Pamela A. Saunders, PhD (she, hers) is an associate professor in the departments of neurology and psychiatry. In 2024, she was named Co-Director of the Georgetown Center for Health Aging. Her research focuses on communicative coping behaviors, language, aging, doctor/patient communication, empathy, narrative and reflective writing, and standardized patient education. She has spent the last 30 years conducting research and teaching. Her research portfolio includes funding from the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Institute on Aging, the Hartford Foundation, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She has served in several leadership roles, including director of the geriatrics clerkship and longitudinal thread in Aging & Geriatrics. She co-founded the geriatrics curriculum in 2003 at Georgetown’s School of Medicine with funding from the Hartford Foundation. Dr. Saunders is the founding director of the Aging & Health Program, which offers certificates and a master of science in Aging & Health (aging.georgetown.edu). Courses include reflective writing, Mind-Body Medicine skills to medical and graduate students, as well as courses in gerontology, reflective writing, research methods, and ageism. She lives in Falls Church, VA, with her husband, twin boys, and dog, Fancy.
