San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

Improving the Health and Independence
of All Older Adults

Established in 2015, the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center is a national leader in aging and geriatric research. The home of the San Antonio Pepper Center is the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, in partnership with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (VA) Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC). The San Antonio Pepper Center is led by Drs. Elena Volpi, Randy Strong, and Rebeca Wong.

The goal of the San Antonio Pepper Center is to translate innovative laboratory discoveries into clinical interventions  to improve the health and independence of all older adults. We pay particular attention to the predominantly Hispanic population we serve here in South Texas, as it experiences an earlier onset of age-related diseases and functional decline, and may benefit more than others from our novel interventions. The San Antonio Pepper Center provides the infrastructure, mentoring, pilot funds, intellectual and technical support for:

• • Clinical research on aging and independence in our diverse population of older adults
  • Translational research; moving laboratory discoveries to clinical practice
  • Training of clinicians and scientists in translational geroscience, aging, and geriatrics
  • Dissemination of our discoveries and clinical innovations in the community, among scientists and clinicians, and with policymakers.