Nancy A. Whitelaw, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized leader in the design and implementation of evidence-based health programs for seniors and in the dissemination of best practices in elder health promotion.

The Center for Healthy Aging’s programs are designed for community-based health and aging professionals and primary care providers who in turn have an impact on the health and quality of life of older adults. The Center’s programs address a number of health and wellness issues, including falls prevention, depression, physical exercise and activity, and self-management of chronic disease.

Prior to joining NCOA in 1999, Dr. Whitelaw served as Associate Director of the Center for Health System Studies at the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), overseeing research and training projects on case management and geriatric team care. She also served as a member of the HFHS leadership team responsible for strategic planning and program development in senior care and geriatrics. She currently has an appointment with the Center for Health Services Research (HFHS) as an adjunct research scientist.

Dr. Whitelaw has advised many of the leading national agencies, foundations, and institutes focused in health care for older adults. Among them are the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Administration on Aging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the National Committee on Quality Assurance, and the Institute of Medicine.

Throughout her career, she has served in many research capacities, including principal investigator and project director on numerous high-profile projects focused on interdisciplinary care and healthy aging. She is a member of the Gerontological Society of America, American Public Health Association, and the American Society on Aging.

Dr. Whitelaw earned her B.A. and M.S. from Portland State University and her Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan.

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