Who We Are
Founded in 2013 by the faculty of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics, the UCSF Pepper Center consists of 5 cores to develop, support, and mentor an interdisciplinary community of investigators whose discoveries have enhanced the understanding of disability and functional decline in older adults.
Leadership & Administration Core (LAC)
Orchestrates research and program initiatives
Research Education Core (REC)
Designs curricula and programs for career development and facilitates mentorship of junior investigators
Pilot & Exploratory Studies Core (PESC)
Facilitates mentorship in bridging multidisciplinary investigators into aging-related research
Vulnerable Populations Aging Research Core (VARC)
Facilitates mentorship and provides expert guidance to investigators conducting primary data collection studies that include older adults with medical and social vulnerabilities.
Data & Analysis Core (DAC)
Facilitates mentorship and specializes in providing expert guidance on research utilizing large secondary data analysis methodologies
Our Mission
We believe that successful aging encompasses having a good quality of life regardless of one’s medical conditions and functional impairments. We seek to understand the needs of the millions of older persons who need our help right now, whether because of complex medical circumstances or because of adverse social circumstances.
Our Center supports researchers who share our passion for improving the well-being of older persons. We view our resources as venture capital to catalyze the careers and research paths of investigators who will do cutting edge research that advances the care, health, and wellbeing of older persons, both within the UCSF community and nationally.