Photo of Sandra Shi, Assistant Scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research in Boston, MA

Sandra Shi, MD, MPH

  • Assistant Scientist II
  • Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
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Areas of Research

Dr. Sandra Shi, MD, MPH, is a geriatrician and clinician-investigator at Harvard Medical School and the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. After completing her medical degree at the University of Chicago and residency in Internal Medicine, she pursued specialized training in geriatrics at the Harvard Multicampus fellowship and a T32 post-doctoral fellowship. Dr. Shi's research revolves around frailty and post-acute care outcomes in skilled nursing facilities. She harnesses the power of large-scale databases, including national surveys and Medicare claims data, to delve into frailty and its influence on post-acute care outcomes and rehabilitation. Her research has not only gained significant recognition but also made a profound impact, as evidenced by her being named a National Institute on Aging Butler-Williams Scholar and receiving an R03 GEMSSTAR award.

In 2024, she was honored with the Health in Aging Foundation New Investigator Award from the American Geriatrics Society for her impactful frailty and post-acute care research. Beyond research, Dr. Shi also serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and plays an active role in professional organizations. Dr. Shi's ultimate goal is to integrate geriatrics and rehabilitation sciences to develop interventions that improve the overall quality of life for frail older adults. Her multidimensional approach to aging research continues to shape the future of geriatric care, emphasizing personalized, patient-centered outcomes that empower older adults and their families in decision-making processes.

Harvard Catalyst Profile.

Dr. Shi is an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Assistant Scientist II at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. She researches patient-centered post-acute care outcomes with a focus on skilled nursing facilities, leveraging large databases including national surveys and Medicare claims. She has also done work with prospective cohorts examining quality of life and physical recovery during and after rehabilitation.  Her ultimate goal is to create interventions that can holistically enhance quality of life and optimize functional recovery by combining geriatrics and rehabilitation sciences to enhance post-acute rehabilitation in skilled nursing facilities. 

Dr. Shi’s key research focus on : 

  • Frailty
  • Post-acute care
  • Geriatric rehabilitation
  • Patient-centered outcomes
     
2021Mentor of the Year, Harvard Medical School
Multicampus Geriatrics Fellowship 
2018Travel Award, Gerontological Society of America
Trainee Travel Award
2018Best Paper Award, American Geriatrics Society
Optimizing Care Across the Care Continuum 
2018Best Presentation, American Geriatrics Society
Lightning Science Session

Research Areas

Learn more about the areas of research where Dr. Shi focuses.
A researcher at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research in Boston, MA studies MRI images of a human brain.

Brain Health

Through pioneering multidisciplinary research, the Marcus Institute is uncovering new answers to the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, delirium, and other changes to the brain.

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A string of computer code is reflected in the glasses of a researcher at the Marcus Institute for Aging in Boston, MA.

Data Science and Technology

The Marcus Institute includes a biostatistics and data sciences faculty who collaborate with investigators to design and conduct clinical trials and observational studies in aging.

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A scene of a hospital floor at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston, MA, with a nurse standing and working on a computer in the background and a blood pressure monitor in the foreground.

Health Care Services and Policy

The Marcus Institute seeks to effect change in policies that impact the care of older adults by identifying age-related conditions that have an outsized impact on health care utilization and costs, while developing interventions that mitigate the issues.

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A close-up shot at two hands holding a syringe that is inserted in a vial of medication.

Medication

Marcus Institute researchers are examining the relationship between medicine and adverse health outcomes such as falls, injuries, and treatment side effects among older people.

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A research subject at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research stands on a measuring platform with a computer read-out reflected on the wall behind.

Physical Health and Function

Through the Marcus Institute’s research we are learning how older adults can maintain independence and quality of life.

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Current Projects

View Dr. Shi's current projects. 

Predicting and Identifying Risk Factors for Short Time at Home in Older Adults after Hospitalization

This research aims to determine predictors of short time at home after SNF discharge among well-established frailty measures and modifiable risk factors. 

NIH R03AG078894

Principal Investigator

Feasibility of a Multicomponent Frailty Intervention in the Setting of Post-acute Rehabilitation in Skilled Nursing Facilities

This research aims to determine the feasibility of administering an exercise and nutritional supplementation to frail older adults in a skilled nursing facility.

 

Principal Investigator