Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Geriatric Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Subashan Perera, PhD

Geriatrics

Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics

Core Co-Leader & Senior Statistician, Data Management and Analysis Core of the Pittsburgh Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

Email: ksp9@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-692-2365
Contact
Office: 3471 Fifth Avenue
Kaufmann Medical Building, Suite 500
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
 
Phone: 412-692-2365
Fax: 412-692-2370
E-mail: ksp9@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Beth Delk
Address: 3471 Fifth Ave, Suite 500
Kaufmann Medical Bldg
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: eat8@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-864-2507
Fax: 412-692-2370
Education and Training
Education
•BS, Computer Science, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1992
•MS, Mathematics, Kansas State University, 1994
•MS, Statistics, Kansas State University, 1996
•PhD, Statistics, Kansas State University, 2000
Research Interest
Dr. Perera is a biostatistician with interests in aging, clinical trials, time series analysis, item response theory, and classification and regression trees. His work has involved estimating criteria for clinically meaningful change in physical performance measures of the elderly, examining their association with future outcomes using large data sets, and using item response theory to analyze rating scales used in elderly populations. Dr. Perera co-leads the Data Management, Analysis and Informatics Core of our Pepper Center, in addition to serving as lead statistician in multiple funded NIH, AHRQ and VA grants within and outside of the Division.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Perera S, Nadkarni NK, Wert D, VanSwearingen J, Brach JS. Intraclass correlation coefficients for cluster randomized trials in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Aging and Health. 2020; 32: 252-258.
Perera S, VanSwearingen J, Shuman V, Brach JS. Assessing gait efficacy in older adults: an analysis using item response theory. Gait & Posture. 2020; 77(3): 118-124.
Perera S, Nace DA, Resnick NM, Greenspan SL. The nursing home physical performance test: a secondary data analysis of women in long-term care using item response theory. The Gerontologist. 2018; 58: e197-e204.
Perera S, Patel KV, Rosano C, Chandler JM, Newman A, Cauley J, Guralnik J, Ferrucci L, Studenski S. Gait Speed Predicts Incident Disability: A Pooled Analysis. Journal of Gerontology-Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences. 2016; 71: 63-71.
Studenski S, Perera S, Patel K. Gait Speed and Survival in Older Adults. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2011; 305: 50-58.
Perera S, Studenski SA, Newman AB, Simonsick EM, Harris T, Schwartz A, Visser M. Are Estimates of Meaningful Decline in Mobility Performance Consistent among Clinically Important Subgroups?. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. 2014; 69A: 1260-1268.
Perera S. Normal theory and bootstrap confidence interval estimation for assessing diagnostic performance gain when combining two diagnostic tests. Communications in Statistics-Series B: Simulation and Computation. 2008; 37: 2076-2088.
Perera S. Maximum quasi-likelihood estimation for the NEAR(2) model. Journal of Time Series Analysis. 2004; 25: 723-732.
Perera S. Approximate Bayes estimation of parameters of the NEAR(2) model. Far East Journal of Theoretical Statistics. 2004; 14: 203-213.
Perera S. Maximum quasilikelihood estimation for a simplified NEAR(1) model. Statistics & Probability Letters. 2002; 58: 147-155.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Investigation of brain mechanisms involved in Urgency Urinary Incontinence
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG06425
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2024
Title: The Effect of Reducing Sedentary Behavior on Sleep and Cardiovascular Health
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL147610
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2023
Title: Nitrite Therapy to Improve Mitochondrial Energetics and Physical Activity in Older Adults
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG058883
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2022
Title: MyHealthAge: Immune Fingerprinting Signatures in Predicting Successful Aging
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Aging Institute of UPMC
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2020
Title: Modified Application of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Older Adults (MACRO)
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG060499
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Restoring Central Motor Control to Improve Community Mobility of Older Adults
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG057671
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2022
Title: Midcareer Investigator Award in Translational Patient-Oriented Research in Aging
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: K24 AG057728
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2022
Title: Sustaining Skeletal Health in Frail Elderly
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG052123
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Title: Autoimmunity and Emphysema and Risk of Osteoporosis in Smokers
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL128289
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Title: Task Specific Timing and Coordination Exercises to Improve Mobility in Older Adults
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG045252
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Innovative Approach to Geriatric Osteoporosis
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG066825
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: Enhancing Recovery of SCI-Induced Bladder Dysfunction Using Small Molecules
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: Department of Defense
Grant Number: RES
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2021
Title: Effect of Reducing Sedentary Behavior on Blood Pressure
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL134809
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2022
Title: Instrumental Screening for Dysphagia by Combining High-Resolution Cervical Auscultation with Advanced Data Analysis Tools to Identify Silent Dysphagia and Silent Aspiration
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
Grant Number: R01 HD092239
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: Maintenance of Skeletal Integrity in Frail Elders - Phase 2
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R01 AG050302
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: The Aging Brain and the Cognition - Mobility Interface in Clinically Normal Older Adults
Role: Biostatistician
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: K23 AG049945
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: PITTSBURGH OLDER AMERICANS INDEPENDENCE CENTER
Role: Co-Leader
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: P30 AG024827
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: PDE5 Inhibition of Afferents and Interstitial Cells in Overactive Mouse Bladders
Role: Collaborator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Health
Grant Number: R01 DK098361
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center DMAC
Role: Core Leader
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: P30 AG024827
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: Impact of Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia on Nighttime Urine Production
Role: Statistician
Funding Agency: National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R21 AG060292
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2020
Notable Achievements
•Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 2018
•Highly Cited Researcher Recognition, Thomson Reuters (www.highlycited.com), 2014
•Honorable Mention, Clinical Medicine Research Award, Gerontological Society of America, 2005
•Outstanding Senior Award, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1992
•Leonard and Dorellen Haas Scholarship, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1990

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

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Phone:  412-648-9636
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