Laura N. Gitlin, PhD

An applied research sociologist, Dr. Laura N. Gitlin is a professor in the Department of Community Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, with joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the Division of Geriatric Medicine in the School of Medicine. She is the founding director of the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Johns Hopkins, an initiative that aims to transform health care delivery and improve the health and well-being of older adults and their families through rigorous research, evidence-based training for health and human service professionals, and the implementation of proven interventions into service settings. Dr. Gitlin is nationally and internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research focused on developing, evaluating, and implementing home and community-based interventions that aim to enhance the quality of life for individuals with dementia and their family caregivers, improve daily functioning in older adults with disabilities, and address mental health disparities. With nearly 30 years of continuous funding from federal agencies and private foundations, she applies a social ecological perspective and a person-directed approach, collaborating with community organizations, health professionals, and other stakeholders to maximize the relevance and impact of her interventions in diverse practice settings across the United States and globally. Dr. Gitlin has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2009 Charles Ewing Presidential Award from the Eastern Pennsylvania Geriatric Society, the 2010 United Way Champion Impact Award for Healthy Aging at Home, the 2010 National Institute of Senior Centers Award with Center in the Park, and the 2014 M. Powell Lawton Award from the Gerontological Society of America. Additionally, in 2015, she was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has authored over 250 scientific publications and six books, with her most recent publication in 2016 focusing on behavioral intervention research and an upcoming 2017 book on transforming dementia care and services. Dr. Gitlin also serves on the Health and Human Services Advisory Council for the National Alzheimer’s Plan Act, co-chairs the National Research Summit on Care and Services for Individuals with Dementia and Caregivers, and holds positions on the medical advisory board of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Lancet Commission on dementia care.