About Us

The UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

Mission

The mission of the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) is to establish centers of excellence in geriatrics research and research education to increase scientific knowledge to better ways to maintain or restore independence in older persons.

2025-2030 Theme

Enhance functional independence in older adults with chronic disabling conditions by reducing health disparities

The UTMB Health Pepper Center is dedicated to advancing multidisciplinary research and training the next generation of leaders in gerontology and geriatrics.

2025-2023 (6th Cycle) Key Aims

Test interactions among biobehavioral, health system, and social factors in age-related trajectories of disability and functional independence
Develop and evaluate interventions to maintain or restore functional independence in chronic disabling conditions
Translate interventions to the real world and clinical settings in different populations
Recruit, mentor, and develop early career faculty members

Our Primary Goal

Functional independence involves an individual's ability to manage personal needs and daily activities within their environment. Chronic disabling conditions are long-term health issues that significantly impair daily activities. Aging with such conditions can diminish independence across physical, cognitive, and psychobehavioral domains. This is especially the case in older adults facing additional challenges from adverse social determinants of health. To understand and address the complex interplay between functional independence, chronic disabling conditions, and the impact of adverse social determinants of health, we must employ an intersectional approach that understands the interdependence of these factors. Thus, our primary goal is to improve functional independence in older people with chronic disabling conditions by addressing how sex, education, income and social and environmental factors affect their health.

Core Infrastructure

In this cycle we will integrate three Resource Cores: Research Design & Data Management, Clinical & Community Research, and a new Technology-Enabled Research Core to drive innovation and training. The Research Education Core will lead scholar development, while the Pilot/Exploratory Core will support new projects. The Leadership Administrative Core will oversee all efforts and connect us with institutional and national networks.

View Cores and Projects

Contact Us

The UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC)
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-0177
Directions and Maps
Phone: (409) 747-0008
Email: aging.research@utmb.edu

History

Congressman Claude D. Pepper: Spokesman for the Elderly

During his 40 year career as a Florida congressman, Claude D. Pepper earned the reputation of being the "spokesman for the elderly". Always a strong advocate for older Americans, Pepper rejected the idea that physical and mental decline were an inevitable part of aging. He also co-authored legislation that established the National Cancer Institute, which became the first of many National Institutes of Health. In honor of the late congressman, the National Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers were authorized by Congress to conduct, "research into the aging processes and into the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, disorders and complications related to aging, including menopause, which research includes research on such treatments, and on medical devices and other medical interventions regarding such diseases, disorders and complications, that can assist individuals in avoiding institutionalization and prolonged hospitalization and in otherwise increasing the independence of the individuals and programs to develop individuals capable of conducting research in these areas."

The Pepper Center at UTMB

In 2000, the University of Texas Medical Branch, Sealy Center on Aging was awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to establish the UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC). It was the only Pepper Center serving the Southwest at the time. Under the direction of Principal Investigator, James S. Goodwin, MD, its major purpose was to study how muscle metabolism and function change with age and contribute to loss of independence in older persons.

In 2005, the UTMB Health OAIC grant funding was renewed by NIA for an additional five years. The new focus of the UTMB OAIC was to examine muscle function from interdisciplinary perspectives across the entire spectrum of biomedical investigation from molecular biology to outcomes assessment.

Pepper investigators were key in UTMB receiving its first Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) in 2009.

In 2010, the NIA refunded the UTMB Health Pepper Center into 2015 under a new Principal Investigator, Elena Volpi, MD, PhD. The $5.8 million award supported the research infrastructure to train young investigators in aging research and to enhance externally funded projects. Those projects brought more than $20 million to UTMB, mainly from the NIH. The theme was, "transforming biological mechanisms of muscle growth and loss to improve function and recovery in older adults."

In 2015, the Center was refunded for the next five years by a $3.4 million grant from the NIA to continue its mission to improve physical function and independence in older adults. The focus of the previous cycle was to, "identify pathways of physical function loss and gain, and develop targeted interventions to improve functional recovery from illness in older adults."

In 2020, the Center was refunded with a $6.3 million grant from the NIA. The theme was, “translate pathways of function loss and gain into interventions to optimize functional recovery in diverse geriatric populations."

In 2024, Melissa Morrow, PhD became Multiple Principal Investigator with James Goodwin, MD. Her arrival in 2022 increased work on disability as a health disparity and technology-enabled research in aging at UTMB.

In 2025, the Center was refunded for a sixth time -- through 2030 -- with a $6.5 million grant from the NIA. The current theme is to, “enhance functional independence in older adults with chronic disabling conditions by reducing health disparities."

Evolution

Scientific Progress

Since its inception in 2000, The UTMB Health Pepper Center has trained 41 Scholars, more than half of whom are clinicians. Eighty-five percent of past Scholars have become externally funded independent investigators, with many now holding senior leadership positions in gerontology or geriatrics. Pipelines funded by T32s, the NIA’s MSTAR program, and other training grants allow us to identify and recruit promising early career investigators. The Center has also spearheaded new research by funding 76 pilot projects, including 23 during the current cycle. Overall, 55% of past pilot and developmental projects have resulted in external funding, and the Center has generated more than 860 publications.

First Cycle

Theme: Mechanisms of sarcopenia, P50 projects;
Research: Basic science, Human metabolism;
Training: Start team mentoring

Second Cycle

Theme: Sarcopenia, Change to P30;
Research: Continue muscle biology and metabolism, First multisite bed rest trial, Start ACE Unit research;
Training: Start K12 collaboration with U. of FL, USC, T32 pipeline

Third Cycle

Theme: Translating basic findings to humans;
Research: Continue muscle biology and metabolism, Start participating in large NIA trials (ASPREE), Increase ACE Unit research starting pilot trials;
Training: Continue K12 collaboration, Start CTSA collab., Increase T32 pipeline

Fourth Cycle

Theme: Identifying pathways of functional loss and interventions for recovery;
Research: Continue muscle biology and metabolism, More large trials (D-CARE, MoTrPAC, STEP-HI, STRIDE), Expand ACE Unit studies, PCOR (R24), Large data (P2C), Cognition;
Training: Continue K12 & CTSA collaboration, More T32s, New RCMAR

Fifth Cycle

Theme: Translate Pathways of Function Loss and Gain into Interventions to Optimize Functional Recovery in Diverse Geriatric Populations;
Research: Continuing muscle biology and metabolism, Reverse translation, Cognition and function, Lead multisite pragmatic trials in hospitalized patients, Hispanic aging, EHR research;
Training: Leverage RCMAR for minority Scholars training, Continue CTSA collab., Continue T32 pipeline

Sixth Cycle

2025-2030 Theme & Specific Aims

Last Updated: September 2025

301 University Blvd. Galveston, TX 77555-0177 | p 409.747.0008 | f 409.772.8931 The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Award #P30-AG024832 is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Contact Roxann Grover, MA regarding updates to this content.