Mary Altpeter, PhD, is a research scientist at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at UNC. She has more than 30 years of experience working with national, state and community partners to design, implement and/or evaluate health promotion interventions for adults, especially older adults.

She has served as Principal Investigator, co-investigator or consultant on numerous community-based health promotion research projects focusing on such topics as physical activity, arthritis, fall prevention and dementia caregiving. In 2012, she received the Gordon Streib Academic Gerontologist Award from the Southern Gerontological Society and, in 2013, she received the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services Dr. Ewald W. Busse Award for her leadership in improving the quality of health care for older North Carolinians.

Research Activities

Aging
Arthritis and disability
Community-based participatory research
Dementia prevention and management
Worksite and occupational health

Practice Activities

Aging
Arthritis and disability
Community-based participatory research
Dementia prevention and management

Education

PhD, Social Work, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2000

MPA, Public Management, State University of New York at Albany, 1987

MSW, Clinical Practice, State University of New York at Albany, 1973