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
Back-to-School Nutrition: How What Your Kids Eat Impacts Their Learning
Proper nutrition is the foundation for academic success. Key nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates are essential for brain function, memory, and cognitive performance.
Understanding Your Metabolism: How Nutrition Affects Energy Use
Join us on Wednesday, August 20 at noon for a free virtual Appetite for Life event with UNC Assistant Professor of Nutrition Blake Rushing, PhD.
Breastfeeding Awareness Month
As we celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August, the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is proud to spotlight the work of principal investigator Carol L. Cheatham, PhD.
A Global Standard in Nutrition Education Now Includes NRI Research on Choline
The go-to textbook for future doctors, dietitians, and researchers—now features a new choline chapter by UNC NRI’s Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, PhD, and Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, spotlighting this vital yet under-consumed nutrient.
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.