Headshot of Dr. Zvi Gellis

Zvi D. Gellis, PhD

  • Professor
  • Director, Center for Mental Health & Aging Research
  • Director, Cohen Veterans Network MSW Scholars Program
  • Director, Ann Nolan Reese Endowed Penn Aging Certificate Program
  • Research Interests

    Gerontology

    Geriatrics

    Evidence-Based Depression & Anxiety Interventions

    Integrated Health & Mental Health Care

    Telehealth interventions

    Randomized Trials

    Dr. Gellis directs the Penn Center for Mental Health & Aging Research. The Center conducts rigorous applied research on geriatric mental health services in home health and behavioral health settings, and provides training in cognitive behavioral interventions.

    • Dr. Gellis is a John A. Hartford Foundation National Faculty Scholar/ Research Mentor and a known expert in geriatric mental health services research, telehealth interventions, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
    • His primary area of research is late life depression, telehealth technology, and integrated health and mental health services. His research has contributed to efforts to improve depression care for homebound medically ill older adults.
    • Dr. Gellis directs the Penn Aging Certificate (PAC), part of the Geriatric Social Work Initiative and is funded by the Hartford and Met Life Foundations.
    • Dr. Gellis is Principal Investigator of the federally-funded VAMC-Social Work Mental Health Training model known as the VAMC-PEARLS program that clinically prepares students to serve veteran populations within the VA system. This program will morph into the Cohen Veterans Network Scholars Program.
    • Dr. Gellis is an expert trainer in Problem Solving Therapy (PST), an evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment for depression. Dr. Gellis’s intervention research includes studies of older adults including those medically ill, homebound, and depressed (Gellis et al, 2008; Gellis & Bruce, 2010; Gellis, Kenaley, McGinty et al., 2012; Gellis, Z.D., Kenaley, B., & Ten Have, T., 2014).
    • Dr. Gellis served as the national Chair of the Geriatric Mental Health Research Reviews committee at the Council on Social Work Education. Drs. Gellis and McCracken implemented a state-of-the art curriculum module series used in social work schools across the nation.
    • Dr. Gellis served on the New York State’s Interagency Planning Council for Geriatric Mental Health Services
    • Dr. Gellis was internationally recognized for his research in gerontology at the international Social Work in Health and Mental Health Conference in China.
    • Dr. Gellis (co-author) and Dr. Roberta Sands have published Clinical social work in behavioral mental health: An evidence-based approach (2012) Pearson, which is being translated into Chinese.

    Contact

    Phone

    office: 215.746.5487

    fax: 215.573.2099

    Email

    Address

    3718 Locust Walk, McNeil Building
    Philadelphia, PA 19104-6214

    About

    Department(s)

    Standing Faculty | Faculty

    Program(s)

    MSW | PhD

    Research Areas(s)

    Health Equity, Mental Health, Aging