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
North Carolina Research Campus team receives major NIH award for precision nutrition research
KANNAPOLIS, N.C., January 27, 2022 – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $19.2 million 5-year grant, pending the availability of funds, to a consortium of North Carolina university...
UNC nutrition experts uncover structure of enzyme that could aid in disease treatment, prevention
This article was published originally by the Gillings School of Global Public Health on January 25, 2022. New findings from researchers at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) have revealed...
AFL Recap: New Year, New You
Many of us in the new year resolve to be healthier. It’s a great goal, but how do we accomplish it? Kendra Nelson, MPH, a registered dietitian and member of the Voruganti lab here at the UNC...
Women in S.T.E.M. Shine in the Krupenko Lab
The Natalia Krupenko Lab was lit up this holiday season as lab members celebrated recent publications and presentations. The Krupenko Lab’s research is focused on the role of folate (Vitamin B9) in...
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.




