Keepers of the House: A documentary.

My research has centered on the psychosocial consequences of chronic illness for older adults. Although I have studied breast cancer, syncope, head and neck cancer, Parkinson's disease and Paget's disease of bone, my primary interest and focus has been on osteoporosis and its psychological and social impact on those who suffer from it.

In particular, my current research focuses on compliance and persistence with osteoporosis medications. One current study focuses on the impact of race/ethnicity on medication decision making. We are trying to determine the relative weight of cost, convenience, dosing interval, efficacy, and safety in making medication decisions and taking medication on a regular basis as prescribed by a health care provider. I am also on the Steering Committees of two major observational studies with different osteoporosis medications.

Finally, I have worked with voluntary health organizations to translate our research findings into positive real-world outcomes for people with chronic illness. I serve on the Board of Trustees of the National Osteoporosis Foundation and am Chair of its Education Committee. I have also chaired the International Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO) for the last 8 years.

Research interests:
My overall area of interest is pediatric dermatology. In the course of providing patient care, my aim is to advance scientific knowledge in this field. This goal is achieved through clinical observation, clinical trials,
and collaboration with laboratories exploring the molecular basis of disease.

I am also interested in providing care for skin disease in developing countries. In the course of a number of projects in Latin America and Africa, I have developed protocols and teaching manuals for this purpose.

Finally, I am actively involved in developing new models for teaching doctor-patient communication to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians in all fields of medicine. My work on this includes some new methods for teaching empathic communication in the course of traditional morbidity and mortality conferences.