Rebecca T. Brown, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics)
Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Research Associate, Population Aging Research Center
Senior Fellow, Penn Center for Public Health
Vice Chief for Research, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Department: Medicine
Contact information
Ralston House
3615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
3615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: (215) 573-2021
Education:
AB (English)
Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, 1999.
MD (Medicine)
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2005.
MPH (Clinical Effectiveness)
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 2011.
Permanent linkAB (English)
Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, 1999.
MD (Medicine)
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2005.
MPH (Clinical Effectiveness)
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 2011.
Description of Clinical Expertise
As a geriatrician, Dr. Brown has expertise practicing in several clinical settings, including inpatient geriatrics consults and Acute Care for Elders units and outpatient primary care geriatrics. She currently practices primary care geriatrics at the Corporal Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.Description of Research Expertise
The goal of Dr. Brown's research is to improve functional status and quality of life for socioeconomically vulnerable older adults. A substantial part of Dr. Brown's research has examined the epidemiology and outcomes of functional impairment and other geriatric conditions among vulnerable older populations. Her most recent work builds upon these epidemiologic findings to develop and test interventions to optimize function for vulnerable older adults in both clinic and community settings. She currently holds a K76 Beeson Advanced Career Development Award from the NIA focused on improving function and independence for older adults living in federally subsidized housing, as well as a VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) grant focused on improving identification and management of functional impairment among older adults in primary care settings.Selected Publications
Zamora-Rogoski K, Brown RT, Krautner G, Ashcraft L, Groot M, Prigge J, Nicosia F: Engaging Clinical Partners in an Implementation Trial Aimed at Improving Functional Status Among Older Adults in Primary Care. Podium presentation, Academy Health Annual Research Meeting, Seattle, WA June 2 2026.Bhat A, Ryskina KR, Xie D, Sha D, Brown RT: Housing Cost Burden and Functional Health in the Health and Retirement Study. Poster presentation, Population Association of America 2026 Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri May 7 2026.
Brown RT, Krautner G, Zamora-Rogoski K, Ashcraft LE, Groot M, Prigge J, Kinosian B, Schubert C, Moriarty H, Chhatre S, Wilson M, Orkaby A, Schwartz A, Nicosia F: Measuring Functional Status among Older Veterans in Primary Care: Implementation Outcomes of a Hybrid Type II Trial. Oral Presentation, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting May 1 2026.
Qin LA, Koelper N, Reaves SN, Newman DK, Brown RT, Klusaritz H, Wyman J, Walsh W, Arya LA, Andy UU: Interplay between Cognition, Physical Function, Urinary Incontinence, and Falls Poster presentation, Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 2026.
Najjar O, Koelper N, Reaves SN, Newman DK, Brown RT, Klusaritz H, Wyman J, Walsh W, Arya LA, Andy UU: Obesity as a predictor of urge incontinence severity, physical function, and fall risk among women over 70. Poster presentation, Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 2026.
Reaves SN, Koelper N, Klusaritz H, Newman DK, Wyman J, Walsh W, Brown RT, Arya LA, Andy UU: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Physical Function, and Fall Risk among Older Women with Urgency Urinary Incontinence. Poster presentation, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 29 2026.
Nelamangala S, Koelper N, Newman DK, Harvie H, Wyman J, Walsh W, Brown RT, Klusaritz H, Arya LA, Andy UU: Leakonomics: The Financial Burden of Urinary Incontinence Stratified by Severity. Poster presentation, Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 2026.
Reaves SN, Koelper N, Newman DK, Brown RT, Wyman J, Walsh W, Klusaritz H, Arya LA, Andy UU: Dual Incontinence, Falls and Physical Function among Community-Dwelling Older Women. Poster presentation, Presidential Poster Session, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 30 2026.
Andy UU, Klusaritz H, Walsh W, Brown RT, Reaves S, Newman DK: Strategies to Recruit Older Women with Urinary Incontinence: Lessons from the MoVEonUP Trial. Poster presentation, American Geriatrics Society 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting April 29 2026.
Ashcraft LE, Peeples AD, Goodman O, Whiteside P, Mitchell C, Pelcher L, Werner RM, Long JA, Brown RT, Hall DE, Burke RE: Developing and testing a new retrospective tool to identify adaptations across 54 implementation efforts in the SAGE QUERI effectiveness-implementation hybrid type III trial. Poster presentation at 18th Annual Dissemination & Implementation Conference, Washington, D.C. Dec 15 2025.