Cynthia J. Brown, MD, MSPH

Dr. Cynthia J. Brown, MD, MSPH, is Chair of the Department of Medicine at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where she holds the Charles V. Sanders, MD Endowed Chair in Medicine. Appointed in May 2021, she leads with a vision of advancing medical education, faculty development, and national distinction in academic internal medicine. A dedicated clinician-educator, Dr. Brown remains active on the inpatient medicine wards at University Medical Center New Orleans, teaching medical students and residents at the bedside while fostering a culture of leadership and professional growth across the department.
Dr. Brown’s path to medicine is both distinctive and inspiring. After earning her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from East Carolina University, she practiced as a physical therapist for ten years before pursuing her medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her internal medicine residency at Yale University, including a Chief Resident year, followed by a three-year fellowship in Geriatric Medicine. She then joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she served from 2003 to 2021, ultimately becoming Director of the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Vice Chair for Faculty and Staff Development, and Executive Vice Chair.
A nationally recognized geriatrician, Dr. Brown’s research focuses on hospital mobility and fall prevention among older adults in both hospital and community settings. She has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles and is an active national and international speaker. Her work has been honored with prestigious awards, including the American Geriatrics Society Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award and the Gerontological Society of America’s Joseph T. Freeman Award. A member of leading professional organizations including the American Geriatrics Society, Gerontological Society of America, American College of Physicians, and the Association of Professors of Medicine, Dr. Brown is driven by a deep commitment to lifelong learning, mentorship, and improving the lives of older adults through excellence in clinical care, research, and education.

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Medicine

• Internal Medicine

• 2002 Gerontological Society of America Clinical Medicine Person-in-Training Research Award 2003 – 2005 Accepted for the National Institute on Health Loan Repayment Program 2003 – 2005 American Geriatrics Society/John A. Hartford Foundation Project: Geriatrics Education for Specialty Residents Program Award, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2005 – 2007 The American Geriatrics Society/ John A. Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholar Award (returned) 2006 Delta Omega National Public Health Honor Society, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama (4.0 GPA) 2007 Merck/ American Geriatrics Society New Investigator Award 2011 Top Reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (1 of 6) 2012 Top Reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (1 of 7) 2013 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award 2014 Top Reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (1 of 8) 2014 Appointed to the Emmett G. and Beverly S. Parrish Endowed Professorship in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine 2015 Awarded Fellowship status by the American Geriatrics Society 2016 Selected as a Top Reviewer for the Annals of Internal Medicine 2017 Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship, UAB, Birmingham Alabama 2018 Awarded Fellowship status by the American College of Physicians 2019 Appointed as the second holder of the Gwen McWhorter, Ed.D, Endowed Chair in Geriatric Medicine, in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine 2007 – 2020 Listed in Best Doctors in America – Birmingham 2020 Awarded the Joseph T. Freeman Award by the Gerontological Society of America, awarded to a prominent clinician in the field of aging, both in research and practice. 2021 Appointed as the first holder of the Charles V. Sanders, M.D. Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, in the LSU Department of Medicine 2021 Awarded Fellowship status by the Gerontological Society of America 2024 Selected for membership into the Louisiana Beta Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

• American Geriatric Society

Dr. Brown has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles throughout her career.