Departmental Affiliations
Jennifer Schrack, PhD '11, MS, researches the intersection between movement and health, with the goal of maintaining mobility and functional independence with aging.
Contact Info
Research Interests
Aging; Physical Activity; Accelerometry; Physical Function; Disability; Dementia
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Schrack's primary area of research is the epidemiological assessment of aging, movement, and disability. Movement and health are intrinsically linked; by measuring factors such as physical activity, physical function, and falls, Dr. Schrack is working to identify novel, modifiable mechanisms of physical and cognitive decline with aging.
She is the MPI of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a study designed to provide a platform for studying late-life trends and trajectories in physical, cognitive, and sensory disability to improve health for older adults. She is also the PI or MPI of two NIA-funded grants to understand interactions between movement and brain health.
Honors & Awards
2023 Director, Center on Aging and Health
2018 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching: Honors in Public Health
2017 Johns Hopkins University Catalyst Award
2014 K01 Career Development Award, National Institute on Aging
2014 Johns Hopkins Roybal Center Faculty Pilot Award
2013 Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research Faculty Development Award
Select Publications
Selected publications
Schrack JA, Wanigatunga AA, Glynn NW, Arnold ML, Burgard S, Chisolm TH, Couper D, Deal JA, Gmelin T, Goman AM, Huang AR, Gravens-Mueller L, Hayden KM, Martinez Amezcua P, Mitchell CM, Pankow JS, Pike JR, Reed NS, Sanchez VA, Sullivan KJ, Coresh J, Lin FR for the ACHIEVE Collaborative Research Group. Effects of Hearing Intervention on Physical Activity Measured by Accelerometry: a Secondary Analysis of the ACHIEVE Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2025 Jun;73(6):1762-1771. PMID: 40126980
Davoudi A, Donahue PT, Carlson MC, Dougherty RJ, Wanigatunga AA, Freedman V, Schrack JA. Daily Physical Activity Quantities and Patterns, Cognitive Performance, and Dementia in the National Health and Aging Trends Study. (2025) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2025 Jun 1;57(6):1221-1228. PMID: 39992916
Cai Y, Zhou J, Scott PW, Tian Q, Wanigatunga AA, Lipsitz L, Simonsick EM, Resnick SM, Ferrucci L, Ren D, Lingler JH, Schrack JA. Physical Activity Complexity, Cognition, and Risk of Dementia in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Alzheimers Dement (NY). 2025 Apr 9;11(2):e70077. eCollection Apr-Jun. PMID: 40225241
Twardzik E, Schrack JA, Freedman VA, Reed NS, Ehrlich JR, Martinez Amezcua P. An Incomplete Model of Disability: Discrepancies Between Performance-Based and Self-Reported Measures of Functioning. J Gerontol A Bio Sci Med Sci. 2024 Apr 1;79(4):glad271. PMID: 38071606