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Christopher Barrett Bowling

Associate Professor of Medicine
Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care

Overview


I am a geriatrician with research training in population health and chronic disease epidemiology. Through my work, I aim to inform patient-centered care that focuses on optimizing function and quality of life over traditional disease-based approaches. Much of my work has focused on chronic kidney disease, however I have recently broadened the scope of investigation to include other chronic conditions including hypertension and systemic lupus erythematosus. The unifying theme of this work has been applying a geriatric research approach to large studies of chronic disease. As Associate Director of Clinical Programs at the Durham VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, I have also had the opportunity to partner with nephrologists to develop clinical programs in the VA designed to provide patient-centered, geriatric care for older adults with kidney disease.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Medicine · 2022 - Present Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Medicine
Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences · 2020 - Present Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments
Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development · 2020 - Present Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published August 14, 2025
The Risks of Piling on Medications, According to a Duke Study

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Recent Scholarly Works


Barriers to Research Participation Among Older Rural Veterans: Early Insights to Strengthen Frameworks for Age-Inclusive Research.

Journal article J Am Geriatr Soc · August 12, 2026 BACKGROUND: Older, rural adults face compounded barriers to participating in research, and existing frameworks that guide study design to improve the recruitment and retention of older adults, such as the 5Ts Framework, require adaptation to address them. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Association between depressive symptoms and physical function among participants with heart disease in the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

Journal article medRxiv · June 11, 2026 BACKGROUND: Depression and heart disease frequently co-occur in the aging population and are associated with functional decline and poor health outcomes. Understanding how depressive symptoms relate to different aspects of physical function among adults wi ... Full text Link to item Cite

State Racism Index and physical function: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

Journal article J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci · June 6, 2026 BACKGROUND: Structural racism contributes to health inequities in the United States. This study aimed to quantify the association between state racism index (SRI) and physical function. METHODS: In a national United States community-based cohort study, 13  ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Functional limitations during the transition to older age

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Aging · 2025 - 2029

Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth (AGING) Initiative

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Oregon Health & Science University · 2025 - 2028

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Education


University of Alabama, Birmingham · 2012 M.S.P.H.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Medicine · 2006 M.D.