Dr. Ana Ayala Copete, WHO/PAHO scholar has been invited to participate as a speaker at the upcoming III Javerian Congress on Geriatrics: Work Summit on Ageing and Health, scheduled for August 28–29, 2025, at the Alfonso Quintana Auditorium of the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, Colombia.

UTMB Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Melissa (Missy) Morrow as Director of the Sealy Center on Aging. A renowned rehabilitation scientist and expert in aging and disability research, Dr. Morrow brings deep experience in translational science, biomechanics, and health technology. She currently serves as Co-Director of the NIA-funded Pepper Center at UTMB and will lead the center’s involvement in the new $5 million Healthy Aging and Technology (Age-Tech) Initiative. We thank Dr. Alan Landay for his exceptional service as interim director and look forward to the center’s continued growth under Dr. Morrow’s leadership.

At The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health), we’re exploring what it really means to age well, from your perspective. We're looking for people ages 20 and up to take part in a new research study focused on how people of all ages think about health, aging, and the future of care. You’ll have the chance to share your personal experiences, ideas, and hopes in a one-on-one interview or small group conversation, with no medical tests or treatments involved.

In a guest column for the Daily News, Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System, wrote about the recently ended 89th Legislative Session in Austin and some of UTMB’s legislative wins. “At the University of Texas Medical Branch, we are thankful for these investments, both for the legislature’s vote of confidence for our Healthy Aging and Technology Initiative within our institution, and the broader establishment of the research institute, to fund competitive and thoughtful grants, for the betterment of all Texans,” Reiser writes.

Please join us for the next Pepper Investigators Lecture: "Pain and cognition among older adults across contexts," presented by Sadaf Milani, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public and Population Health on June 25, 2025 at noon in RSH 6.100 and via Teams. Lunch provided for those in person.

When Dr. Yong-Fang Kuo analyzed Medicare data from more than 2 million older adults, the results revealed a striking pattern: those who received annual wellness visits were significantly more likely to receive early diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment—catching memory problems before they progressed to full dementia.

Led by Dr. Neil K. Mehta, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and associate dean for research for the School of Public and Population Health, the new center aims to become a nationally recognized leader in outcomes research by leveraging UTMB's exceptional data infrastructure and multidisciplinary expertise. As a university-wide center, it will create new opportunities for collaboration between clinical and research enterprises across UTMB.