Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core
Overview
Key Accomplishments
Past and Current Projects
Available Resources
Key Personnel
Neal Fedarko, PhD, Core Leader
Dr. Fedarko is a professor of Geriatric Medicine, co-director of the Biology of Healthy Aging Program, co-Director of the T-32 training grant in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Director of the Clinical Research Unit Core Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. He has considerable expertise in protein discovery related to aging, frailty, osteoporosis, and cancer progression, long and considerable expertise in training and mentoring junior investigators in the art of study design, biological measurements related to aging and chronic disease, and career mentorship.
This core was previously led by Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH, from 2003-2013. Dr. Rabins focused his career on research defining the psychiatric complications of structural brain disease, specifically Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and fronto-temporal dementia. He developed and studied the efficacy of treatment models for the persistently mentally ill elderly (PATCH program), examined neuroimaging correlates of late-life psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression), and directed a clinical service with outpatient, inpatient, partial-day hospital, mobile outreach, and long-term care facility consultation components. His long-term research interests are in the interface between illness characterized as psychiatric and neurological, and on quality of life measurement in dementia and end-of-life care in dementia. He has a substantial commitment to, and expertise in, supporting the career development of medical students, residents and junior faculty. His background in both academic career development and clinical translational research contributed to his oustanding qualifications for directing the Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core.