Rebecca Brown, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

She completed residency in internal medicine at UCSF, followed by fellowship in geriatric medicine at Harvard Medical School, including an MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. She returned to UCSF for a research fellowship in geriatric medicine before joining the faculty of the Division of Geriatrics in 2013. In 2018 she joined the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The goal of Dr. Brown’s research is to improve functional status among socioeconomically vulnerable older adults, including those experiencing homelessness. To achieve this goal, she is working to describe the risk factors for functional disability and other geriatric conditions in these groups, and to develop targeted interventions to address these risk factors and improve health and functional status.

• Contributions of neighborhood social environment and air pollution exposure to Black-White disparities in epigenetic aging.
  PloS one 2023 Yannatos I, Stites S, Brown RT, McMillan CT
• Study protocol: Type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation study implementing Age-Friendly evidence-based practices in the VA to improve outcomes in older adults.
  Implementation science communications 2023 Piazza KM, Ashcraft LE, Rose L, Hall DE, Brown RT, Bowen MEL, Mavandadi S, Brecher AC, Keddem S, Kiosian B, Long JA, Werner RM, Burke RE
• Veterans Health Administration research in aging: Opportunities for high impact across the academic career.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2023 Vaughan CP, Brown RT, Hastings SN, Makris UE, Forman DE
• Advocating for independence: The role of subsidized housing staff in supporting older residents.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2023 Gupta S, Jahan M, Reyes-Farias D, Bailey K, Resnick B, Reid C, Brown RT
• Achieving and sustaining behavior change for older adults: A Research Centers Collaborative Network workshop report.
  The Gerontologist 2022 Hughes JM, Brown RT, Fanning J, Raj M, Bisson A, Ghneim M, Kritchevsky SB
• Defining Multimorbidity in Older Patients Hospitalized with Medical Conditions.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2022 Jain S, Rosenbaum PR, Reiter JG, Ramadan OI, Hill AS, Hashemi S, Brown RT, Kelz RR, Fleisher LA, Silber JH
• Factors Associated With Mortality Among Homeless Older Adults in California: The HOPE HOME Study.
  JAMA internal medicine 2022 Brown RT, Evans JL, Valle K, Guzman D, Chen YH, Kushel MB
• Association between residential segregation and Black-White disparities in frequent mental distress among older adults.
  International journal of geriatric psychiatry 2022 Reddy KP, Brown RT
• What matters when it comes to measuring Age-Friendly Health System transformation.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022 Burke RE, Ashcraft LE, Manges K, Kinosian B, Lamberton CM, Bowen ME, Brown RT, Mavandadi S, Hall DE, Werner RM
• Changes in the Hierarchy of Functional Impairment From Middle Age to Older Age.
  The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 2022 Brown RT, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Boscardin WJ, Cappola AR, Lee SJ, Steinman MA
• Benzodiazepine and antipsychotic use among hospitalized older adults before versus after restricting visitation: March to May 2020.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022 Brown RT, Shultz K, Karlawish J, Zhou Y, Xie D, Ryskina KL
• Gender Disparity in Lead Authorship Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: No News Is Bad News?
  Journal of general internal medicine 2022 Ryskina KL, Anderson J, Stites SD, Brown RT
• When Functional Impairment Develops Early: Perspectives from Middle-Aged Adults.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2022 Xu E, Nicosia FM, Zamora K, Barrientos M, Spar MJ, Reyes-Farias D, Karliner LS, Potter MB, Brown RT
• Rebooting Instrumental Activities of Daily Living for the 21st Century.
  Annals of internal medicine 2021 Fessler EB, Brown RT, Miller RK
• Selecting implementation strategies to drive Age-Friendly Health System Adoption.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021 Burke RE, Brown RT, Kinosian B
• A Community Partnership to House and Care for Complex Patients with Unstable Housing.
  NEJM catalyst innovations in care delivery 2021 Gondi S, Berchuck SI, Brown RT, Hinderlie M, Easton L, Smith L, Berchuck JE, Burden HS, Berchuck CM
• Older adults' access to primary care: Gender, racial, and ethnic disparities in telemedicine.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021 Ryskina KL, Shultz K, Zhou Y, Lautenbach G, Brown RT
• Association of hospitalization with driving reduction and cessation in older adults.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021 Gaulton TG, Neuman MD, Brown RT, Betz ME
• Investigating Sleep Disturbance and Its Correlates Among Formerly Homeless Adults in Permanent Supportive Housing.
  Medical care 2021 Henwood BF, Rhoades H, Dzubur E, Madden DR, Redline B, Brown RT
• "The More They Know, the Better Care They Can Give": Patient Perspectives on Measuring Functional Status in Primary Care.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2020 Nicosia FM, Spar MJ, Neumann A, Silvestrini MC, Barrientos M, Brown RT
• Moving prevention of functional impairment upstream: is middle age an ideal time for intervention?
  Women's midlife health 2020 Brown RT, Covinsky KE
• Risk Factors for Falls in Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Results from the HOPE HOME Cohort Study.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2020 Abbs E, Brown R, Guzman D, Kaplan L, Kushel M
• "We Have a Long Way to Go:" A Case Study Examination of Older Women Veterans' Experiences in VA Primary Care.
  Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing 2020 Silvestrini M, Nicosia F, Spar MJ, Gibson CJ, Brown RT
• Examining fall risk among formerly homeless older adults living in permanent supportive housing.
