Dr. Toni Miles has been named the director of the College of Public Health’s Institute of Gerontology, effective Aug. 1. She succeeds Leonard Poon, who recently retired after serving as the institute’s director for 26 years.
Miles’ expertise includes a spectrum of experience in geriatric medicine, public health and health care policy, with a focus on improving primary care delivery to older adults. In November, she will release a paper describing her research on strategies to make transitions into and out of the hospital safer for patients.
In 2009, Miles served on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee during the development of the Affordable Care Act, and she continues to assist state agencies and professional organizations as they implement various components of 2010’s landmark health reform legislation. In 2012, her analysis of the health reform law-“Health Reform and Disparities: History, Hype, Hope”-will be published by ABC-Clio.
“Dr. Miles has accomplished a long and successful career in the field of gerontology, and her expertise and insights are sure to further enhance the success of the college,” said Phillip L. Williams, dean of the College of Public Health.
“I am confident that, under her leadership, the Institute of Gerontology will continue to provide groundbreaking and innovative research and support that will best aid our aging population.”
Miles comes to UGA after serving as a tenured professor at the University of Louisville with joint appointments in the School of Medicine and the Kent School of Social Work. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Northwestern University in Chicago. She completed a combined Ph.D. and M.D. at Howard University in Washington. D.C., as well as graduate training in the field of neuroscience. She has postdoctoral training in internal medicine and a fellowship in epidemiology.
