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Thomas M. Gill, MD

Humana Foundation Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) and Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) and of Investigative Medicine; Director, Yale Program on Aging; Director, Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; Director, Yale Center for Disability and Disabling Disorders; Director, Yale Training Program in Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology and Aging-Related Research

Contact Information

Thomas M. Gill, MD

Office Location

Mailing Address

  • Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center

    874 Howard Avenue

    New Haven, CT 06519

    United States

Yale Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
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Research Summary

Dr. Gill's research is directed towards understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of functional decline and disability among community-living older persons and towards developing preventive strategies to forestall the onset and progression of disability among those who are most vulnerable. The results from the Yale Precipitating Events Project (PEP), Dr. Gill's ongoing NIA-funded cohort study, which includes monthly assessments of functional status for over 23 years, are revolutionizing our understanding of disability, a problem of immense importance to older persons, their families, and society. In a landmark clinical trial, Dr. Gill's research group demonstrated that functional decline among frail older persons can be prevented through a prehabilitation program targeting underlying impairments in physical capabilities.

Extensive Research Description

Dr. Gill's research is directed towards understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of functional decline and disability among community-living older persons and towards developing preventive strategies to forestall the onset and progression of disability among those who are most vulnerable. The results from the Yale Precipitating Events Project (PEP), Dr. Gill's ongoing NIA-funded cohort study, which includes monthly assessments of functional status for over 23 years, are revolutionizing our understanding of disability, a problem of immense importance to older persons,their families, and society. In a landmark clinical trial, Dr. Gill's research group demonstrated that functional decline among frail older persons can be prevented through a prehabilitation program targeting underlying impairments in physical capabilities. Dr. Gill's other research interests include the epidemiology and prevention of frailty. His research also includes a recent large multi-site pragmatic trial that tested the effectiveness of an individually tailored, multifactorial intervention to prevent serious fall injuries and an ongoing multi-site pragmatic trial that is comparing clinical outcomes and health care utilization of a health system-based dementia care program, a community-based dementia care program, and usual care.

Dr. Gill directs the Center on Disability and Disabling Disorders, which conducts longitudinal studies and clinical trials to enhance the scientific knowledge base of the disablement process and to rigorously evaluate promising intervention strategies. The Center includes an expanding number of clinical investigators, across disciplines, who are pursuing aging research related to disability and disabling disorders. This includes functional assessment in general as well as the functional consequences of highly prevalent disease-specific conditions such as arthritis, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), influenza, diabetes, stroke, depression, and dementia. Under Dr. Gill's direction, the Center has acquired significant expertise with the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal study of 7,600+ community-living persons aged 65 years or older, which is serving as a primary data source for several projects related to the epidemiology of disability.

1. Yale PEP Study: Epidemiology of Disability and Recovery in Older Persons

2. STRIDE: Prevention of Serious Fall Injuries in Older Persons

Coauthors

Research Interests

Aging; Disability Evaluation; Epidemiology; Geriatrics; Geriatric Assessment; Clinical Trial

