Jeff D. Williamson

Jeff D. Williamson, MD, MHS is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He serves as Chief of the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and Director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation. Additionally, he is co-leader of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Clinical Core leader for the Wake Forest Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, holding multiple professorial appointments across Implementation Science, Epidemiology and Prevention, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

His educational background includes:

• MD from Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine (1986)
• Internal Medicine Internship at University of Maryland Medical Center (1987)
• Internal Medicine Residency at University of Maryland Hospitals (1989)
• Geriatrics Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital (1993)
• Master's degree in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

Dr. Williamson's research primarily focuses on the relationships between chronic diseases (particularly hypertension and diabetes) and brain health in aging adults, the prevention of aging-related loss of independence, and developing research methods for including elderly persons in clinical trials. His work spans Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, Care Models of Older People, Chronic Disease and Disability, and Rapid Integration of Discovery into Care. He has made significant contributions to understanding how blood pressure control affects cognitive outcomes in older adults through landmark clinical trials like SPRINT MIND.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of cardiovascular health and cognitive aging, with particular emphasis on stroke risk prediction, blood pressure management effects on brain health, and innovative care models for elderly patients with chronic conditions. His work often involves large-scale clinical trials and epidemiological studies that bridge the gap between discovery and clinical implementation.

Dr. Williamson leads several important research centers and initiatives:

• Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention (CHAAP)
• Center for Healthcare Innovations (CHI)
• Center for Vaccines at the Extremes of Aging (CVEA)

His clinical work focuses on geriatric medicine, with expertise in age-related hearing loss, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, arthritis, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, dementia, depression, gait disturbances, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint pain, obesity, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, tremor, and urinary incontinence.