Research
Geriatric Medicine
The researchers within the Division/Section of Geriatric Medicine focus on health services research and knowledge translation science. Our researchers have a diversity of methodologic expertise and extensive experience in mentoring research students and junior researchers. Our areas of research interest span across the care continuum from acute care to care in the community including within continuing care, all with the primary focus of improving care and well-being for older adults.
Members within the Section/Division of Geriatric Medicine conduct research on an array of issues older adults face across the care continuum, including issues specifically faced by persons living with neurodegenerative disease, frailty, HIV and mood disorders. We mentor, supervise and provide education to undergraduate, graduate and post graduate students. We have held millions in National peer-reviewed grant funding and collaborate with each other as part of an Applied Geriatric Medicine Team, as well as with researchers from multiple other departments and universities.
Dr. Joeseph Abinader
A Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine that is joining the faculty in August of 2025. His research focuses on studying health outcomes in older adults living in poverty. Dr. Abinader is also interested in applying economic research methods to model health outcomes in geriatric populations, and to expand his research to study falls in older adults. He is keen to broaden his research experience as an early career researcher.
Dr. Zahra Goodarzi
An Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. Her work focuses on health services research, knowledge translation, knowledge synthesis and qualitative research. Her work looks at issues facing older adults in many care settings. She has a number of studies focused on frail older adults residing in Long Term Care and the issues they face such as a need for palliative care, depression or anxiety. She co-leads a team focused on improving care in the Emergency Departments for older adults. Additionally she works on the intersection of neurodegenerative disease and non-memory symptoms such as depression. She is the program director for Leaders in Medicine, Canada's largest physician scientist training program. She is a full member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and O'Brien Institute of Public Health.
Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc
Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. She is Head of the Department of Medicine, the Brenda Stafford Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine, and the Academic Lead of the Centre on Aging at the University of Calgary. Dr. Holroyd Leduc uses knowledge translation science to improve care for older adults across the care continuum. She has held numerous grants as PI/co-PI including from CIHR and Alberta Innovates, participates in graduate student supervision, and has published over 180 peer-reviewed research articles. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (inducted in 2022), and a member of OIPH and HBI within the CSM.
Dr. Jacqueline McMillan
Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences. She is local Principal Investigator for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and Co-Chair for the CIHR Clinical Trials Group HIV and Aging Research Development Team. She is Assistant Program Director for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Clinician Investigator Program at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on knowledge synthesis and large health data studies including prospective data and health services data to answer important questions facing frail older adults. Much of her work focuses on older adults living with HIV, including frailty, falls, polypharmacy, cognitive decline, social isolation and loneliness. She is a full member of the O'Brien Institute of Public Health.
Dr. Krista Reich
A Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, having joined the faculty in 2022. Her research expertise centers on knowledge translation, administrative data, and prioritization methods. Dr. Reich’s work is dedicated to enhancing perioperative care for older adults by optimizing clinical processes and improving access to geriatric specialists. She is also a full member of the O'Brien Institute for Public Health.
Our research team has continued to grow over the past number of years through recruitment of junior geriatrician researchers, and as of July 2022 there were five research faculty members. We are now one of the larger groups of geriatrician researchers within Canada, and have led research Nationally through our leadership roles within the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Canadian Frailty Network (just to name a few collaborations). We hold tri-council and other national/provincial funding grants, have published extensively, and have supervised numerous graduate, undergraduate and postgraduate research students. Our researchers are recognized both nationally and internationally for their impact in the field of geriatric medicine research, for example Dr. David Hogan received the 2019 AMA Medal for Distinguished Service, Dr. Holroyd-Leduc was elected into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2022, and Dr. Zahra Goodarzi was recognized as a Calgary Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2021.