Denise Orwig

Dr. Denise Orwig is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of Maryland. She serves as Interim Division Director of Gerontology and leads the Baltimore Hip Studies research program, focusing on optimizing recovery from hip fractures through community-hospital collaborations. Her career spans 25+ years of interdisciplinary research, mentorship, and clinical trials.

• Education: B.S. (Psychology/Business, University of Pittsburgh), M.S. (Applied Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins), Ph.D. (Biobehavioral Health, Penn State)

Research Interests include:

• Hip Fracture Recovery (longitudinal studies, intervention trials)
• Pharmacoepidemiology (medication safety, osteoporosis treatment)
• Development of clinical tools like MedMaIDE for medication management assessment
• Sex Differences in Aging
• Health Resilience and Frailty

Her 15 most recent publications (2022–2025) show increasing focus on:

• Social determinants of mobility in aging
• Inflammatory biomarkers and mortality
• Sex-specific bone health
• Impact of mental health on functional outcomes
• Health disparities in post-fracture care
• Vaginal microbiome in clinical contexts

Awards & Recognition include:

• NIH Loan Repayment Program (2002)
• Fellow, The Gerontological Society (2014)
• Multiple Outstanding Mentor Awards (2008, 2013, 2015)
• NIA Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowships

As co-director of the Joint Campus Doctoral Program in Gerontology (UMBC/UMB), she mentors students in epidemiology, policy, and behavioral sciences. Current projects include Phase III RCTs for physical therapy interventions post-hip fracture.