Dr. Sharon K. Inouye is a distinguished geriatrician and leading authority in cognitive disorders of aging at Harvard Medical School. She currently serves as Professor of Medicine, holds the Milton and Shirley F. Levy Family Chair, and directs the Aging Brain Center at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. After completing her BA in English literature at Pomona College in 1977, she earned her MD from UCSF Medical Center in 1981 and an MPH from Yale University in 1989. Dr. Inouye transitioned to Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 2005, bringing her expertise in geriatric medicine to one of the world's premier academic medical centers. In 2023, she assumed the prestigious role of Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Internal Medicine, further cementing her leadership in medical research and practice.
Dr. Inouye's seminal research has revolutionized clinical approaches to delirium and cognitive disorders in older adults through the development of practical, evidence-based tools. She created the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), which has been translated into more than 20 languages and is recognized as the most widely used delirium assessment tool worldwide. Her innovative Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) has been implemented in over 200 hospitals globally, significantly reducing delirium and functional decline in hospitalized older patients. With more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and an impressive H-index of 115, her work has transformed geriatric care standards and influenced healthcare practices internationally. Continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1989, she has secured over 90 grants totaling more than $20 million, demonstrating the sustained impact and relevance of her research.
Dr. Inouye's exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2011 and recognition by Thomson Reuters as one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds of the Decade. She has also been named among the Best Female Scientists in the World by Research.com in 2022 and received the M. Powell Lawton Award from the Gerontological Society of America. A dedicated mentor, she has profoundly influenced the careers of numerous researchers in the field of geriatrics and aging, as evidenced by testimonials from colleagues who credit her guidance for their professional success. Currently, Dr. Inouye is advancing research on healthy longevity and combating ageism, while leading the editorial direction of JAMA Internal Medicine with a vision to provide essential evidence that will influence medical practice and policy globally.
