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
Nelamangala S, Newman DK, Wyman JF, Walsh WE, Klusaritz H, Harvie HK, Brown RT, Arya LA, Andy UU: Leakonomics: The Financial and Environmental Costs of Urinary Incontinence. Oral presentation, American Urogynecologic Society 47th Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado Oct 5 2026.Najjar O, Reaves SN, Newman DK, Brown RT, Klusaritz H, Wyman JF, Walsh WE, Arya LA, Andy UU: Obesity, Urge Incontinence Severity, and Physical Function in Women over 70. Oral presentation, American Urogynecologic Society 47th Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado Oct 7 2026.
Reaves S, Koelper N, Klusaritz H, Newman DK, Wyman JF, Walsh WE, Brown RT, Arya LA, Andy UU: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Physical Activity & Fall Risk in Older Women with Urgency Urinary Incontinence. Oral presentation, American Urogynecologic Society 47th Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado Oct 6 2026.
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.
Hayek R, Springer S, Brown RT: Self-reported functional and mobility limitations in mid-life: a systematic review of prevalence and association with chronic health conditions. BMC Public Health June 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.
Schrauben SJ, Brown RT, Shlipak M, Tangri N, Zhang X, Nair D, Leonard M, Bauer S, Lash JP, Balantrapu S, Ash G, Fischer MJ, Navaneethan S, Rincon Choles H, Chen J, Hamm LL, Appel LJ, Yang W: Physical function decline among adults with moderate to severe CKD. Kidney Int Rep 87(5): 688-697, May 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.
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.