T32 Cardiovascular Epidemiology Training Program
Director, Ultrasound Research Laboratory
Sonja Swanson, ScD
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Joseph M. Zmuda, PhD
Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Human Genetics
Director, Heinz Nutrition Laboratory
Other Faculty
Tina Costacou, PhD
Associate Professor, Epidemiology
Co-Vice Chair for Education, Department of Epidemiology
Director, Doctoral Program
Megan, Marron, PhD
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
Rachel G Miller, PhD
DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES
Steven M. Albert, PhD, MS
Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences
Hallen Chair of Community Health and Social Justice
DEPARTMENT OF Biostatistics
George C Tseng, ScD
Professor and Vice Chair for Research
Department of Biostatistics (primary appointment)
Department of Human Genetics
Department of Computational & Systems Biology
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health
Dr. Patricia Lynn Opresko, PhD
Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health
Professor, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, School of Medicine
Co-leader, Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Dr. Bernard F. Fisher Chair for Breast Cancer Discovery Science
Department of Human Genetics
John R Shaffer, PhD
Associate Professor, Human Genetics
Vice-chair for Education, Human Genetics
Director, MS and PhD Programs, Human Genetics
Director of Graduate Studies, Human Genetics
Associate Professor, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
Department of Health Policy and Management
Julie M. Donohue, PhD
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition
Bradley Nindl, PhD, FACSM
Vice Chair of Research, Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition
Professor and Director, Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL)
Department of Physical Therapy
Jennifer Brach, PhD, PT
Associate Dean Faculty Affairs and Development
Professor of Physical Therapy and Epidemiology
Director, Pittsburgh Pepper Center
Sara R. Piva, PhD, PT
Interim Chair, Department of Physical Therapy
Professor of Physical Therapy
Director, Physical Therapy Clinical and Translational Research Center
School of Medicine
Department of Medicine
Toren Finkel, MD, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology
G. Nicholas Beckwith III and Dorothy B. Beckwith Chair in Translational Medicine
Director, Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh/UPMC
Daniel Forman, MD
Chair, Section of Geriatric Cardiology
Linda F. Fried, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Chief, Peritoneal Dialysis, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Staff Physician, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Walid F. Gellad, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine with Tenure
Professor of Health Policy and Management
Director, Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing
Susan L. Greenspan, MD
Director, Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center
Director, Bone Health Program, Magee Women’s Hospital, UPMC
Aditi U. Gurkar, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Aging Institute
Steven M. Handler, MD, PhD, CMD
Erin E. Kershaw, MD
Endowed Chair for Obesity and Diabetes Research
Associate Professor of Medicine
Kathleen M. McTigue, MD, MPH, MS
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Epidemiology and Clinical and Translational Science
Vice Chair for Real-World Evidence, Department of Medicine
Neelesh K. Nadkarni, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology
Frederico G. S. Toledo, MD
Director, Endocrinology Clinical Research Core, Translational Research Center
DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS, GYNECOLOGY & REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
Janet Catov, PhD
Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Professor, Epidemiology
DEPARTMENT OF Psychiatry
Daniel J Buysse, MD
Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science
UPMC Endowed Chair in Sleep Medicine
Mary Ganguli, MD, MPH
Professor of Psychiatry, Epidemiology and Neurology
Stephen F Smagula, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology
Rebecca C Thurston, PhD
Pittsburgh Foundation Chair in Women’s Health and Dementia
Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, Epidemiology and Psychology
DEPARTMENT OF Neurology
Oscar L. Lopez, MD
Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Clinical and Translational Sciences
Levidow – Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Chief, Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Division
Professor of Epidemiology
School of Arts & Sciences
DEPARTMENT OF Psychology
Marquis Hawkins PhD
School of Nursing
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROMOTION & DEVELOPMENT
C. Elizabeth Shaaban, PhD, MS, MPH
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Nursing
Associate Director, Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center