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.

2020-2025 Theme

Translate Pathways of Function Loss and Gain into Interventions to Optimize Functional Recovery in Diverse Geriatric Populations
functional gain

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

Key Aims

  1. Discovering mechanisms and defining trajectories of age-related functional loss and gain;
  2. Developing and testing innovative interventions to optimize functional recovery;
  3. Translating interventions to clinical settings across diverse populations; and
  4. Training future leaders in gerontology and geriatric research.

Using an integrative approach, the program translates basic discoveries into interventions that improve functional recovery and reduce functional loss in older adults. Through collaborations with other institutional programs, the research focuses on novel therapeutics, Hispanic aging, and recovery from neurologic diseases. The program’s success is supported by its Resource Cores in Metabolism and Biology, Clinical Research, and Biostatistics and Data Management, with scientific leadership and coordination provided by the Leadership and Administrative Core, in partnership with the Pilot/Exploratory and Research Education Cores.

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

Black & white photo of Claude D Pepper

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 for a fifth time -- through 2025 -- with a $6.3 million grant from the NIA. The current theme is to “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.

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 86 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

cycle1 Theme: Mechanisms of sarcopenia, P50 projects; 
Research: Basic science, Human metabolism; 
Training: Start team mentoring

Second Cycle

cycle2 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

cycle3 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

cycle4 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 (Current) Cycle

cycle5 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

Participants

Principal Investigators

  • James S. Goodwin, MD
    MPI, Core Co-Lead, Leadership and Administration Core and Research Education Component
  • Melissa M. Morrow, PhD
    MPI, Core Co-Lead, Leadership and Administration Core and Research Education Component

Support

  • Alexis King, MS
    Administrator
  • Doaa Abdelrahman, MS
    Coordinator
  • Biai Digbeu
    Biostatistician
  • Shawn Goodlett
    Coordinator
  • Roxann Grover, MA
    Web Operations
  • Roxana Hirst, MS, CCRP
    Coordinator
  • Eloisa Martinez, CCRP
    Coordinator
  • Din Misbahud
    Research Associate II
  • Paula Skinkis, MEd, CCRP
    Coordinator
  • Sana Ullah
    Coordinator
  • Alejandro Villasante-Tezanos, PhD
    Biostatistician
  • Jeifei Wang, PhD
    Biostatistician

Core Leaders, Scholars, & Project PIs

  • Brian Downer, PhD
    Core Co-Lead & Project PI, Pilot and Exploratory Services Core
  • Steve Fisher, PT, PhD
    Co-Core Lead, Clinical Research Core Resource 2
  • Rebecca L. Galloway, PhD
    Leader, LSPC, Clinical Research Resource Core 2
  • Erin Hommel, MD
    Scholar, Research Education Component
  • Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD
    Core Lead, Biostatistics and Data Management Resource Core 3
  • Elizabeth Lorenzo, PhD
    Scholar, Research Education Component
  • Elizabeth J. Lyons, PhD
    Core Lead, Clinical Research Resource Core 2
  • Kyriakos S. Markides, PhD
    Core Lead, Pilot and Exploratory Services Core
  • Meredith Masel, PhD
    Leader in Training, Clinical Research Resource Core 2
  • Neil Mehta, PhD
    Scholar, Research Education Component
  • Andrew Murton, PhD
    Core Co-Lead & Project PI, Metabolism and Biology Resource Core 1 
  • Monique Renae Pappadis, PhD
    Leader in Training, Pilot and Exploratory Services Core
  • Heidi Spratt, PhD
    Core Co-Lead, Biostatistics and Data Management Resource Core 3
  • Alejandro Villasante, PhD
    Project PI, Biostatistics and Data Management Resource Core 3
  • Stanley J. Watowich, PhD
    Core Co-Lead & Project PI, Metabolism and Biology Resource Core 1
  • Huiwen Xu, PhD
    Scholar, Research Education Component
  • Xiaoying Yu, PhD
    Leader in Training, Project PI, Biostatistics and Data Management Resource Core 3

Last Updated: December 2024

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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.