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
Where Science Took Center Field
With more than 2,200 fans in attendance, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Atrium stadium became a place of discovery, featuring live demonstrations, hands-on STEM activities, and a community coming together around curiosity and learning. From liquid nitrogen launches to interactive science kits, the energy carried through every inning.
A New Approach to Nutrition, Centered on You
You may have heard the term “precision nutrition” before. But at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), it is more than a concept, it is a shift in how we understand food, health, and the human body. While nutrition advice has traditionally followed a one-size-fits-all approach, NRI researchers are uncovering a far more complex reality, one where individuals can respond very differently to the same foods.
What Sugary Drinks May Be Doing to Your Liver—In Just Weeks
What Sugary Drinks May Be Doing to Your Liver—In Just Weeks Faustina Jeyaraj, MS, is a graduate student in the, Voruganti Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research...
What happens when you mix liquid nitrogen and hot water? Find out April 7 at STEM Night!
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.