Namkee G. Choi

Namkee G. Choi is a Professor and Louis and Ann Wolens Centennial Chair in Gerontology at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on geriatric mental health, particularly depression treatment for homebound older adults via telehealth, suicide prevention in late life, and health disparities affecting racial/ethnic minorities. She has pioneered studies on telehealth interventions like tele-behavioral activation and tele-problem-solving therapy, demonstrating their clinical and cost-effectiveness in underserved populations.

Education: MSW from the University of Minnesota and Ph.D. in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. Professional experience includes advocacy for long-term care residents and direct work with homebound seniors. She volunteers with Meals on Wheels Central Texas and has served on editorial boards of gerontology journals.

Key research areas: Telehealth depression interventions, suicide in late life, substance misuse among older adults, minority aging, and technology integration in aging services. Current projects explore integrated telehealth approaches for depression and fall prevention by lay counselors.

Awards: Selected as a scholar of the NIMH-funded Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health. Her work has been funded by NIH institutes including NIMH and NIMHD.

Grants and Advising: Her research has been supported by grants such as R34 MH083872 (NIMH) and R01MD009675 (NIMHD). She oversees a research team advancing evidence-based practices for aging populations.

Labs/Teams: Her lab focuses on telehealth innovations and health equity in aging. Collaborations include aging service organizations and interdisciplinary teams addressing mental health access barriers.