Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Medicine

Division of Geriatrics

headshot of Dr. Lindquist, division chief

We embrace the importance of quality of life — a sense of satisfaction, meaningful activity and the ability to express values and enjoy relationships — as an integral component of healthcare for older adults.”

Lee Lindquist, MD, MPH, MBA
Chief, Division of Geriatrics

About Our Division

The Division of Geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is a nationally recognized leader in geriatric care, research and education. Ranked 11th of Geriatrics Programs nationally and second in Illinois by U.S. News and World Report, we are committed to innovating the field of geriatrics and providing comprehensive care for seniors. Our division offers a wide range of services, from home care and telehealth to inpatient services and long-term care, serving urban and suburban communities.

As home to a prestigious Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center and a key player in the Potocsnak Longevity Institute's GeroScience Academy, we are at the forefront of aging research and geroscience education. Our accomplishments include leadership in clinical care for successful aging and cancer survivorship in seniors, a top-ranked geriatric medicine fellowship program and innovative initiatives to improve the quality of life for older adults. Across our division, we are dedicated to advancing the science of aging and providing exceptional care to help seniors age well.

Education

Faculty members in the Division of Geriatrics play a major role in teaching medical students at the Feinberg School of Medicine and residents in the Department of Medicine. In addition, our faculty teach within the Center for Education in Health Sciences training programs.

The one-year, ACGME-accredited Geriatrics Medicine Fellowship program provides fellows with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to achieve excellence in clinical geriatrics, teaching and research.

Explore our Geriatrics Fellowship program 

In addition to teaching clinical medicine, Division of Geriatrics faculty are committed to training the next generation of scientists. Explore the ways we work with MD students throughout all phases of the medical school curriculum below.

Phase 1

During Phase 1 (M1/M2 years), the Geriatric Assessment Clinical Correlation session orients students to specific history-taking and physical exam skills needed when seeing older patients. As part of the session, a patient from our geriatrics practice is interviewed in front of students in a large lecture hall and several geriatric cognitive and functional assessments are demonstrated.

Phase 2

During Phase 2 (M3 year), most of the geriatrics content is delivered during the two-week Integrated Primary Care Block. Students participate in an interactive Fall Risk and Gait assessment session with a geriatrics faculty member. Students apply what they learned in their Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH), their longitudinal, immersive primary care clerkship, and are assessed on this content during the ECMH objective structured clinical examination. Students also have the opportunity during the block to rotate in the geriatrics clinic and go on home visits with one of the providers.

Phase 3

During the medicine clerkship, students have a workshop on mobility assessment with physical therapy. Specifically in the Phase 3 clerkships, students on Emergency Medicine work with the interprofessional team from the Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations program to evaluate older adults for geriatric syndromes.

Phase 4

The M4 Capstone course includes content on pain management and difficult conversations and advance directives.

Research

The Division of Geriatrics faculty include innovative scientists who have established programs in investigation across a wide range of topics, including improving the uptake of preventative health behaviors, exploring how electronic health record data can be used to improve health outcomes and performing outcomes research in social determinants of health. To learn more, view our clinical trials or read our latest publications.

The Center for Applied Health Research on Aging and The Pepper Center

  • The Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, part of the Institute for Public Health & Medicine, is dedicated to promoting informed decision-making and actions leading to optimal health and well-being among individuals and families over the lifespan.
  • Northwestern is proud to join 15 other top-tier research institutions in the national network of Older American Independence Centers and contribute to the advancement of aging-related research. The OAICs are also known as Pepper Centers. Our Northwestern Pepper Center’s mission is to improve primary care management of older, more medically complex adults living with multiple chronic conditions. We will identify and train future leaders in geriatrics and gerontology research through mentorship, sharing of resources and pilot projects.

The Potocsnak Longevity Institute

The Potocsnak Longevity Institute brings together scientists and experts across many disciplines to study populations that seem resistant to negative consequences of aging with a goal of discovering what makes them unique. We believe that a deeper understanding of how aging works can lead to future therapies and lifestyle interventions that expand the healthspan for all people.
Learn more about our research labs and projects.

Lee A. Lindquist Lab

Lee A. Lindquist, MD, MPH, MBA, is Chief of Geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She specializes in patient-centered health services research, focusing on successful aging-in-place for older adults. Lindquist leads multiple PCORI-funded projects:

  1. Improving Health Systems Award: Connecting older adults to home-based services after they encounter critical advanced life events.
  2. Communication/Dissemination Award: Spreading patient-centered research results through senior patient partners and stakeholders.
  3. Open Science Data Pilot: Publicly sharing databases for use by other researchers. 

Through PCORI funding, the Lindquist Lab has established research partnerships with community groups in Illinois, Hawaii, Colorado, Indiana, Texas, Florida and Ohio. 

Lindquist also leads an NIH-funded study on older adult cognitive loss and disability after hospital discharge and its reversibility, and an AHRQ-funded study on how caregivers' use of EHRs can improve senior care. Her lab published the first research on formal caregivers and advanced life events impeding successful aging-in-place.

Her research on living on cruise ships as an alternative to assisted living has been featured on over 200 media channels, with over 150 million social media views. She has been interviewed by Dutch, Mexican, Italian and Canadian media and government groups seeking solutions for aging populations.

PlanYourLifespan.org, developed through PCORI funding, has received over 20,000 hits in 42 states, South Africa, Canada and Colombia. A second PCORI award trains community partners to disseminate PlanYourLifespan and patient-centered research.

For more information, visit Lindquist's faculty profile.

Publications

View the Lindquist Lab's publications via PubMed.

Contact

Email the Lindquist Lab

Contact Us

We welcome your questions and comments at the Division of Geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Please contact our administrative office via the information below.

Division of Geriatrics
750 N. Lake Shore Dr., Floor 10
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-503-6400
Fax: 312-503-2755

Division Administrator
Christine Kelly Toman
chrissy.kelly@northwestern.edu

Giving

We invite your philanthropic partnership in helping us achieve our research and teaching missions each day. Contact MaryPat Mauro for more information on supporting the Division of Geriatrics at 312-503-1090 or marypat.mauro@northwestern.edu.

Make an Online Donation