  Health & social care in the community 2019 Henwood BF, Rhoades H, Lahey J, Pynoos J, Pitts DB, Brown RT
• Trajectories of functional impairment in homeless older adults: Results from the HOPE HOME study.
  PloS one 2019 Brown RT, Guzman D, Kaplan LM, Ponath C, Lee CT, Kushel MB
• Geriatric Conditions Among Formerly Homeless Older Adults Living in Permanent Supportive Housing.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2019 Henwood BF, Lahey J, Rhoades H, Pitts DB, Pynoos J, Brown RT
• Association of Functional Impairment in Middle Age With Hospitalization, Nursing Home Admission, and Death.
  JAMA internal medicine 2019 Brown RT, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Boscardin WJ, Lee SJ, Williams BA, Steinman MA
• Making Function Part of the Conversation: Clinician Perspectives on Measuring Functional Status in Primary Care.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2018 Nicosia FM, Spar MJ, Steinman MA, Lee SJ, Brown RT
• Frailty as an Outcome in Geriatrics Research: Not Ready for Prime Time?
  Annals of internal medicine 2018 Brown RT, Covinsky KE
• Wealth-Associated Disparities in Death and Disability in the United States and England.
  JAMA internal medicine 2017 Makaroun LK, Brown RT, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Ahalt C, Boscardin WJ, Lang-Brown S, Lee S
• Functional Impairment and Decline in Middle Age: A Cohort Study.
  Annals of internal medicine 2017 Brown RT, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Boscardin WJ, Lee SJ, Steinman MA
• Current approaches to measuring functional status among older adults in VA primary care clinics.
  Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS 2017 Spar MJ, Nicosia FM, Steinman MA, Brown RT
• Geriatric Conditions in a Population-Based Sample of Older Homeless Adults.
  The Gerontologist 2017 Brown RT, Hemati K, Riley ED, Lee CT, Ponath C, Tieu L, Guzman D, Kushel MB
• Bringing functional status into a big data world: Validation of national Veterans Affairs functional status data.
  PloS one 2017 Brown RT, Komaiko KD, Shi Y, Fung KZ, Boscardin WJ, Au-Yeung A, Tarasovsky G, Jacob R, Steinman MA
• Good Cop, Better Cop: Evaluation of a Geriatrics Training Program for Police.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2017 Brown RT, Ahalt C, Rivera J, Stijacic Cenzer I, Wilhelm A, Williams BA
• Older and incarcerated: policy implications of aging prison populations.
  International journal of prisoner health 2017 Psick Z, Simon J, Brown R, Ahalt C
• Pathways to Homelessness among Older Homeless Adults: Results from the HOPE HOME Study.
  PloS one 2016 Brown RT, Goodman L, Guzman D, Tieu L, Ponath C, Kushel MB
• The Course of Functional Impairment in Older Homeless Adults: Disabled on the Street.
  JAMA internal medicine 2015 Cimino T, Steinman MA, Mitchell SL, Miao Y, Bharel M, Barnhart CE, Brown RT
• Health Outcomes of Obtaining Housing Among Older Homeless Adults.
  American journal of public health 2015 Brown RT, Miao Y, Mitchell SL, Bharel M, Patel M, Ard KL, Grande LJ, Blazey-Martin D, Floru D, Steinman MA
• Case 38-2014: A man with sore throat, hoarseness, fatigue, and dyspnea.
  The New England journal of medicine 2015 Brown RT, Steinman MA
• Police on the front line of community geriatric health care: challenges and opportunities.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2014 Brown RT, Ahalt C, Steinman MA, Kruger K, Williams BA
• Functional disability in late-middle-aged and older adults admitted to a safety-net hospital.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2014 Brown RT, Pierluissi E, Guzman D, Kessell ER, Goldman LE, Sarkar U, Schneidermann M, Critchfield JM, Kushel MB
• Use of acute care services among older homeless adults.
  JAMA internal medicine 2013 Brown RT, Kiely DK, Bharel M, Grande LJ, Mitchell SL
• Factors associated with geriatric syndromes in older homeless adults.
  Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2013 Brown RT, Kiely DK, Bharel M, Mitchell SL
• Characteristics of emergency department visits by older versus younger homeless adults in the United States.
  American journal of public health 2013 Brown RT, Steinman MA
• Meeting the Housing and Care Needs of Older Homeless Adults: A Permanent Supportive Housing Program Targeting Homeless Elders.
  Seniors housing & care journal 2013 Brown RT, Thomas ML, Cutler DF, Hinderlie M
• Geriatric syndromes in older homeless adults.
  Journal of general internal medicine 2011 Brown RT, Kiely DK, Bharel M, Mitchell SL
• Dementia medications and risk of falls, syncope, and related adverse events: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2011 Kim DH, Brown RT, Ding EL, Kiel DP, Berry SD
• Health care access and utilization in older versus younger homeless adults.
  Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2010 Brown RT, Kimes RV, Guzman D, Kushel M
• Dance and reducing television viewing to prevent weight gain in African-American girls: the Stanford GEMS pilot study.
  Ethnicity & disease 2003 Robinson TN, Killen JD, Kraemer HC, Wilson DM, Matheson DM, Haskell WL, Pruitt LA, Powell TM, Owens AS, Thompson NS, Flint-Moore NM, Davis GJ, Emig KA, Brown RT, Rochon J, Green S, Varady A