Public Health Interests

Aging; Chronic Diseases; Clinical Trials; Epidemiology Methods

Selected Publications

  • Functional Effects of Intervening Illnesses and Injuries After Hospitalization for Major Surgery in Community-living Older Persons.Gill TM, Han L, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers L, Murphy TE, Becher RD. Functional Effects of Intervening Illnesses and Injuries After Hospitalization for Major Surgery in Community-living Older Persons. Annals Of Surgery 2021, 273: 834-841. PMID: 33074902, PMCID: PMC8370041, DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004438.
  • The Incidence and Cumulative Risk of Major Surgery in Older Persons in the United States.Becher RD, Wyk BV, Leo-Summers L, Desai MM, Gill TM. The Incidence and Cumulative Risk of Major Surgery in Older Persons in the United States. Annals Of Surgery 2021 PMID: 34261884, PMCID: PMC8758792, DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005077.
  • Association Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Functional Well-being in Community-Living Older Persons.Gill TM, Zang EX, Murphy TE, Leo-Summers L, Gahbauer EA, Festa N, Falvey JR, Han L. Association Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Functional Well-being in Community-Living Older Persons. JAMA Internal Medicine 2021, 181: 1297-1304. PMID: 34424276, PMCID: PMC8383163, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.4260.
  • Cohort Profile: The Precipitating Events Project (PEP Study).Gill TM, Han L, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers L, Murphy TE. Cohort Profile: The Precipitating Events Project (PEP Study). The Journal Of Nutrition, Health & Aging 2020, 24: 438-444. PMID: 32242212, PMCID: PMC7322244, DOI: 10.1007/s12603-020-1341-4.
  • A Randomized Trial of a Multifactorial Strategy to Prevent Serious Fall Injuries.Bhasin S, Gill TM, Reuben DB, Latham NK, Ganz DA, Greene EJ, Dziura J, Basaria S, Gurwitz JH, Dykes PC, McMahon S, Storer TW, Gazarian P, Miller ME, Travison TG, Esserman D, Carnie MB, Goehring L, Fagan M, Greenspan SL, Alexander N, Wiggins J, Ko F, Siu AL, Volpi E, Wu AW, Rich J, Waring SC, Wallace RB, Casteel C, Resnick NM, Magaziner J, Charpentier P, Lu C, Araujo K, Rajeevan H, Meng C, Allore H, Brawley BF, Eder R, McGloin JM, Skokos EA, Duncan PW, Baker D, Boult C, Correa-de-Araujo R, Peduzzi P. A Randomized Trial of a Multifactorial Strategy to Prevent Serious Fall Injuries. The New England Journal Of Medicine 2020, 383: 129-140. PMID: 32640131, PMCID: PMC7421468, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002183.
  • Days Spent at Home in the Last Six Months of Life Among Community-Living Older Persons.Gill TM, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers L, Murphy TE, Han L. Days Spent at Home in the Last Six Months of Life Among Community-Living Older Persons. The American Journal Of Medicine 2019, 132: 234-239. PMID: 30447203, PMCID: PMC6349467, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.10.029.
  • Translational Geroscience: Challenges and Opportunities for Geriatric Medicine.Gill TM. Translational Geroscience: Challenges and Opportunities for Geriatric Medicine. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 2019, 67: 1779-1781. PMID: 31287924, PMCID: PMC6732027, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16056.
  • Functional Trajectories Before and After Major Surgery in Older Adults.Stabenau HF, Becher RD, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers L, Allore HG, Gill TM. Functional Trajectories Before and After Major Surgery in Older Adults. Annals Of Surgery 2018, 268: 911-917. PMID: 29356710, PMCID: PMC6521949, DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000002659.
  • Effect of testosterone replacement on measures of mobility in older men with mobility limitation and low testosterone concentrations: secondary analyses of the Testosterone Trials.Bhasin S, Ellenberg SS, Storer TW, Basaria S, Pahor M, Stephens-Shields AJ, Cauley JA, Ensrud KE, Farrar JT, Cella D, Matsumoto AM, Cunningham GR, Swerdloff RS, Wang C, Lewis CE, Molitch ME, Barrett-Connor E, Crandall JP, Hou X, Preston P, Cifelli D, Snyder PJ, Gill TM. Effect of testosterone replacement on measures of mobility in older men with mobility limitation and low testosterone concentrations: secondary analyses of the Testosterone Trials. The Lancet. Diabetes & Endocrinology 2018, 6: 879-890. PMID: 30366567, PMCID: PMC6816466, DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(18)30171-2.
  • The effect of intervening hospitalizations on the benefit of structured physical activity in promoting independent mobility among community-living older persons: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Gill TM, Beavers DP, Guralnik JM, Pahor M, Fielding RA, Hauser M, Manini TM, Marsh AP, McDermott MM, Newman AB, Allore HG, Miller ME. The effect of intervening hospitalizations on the benefit of structured physical activity in promoting independent mobility among community-living older persons: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Medicine 2017, 15: 65. PMID: 28347337, PMCID: PMC5368996, DOI: 10.1186/s12916-017-0824-6.
  • Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Overall Burden and Transitions Between States of Major Mobility Disability in Older Persons: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.Gill TM, Guralnik JM, Pahor M, Church T, Fielding RA, King AC, Marsh AP, Newman AB, Pellegrini CA, Chen SH, Allore HG, Miller ME. Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Overall Burden and Transitions Between States of Major Mobility Disability in Older Persons: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2016, 165: 833-840. PMID: 27669457, PMCID: PMC5476905, DOI: 10.7326/M16-0529.
  • Effect of structured physical activity on prevention of serious fall injuries in adults aged 70-89: randomized clinical trial (LIFE Study).Gill TM, Pahor M, Guralnik JM, McDermott MM, King AC, Buford TW, Strotmeyer ES, Nelson ME, Sink KM, Demons JL, Kashaf SS, Walkup MP, Miller ME. Effect of structured physical activity on prevention of serious fall injuries in adults aged 70-89: randomized clinical trial (LIFE Study). BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) 2016, 352: i245. PMID: 26842425, PMCID: PMC4772786, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.i245.
