Dr. Naoko Muramatsu
Professor of Community Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Naoko Muramatsu is a Professor of Community Health Sciences and Fellow at the Institute of Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She conducts research that improves the quality of care and well-being of diverse aging populations locally and globally. Trained in health services organization and policy, sociology, and population and organizational studies, Dr. Muramatsu advances health equity by identifying critical factors that lead to disparities in stressors, resources, and health over the life course and by intervening on those factors. Her research aims to improve care and health of vulnerable populations, including frail older adults with limited resources, workers in precarious work conditions, and people aging with disabilities and their caregivers in racial, ethnic and linguistic minority communities. “Promoting Seniors’ Health with Home Care Aides (Pro-Home)” is Dr. Muramatsu’s on-going project funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and conducted with a collaborative multidisciplinary research team. Pro-Home tests a home-based physical activity program among community-dwelling frail older adults who cannot participate in evidence-based physical activity recommended for those with higher physical function. This research project partners with caregivers, providers, care managers, community-based organizations, and state agencies. Dr. Muramatsu is a Fellow of The Gerontological Society of America, and serves on the editorial board of The Gerontologist and Journal of Aging and Social Policy.