Prof. Cathleen Colón-Emeric

Cathleen Colón-Emeric, MD, MHS is the James B. Wyngaarden Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, a Senior Fellow for the Center for Aging and Human Development at Duke University, and Co-Director of the Duke Pepper Center. Dr. Colón-Emeric received her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, clinical training in internal medicine and geriatric medicine, and a master’s in health sciences at Duke University. She is a clinical researcher focusing on fall and fracture prevention in older adults, and physical resilience after orthopedic surgeries. Dr. Colón-Emeric is the recipient of several research mentoring awards and served as the Associate Dean for Research Mentoring in the Duke School of Medicine from 2019-2025. Current funded projects include a large comparative effectiveness trial of models of post-acute care for fracture in skilled nursing facilities, a randomized trial of health services interventions to improve osteoporosis care for men, and translational studies of Physical Resilience in older adults after orthopedic surgery.