  • Effects of Testosterone Treatment in Older Men.Snyder PJ, Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Matsumoto AM, Stephens-Shields AJ, Cauley JA, Gill TM, Barrett-Connor E, Swerdloff RS, Wang C, Ensrud KE, Lewis CE, Farrar JT, Cella D, Rosen RC, Pahor M, Crandall JP, Molitch ME, Cifelli D, Dougar D, Fluharty L, Resnick SM, Storer TW, Anton S, Basaria S, Diem SJ, Hou X, Mohler ER, Parsons JK, Wenger NK, Zeldow B, Landis JR, Ellenberg SS. Effects of Testosterone Treatment in Older Men. The New England Journal Of Medicine 2016, 374: 611-24. PMID: 26886521, PMCID: PMC5209754, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1506119.
  • Restricting Symptoms Before and After Admission to Hospice.Cheraghlou S, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers L, Stabenau HF, Chaudhry SI, Gill TM. Restricting Symptoms Before and After Admission to Hospice. The American Journal Of Medicine 2016, 129: 754.e7-754.e15. PMID: 26968471, PMCID: PMC4914433, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.02.017.
  • The role of intervening hospital admissions on trajectories of disability in the last year of life: prospective cohort study of older people.Gill TM, Gahbauer EA, Han L, Allore HG. The role of intervening hospital admissions on trajectories of disability in the last year of life: prospective cohort study of older people. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) 2015, 350: h2361. PMID: 25995357, PMCID: PMC4443433, DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h2361.
  • Functional trajectories among older persons before and after critical illness.Ferrante LE, Pisani MA, Murphy TE, Gahbauer EA, Leo-Summers LS, Gill TM. Functional trajectories among older persons before and after critical illness. JAMA Internal Medicine 2015, 175: 523-9. PMID: 25665067, PMCID: PMC4467795, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7889.
  • Effect of structured physical activity on prevention of major mobility disability in older adults: the LIFE study randomized clinical trial.Pahor M, Guralnik JM, Ambrosius WT, Blair S, Bonds DE, Church TS, Espeland MA, Fielding RA, Gill TM, Groessl EJ, King AC, Kritchevsky SB, Manini TM, McDermott MM, Miller ME, Newman AB, Rejeski WJ, Sink KM, Williamson JD. Effect of structured physical activity on prevention of major mobility disability in older adults: the LIFE study randomized clinical trial. JAMA 2014, 311: 2387-96. PMID: 24866862, PMCID: PMC4266388, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2014.5616.
  • Disentangling the disabling process: insights from the precipitating events project.Gill TM. Disentangling the disabling process: insights from the precipitating events project. The Gerontologist 2014, 54: 533-49. PMID: 25035454, PMCID: PMC4155452, DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnu067.
  • Risk factors and precipitants of long-term disability in community mobility: a cohort study of older persons.Gill TM, Gahbauer EA, Murphy TE, Han L, Allore HG. Risk factors and precipitants of long-term disability in community mobility: a cohort study of older persons. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2012, 156: 131-40. PMID: 22250144, PMCID: PMC3278794, DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-156-2-201201170-00009.
  • Trajectories of disability in the last year of life.Gill TM, Gahbauer EA, Han L, Allore HG. Trajectories of disability in the last year of life. The New England Journal Of Medicine 2010, 362: 1173-80. PMID: 20357280, PMCID: PMC2877372, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0909087.
  • Change in disability after hospitalization or restricted activity in older persons.Gill TM, Allore HG, Gahbauer EA, Murphy TE. Change in disability after hospitalization or restricted activity in older persons. JAMA 2010, 304: 1919-28. PMID: 21045098, PMCID: PMC3124926, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2010.1568.
  • Serum micronutrient concentrations and decline in physical function among older persons.Bartali B, Frongillo EA, Guralnik JM, Stipanuk MH, Allore HG, Cherubini A, Bandinelli S, Ferrucci L, Gill TM. Serum micronutrient concentrations and decline in physical function among older persons. JAMA 2008, 299: 308-15. PMID: 18212315, PMCID: PMC2645790, DOI: 10.1001/jama.299.3.308.
  • Hospitalization, restricted activity, and the development of disability among older persons.Gill TM, Allore HG, Holford TR, Guo Z. Hospitalization, restricted activity, and the development of disability among older persons. JAMA 2004, 292: 2115-24. PMID: 15523072, DOI: 10.1001/jama.292.17.2115.
  • Recovery from disability among community-dwelling older persons.Hardy SE, Gill TM. Recovery from disability among community-dwelling older persons. JAMA 2004, 291: 1596-602. PMID: 15069047, DOI: 10.1001/jama.291.13.1596.
  • A program to prevent functional decline in physically frail, elderly persons who live at home.Gill TM, Baker DI, Gottschalk M, Peduzzi PN, Allore H, Byers A. A program to prevent functional decline in physically frail, elderly persons who live at home. The New England Journal Of Medicine 2002, 347: 1068-74. PMID: 12362007, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa020423.
  • Restricted activity among community-living older persons: incidence, precipitants, and health care utilization.Gill TM, Desai MM, Gahbauer EA, Holford TR, Williams CS. Restricted activity among community-living older persons: incidence, precipitants, and health care utilization. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2001, 135: 313-21. PMID: 11529694, DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-135-5-200109040-00007.
  • Role of exercise stress testing and safety monitoring for older persons starting an exercise program.Gill TM, DiPietro L, Krumholz HM. Role of exercise stress testing and safety monitoring for older persons starting an exercise program. JAMA 2000, 284: 342-9. PMID: 10891966, DOI: 10.1001/jama.284.3.342.

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Aging; Diseases of the Cardiovascular System; Diseases of the Nervous SystemPragmatic Evaluation of Events And Benefits of Lipid-lowering in Older Adults (PREVENTABLE)
AgingReal-time and Online Assessment and Mobility Monitoring (ROAMM)
Diabetes Mellitus - Type 1; Diabetes Mellitus - Type 2; Diseases of the Endocrine SystemRestoring brain metabolism and function in older adult T1DM patients using an AP system
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