UB chief of geriatrics has been named a fellow of the American Geriatrics Society

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Bruce R. Troen, MD, University at Buffalo professor in the Department of Medicine and chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, has been named a fellow of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS).

Fellowship status is awarded to AGS members who have demonstrated a professional commitment to geriatrics, contributed to the progress of geriatrics care and are active participants in AGS activities.

An expert in geriatrics and gerontology with a background in molecular biology and biochemistry, Troen specializes in researching the biology of aging, frailty, osteoporosis and vitamin D.

As head of a division in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences currently involving 19 diverse faculty-clinicians and researchers, Troen oversees geriatric and palliative medicine fellowships, as well as training for medical students and residents focused on geriatrics, palliative care and end-of-life care and communication.

Troen is an investigator on SNAP: SUNY Network Aging Partnership: Investigating Frailty and Enhancing Lifespan Across the Health Spectrum.

He also is principal investigator on studies assessing resveratrol and resveratrol mimetics on aging bone, as well as the physical performance of an animal model with vitamin D insufficiency. Both studies are funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Troen also has an appointment with the VA Western New York Healthcare System.

With implications for multiple disciplines, his research has been published in diverse journals covering nutrition, geriatrics, genetics, endocrinology, psychiatry, alternative medicine and biochemistry.

He co-edited the book “The Geripause: Medical Management During the Late Menopause,” and authored chapters in such textbooks as “Geriatric Nutrition: The Health Professional’s Handbook,” “Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery,” “Case-Based Geriatrics: A Global Approach” and “Hazzard’s Principles of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.”

In addition, Troen has won the American Geriatrics Society’s Best Paper Award for his research on organ-specific diseases and the biology of aging. He also received the Bristol Myers Award for excellence in oncology research.

Before joining the UB Department of Medicine in 2013, Troen was a faculty member in geriatrics and interim chief of the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine in the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

He also has been a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. In addition, Troen has been a longstanding physician-investigator within the VA Healthcare System, holding appointments at Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Centers in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Bronx and Miami.

He completed a clinical fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Michigan School of Medicine and a research fellowship in molecular biology with the National Cancer Institute.

He completed his residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis after earning his A.B. in biochemistry from Harvard College and his MD from Harvard Medical School, both with honors.