Lewis Lipsitz, MD
Positions:
- Director, Marcus Institute for Aging Research
- Chief Academic Officer, Hebrew SeniorLife
Profile Type:
Biography
Lewis Lipsitz, MD, is director of the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and chief academic officer at Hebrew SeniorLife. He holds the Irving and Edyth S. Usen and Family Chair in Medical Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also provides geriatric consultations and acute care for older adults at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he teaches medical residents and geriatric fellows.
Dr. Lipsitz’s research focuses on age-related changes in blood pressure and cerebral blood flow regulation and their relationship to falls, fainting, and cognitive impairment. Over his more than 40-year career, he has led multidisciplinary research examining major geriatric conditions, including falls, frailty, dementia, and delirium. His work has also explored interventions such as tai chi, vibrating shoe insoles, and noninvasive brain stimulation to improve walking and balance in older adults.
Dr. Lipsitz has led several major research and education initiatives funded by the National Institute on Aging and other organizations. His research contributed to the theory of the “loss of complexity with aging,” which describes how age-related changes in physiological systems can reduce the body’s ability to adapt to stress. Since 2021, he has served as editor-in-chief of The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
Education
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Internship: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Fellowship: Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital
Certifications
Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine
Geriatric Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine