John.Batsis@unc.edu
919-966-5945
John A. Batsis, MD
CRC Medical Director, Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Batsis has dedicated his professional career to caring for older adults through clinical care, research and education. The privilege of helping older adults maximize their physical function and quality of life through patient-centered, compassionate care serves as a daily motivation in his work. His role as a clinician-researcher allows him to apply scientific principles of inquiry to enhance clinical care for an older adult population. Through learning and discovery, he aims to advance healthy aging by improving goal-directed care and healthcare delivery for older adults.
Dr. Batsis’s academic work focuses on three main areas: (a) understanding the relationships between obesity and sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass, strength and/or function with aging) and important outcomes for older adults; (b) developing multicomponent interventions (diet and exercise) to improve physical function in older adults; and (c) using novel technologies (telemedicine, remote monitoring, Internet-of-Things devices) and collaborating with transdisciplinary scientists (engineers and computer scientists) to improve the health and well-being of older adults.
Read: Dr. John Batsis Presents Keynote at AI Technology Center Consensus Guidelines Workshop
Read: Dr. Batsis Presents at American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting
Read: Dr. Batsis talks to Stat about new weight loss drugs
Watch: Dr Batsis – ‘Everyone has their own secret sauce’
Read: Doctors Assess Opportunities Gained, Lost through Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visits
Read: Batsis Discusses Five Common Medications That Can Cause Weight Gain
In the News
NRI Medical Director Featured in CNN on GLP-1s and Healthy Aging
As GLP-1 medications become more widely available, NRI Medical Director John Batsis, MD, shares expert insight with CNN on what older adults should consider before using them for weight loss. Continue Reading NRI Medical Director Featured in CNN on GLP-1s and Healthy Aging
Every Discovery Begins with a Participant
Every discovery begins with a question. But at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, many discoveries also begin with a participant willing to say yes.
In this personal essay, Brooke Giles reflects on what it is like to experience NRI research from the participant side — and why taking part in a study can help advance science, support better health and contribute to discoveries that may benefit families, communities and future generations. Continue Reading Every Discovery Begins with a Participant
The Invisible Middle of Research
At the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, discovery does not happen in a single moment. Between the first research question and the final publication is the careful, often unseen work of planning, recruiting participants, gathering data, building teams, and refining ideas. This invisible middle is where science takes shape. Continue Reading The Invisible Middle of Research
NGx Highlights NRI’s Pioneering Role in Precision Nutrition and Exercise Across the Lifespan
Publications
2026
2025
The Relationship Between a Mediterranean Diet and Frailty in Older Adults: NHANES 2007-2017.
Changes in senescence markers after a weight loss intervention in older adults with obesity.
Editorial: Clinical uses and alternative approaches of frailty determination.
Tailoring Obesity Management to Support Physical Function in Older Adults.
Treating Sarcopenic Obesity in the Era of Incretin Therapies: Perspectives and Challenges.
New Drugs and Same Blind Spots-Rethinking Obesity Care in Later Life.
2024
What weight changes really happened during COVID-19 among older adults?
Should the Incretin hype be the same for older adults: Promise + cautions.
Increasing inpatient mobility: A path to overcoming challenges with implementation.
Changes in Weight or Body Composition by Frailty Status: A Pilot Study.
Measuring frailty in clinical practice: Overcoming challenges with implementation.
Aging precisely: Precision medicine through the lens of an older adult.