Our Team

This Pepper Center has a nimble core of faculty members and staff who engage with many other partners to advance research and interventions improving the mobility of elder persons.

Center Leadership

Administrative director

Todd Manini, PhD

Professor; Division Chief
Clinical And Population Health Integration
Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics

Pepper Center Co-Director Todd Manini, PhD

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Administrative Staff

Ericka Patti
Department: MD-HOBI-GENERAL

Ericka Patti

Administrative Specialist II
Phone: (352) 294-5831
Justin Whatley
Department: MD-HOBI-GENERAL

Justin Whatley

Research Administration Manager
Phone: (352) 294-5991
Ching-Ju Jane Lu
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Ching-Ju Jane Lu MPH

Project Manager
Phone: (352) 294-5853

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Senior Advisors

Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, MSc
Department: MD-SURG-POPULATION HEALTH SCI

Dejana Braithwaite, PhD, MSc

Professor And Division Chief, Population Health Sciences, Department Of Surgery
Phone: (352) 294-5822
Thomas C Foster
Department: Department of Neuroscience

Thomas C Foster

Professor, Evelyn F. McKnight Chair For Research On Cognitive Aging And Memory
Phone: (352) 273-0033
Ronald I Shorr
Department: Department of Epidemiology

Ronald I Shorr

Director, Geriatric Research Education & Clinical Center, Malcom Randall VAMC, Research Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida
Phone: (352) 548-6077
Carolyn M Tucker
Department: LS-HEALTH DISPARITIES

Carolyn M Tucker

PROFESSOR
Phone: (352) 273-2167

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Clinical Research Core

Stephen Anton
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Stephen Anton PhD

Professor
Phone: (352) 273-7514
Bhanuprasad Sandesara
Department: MD-GERIATRICS

Bhanuprasad Sandesara M.D.

Chief, Division Of Geriatric Medicine
Phone: (352) 294-5554

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Metabolism & Translational Science Core 

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh PhD

Professor Department Of Physiology And Aging
Phone: (352) 273-5735
Rui Xiao
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Rui Xiao PhD

Associate Professor
Phone: (352) 273-9389

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Digital Health & Artificial Intelligence Core

Todd Manini
Department: MD-HOBI-BIOMED INFORMATICS

Todd Manini Ph.D.

Professor; Division Chief Of Clinical And Population Health Integration; Co-Director Of The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
Phone: (352) 273-5914
Ruben D Zapata
Department: MD-HOBI-BIOMED INFORMATICS

Ruben D Zapata

Application Developer Analyst III
Phone: (352) 294-5800

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Biostatistics Core

Peihua Qiu
Department: PHHP-COM BIOSTATISTICS

Peihua Qiu

Founding Chair And Dean's Professor
Phone: (352) 294-5911

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Systems Physiology & Multi-omics Core

Karyn Esser
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Karyn Esser PhD

Professor And Chair
Phone: (352) 273-5728
Miguel A Gutierrez Monreal
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Miguel A Gutierrez Monreal PhD

AST SCTST
Phone: (352) 273-7879

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Research Education Core

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh
Department: Department of Physiology and Aging

Christiaan Leeuwenburgh PhD

Professor Department Of Physiology And Aging
Phone: (352) 273-5735
Roger B Fillingim
Department: DN-COMMUNITY DENTISTRY

Roger B Fillingim PhD

Associate Dean Of Planning And Institutional Effectiveness, Distinguished Professor, Director Of PRICE
Phone: (352) 273-5963

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Pilot and Exploratory Core

Yenisel Cruz-Almeida
Department: DN-COMMUNITY DENTISTRY

Yenisel Cruz-Almeida MSPH, Ph.D.

Associate Professor & Associate Director, Pain Research & Intervention Center Of Excellence
Phone: (352) 294-8582

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