Dhayana E Dallmeier Rojas, MD, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Epidemiology - Boston University School of Public Health
Biography
Aging is complex. Over the last few years I have focused on the epidemiology of ageing, with the aim of getting a better understanding on how to address and consider the heterogeneity of older adults in different research questions, such as determining biomarkers reference values for older adults, and treating medical conditions such as arterial hypertension. I am currently focusing on the concepts of biological age and frailty, and contrasting them with respect to the characterization of heterogeneity among older adults as part of the Collaborative Research Center "Aging at Interfaces" at the Ulm University in Germany (https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/einrichtungen/sfb-1506-aging-at-interfaces/). The role of diverse biomarkers such as high sensitive Troponins, Brain Natriuretic Peptides, GDF-15 and Cystatin C, as risk predictors for cardiovascular events, aging related comorbidities (falls, fractures, cognitive dysfunction), frailty and mortality and the possible presence of effect modifiers for these associations are also relevant questions of interest. Additionally, evaluating strategies to prevent sedentary behavior and the onset of delirium in older adults in clinical trials has been an important area of research. As part of the European project JOIN4JOY, we developed an intervention to promote physical activity among nursing home patients (https://www.join4joy.eu/), as well as freely accessible teaching modules for therapist and trainers working with older adults in nursing homes (https://www.join4joy.eu/free-course/). As an epidemiologist and clinical investigator, I also offer advice on the development of appropriate research questions, the identification of the adequate study populations, and the most efficient study designs.
Examining the heterogeneity of aging requires an interdisciplinary approach. This has enabled me to work with, and grow alongside, highly supportive cooperation partners, both personally and professionally. Lastly, teaching and providing mentoring to doctoral and master's students has become an important way of raising awareness of the complexity of ageing research and equipping the next generation with the necessary analytical skills.
I graduated from medical school at the Ruprecht- Karls University of Heidelberg in Germany. I trained in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, and completed an academic fellowship in General Internal Medicine at Boston University Medical Center. I hold a PhD in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health. I am currently a member of the Society of Epidemiologic research, the German Society of Epidemiology, the German Society of Internal Medicine, the German and European Geriatrics Society, and the German Society of Aging Research. Since January 2025 I am Co-Chair of the Special Interest Group on Frailty at the European Society of Geriatric Medicine focusing on strategies to improve screening, diagnosis and management of this condition in the clinical settings.
Education
- Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, MD Field of Study: Medicine-Internal
- Boston University School of Public Health, PhD Field of Study: Epidemiology
Publications
- Published on 2/21/2026
Brefka S, Adamo J, Leinert C, Braisch J, Decker G, Muche R, Seufferlein T, Klaus J, Schulte-Kemna L, Eschweiler G, Gebhard F, Schuetze K, Geisler T, Bahrmann A, Katus HA, Frey N, Denninger NE, Müller M, Pahmeier K, Biermann-Stallwitz J, Wasem J, Flagmeier AL, Benzinger P, Bauer J, Denkinger M, Dallmeier D. Companionship at hospital discharge and its association with subsequent delirium onset in older adults - the TRADE observational study. BMC Geriatr. 2026 Feb 21; 26(1). PMID: 41723367.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 1/22/2026
Leinert C, Fotteler ML, Kocar TD, Wolf J, Beissel L, Grummich K, Dallmeier D, Denkinger M. Identifying Key Predictors of Appropriate Discharge Destinations for Older Inpatients in Acute Care: Scoping Review. Interact J Med Res. 2026 Jan 22; 15:e76582. PMID: 41570253.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/19/2025
Leinert C, Brefka S, Fotteler ML, Mueller-Stierlin AS, Gebhard F, Rahbari N, Bolenz C, Kestler H, Dallmeier D, Denkinger M, Kocar TD. Standard-of-care vs expert-recommended discharge destinations for geriatric surgical inpatients: a prospective observational cohort study. Eur Geriatr Med. 2026 Feb; 17(1):323-333. PMID: 41417195.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/17/2025
Wolf J, Verri FM, Kocar TD, Dallmeier D, Cintean R, Gebhard F, Bolenz C, Rahbari N, Mueller-Stierlin AS, Denkinger M, Leinert C. Detection of adverse events in older adults undergoing surgery using the IHI global trigger tool within the SURGE-Ahead project. BMC Geriatr. 2025 Dec 17; 26(1):132. PMID: 41408201.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/13/2025
Kocar TD, Fotteler ML, Willems J, Leinert C, Uihlein A, Wolf P, Voigt-Radloff S, Schütze K, Gebhard F, Dallmeier D, Kestler H, Denkinger M. Evidence-Based Recommendations for Geriatric Trauma Care: Systematic Review and AI-Assisted Consolidation of Clinical Practice Guidelines Between 2016 and 2021. Ann Surg Open. 2025 Dec; 6(4):e627. PMID: 41451176.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/5/2025
Braisch JU, Weinmayr G, Tully MA, Wilson JJ, Blackburn NE, Giné-Garriga M, Sansano-Nadal O, Caserotti P, Skjødt M, Koenig W, Denkinger M, Dallmeier D, Rothenbacher D. Association between changes in physical performance and changes in biomarkers during a physical activity intervention in older adults - an exploratory study. Exp Gerontol. 2025 Dec; 212:112959. PMID: 41203088.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/3/2025
Fuente-Vidal A, Karkauskiene E, Jerez-Roig J, Castro-Prat R, Minobes-Molina E, Sanchez D, Barth N, Dallmeier D, Forgione D, Caserotti P, Skjødt M, Lefebvre G, Bascompte-Soler C, Intxaurrondo-Gonzalez A, Blancafort-Alias S, Nieto-Guisado A, Socorro-Cumplido JL, Giné-Garriga M, Coll-Planas L. Co-designing the Join4Joy approach to boost enjoyment and social inclusion for the increase of physical activity among older people in nursing homes and community settings: a qualitative study in Spain, Denmark, Germany, Italy and France. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2026 Feb; 141:106076. PMID: 41240668.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 9/25/2025
Denninger NE, Brefka S, Meyer G, Benkert M, Dallmeier D, Denkinger M, Müller M. Implementation context, mechanisms and outcomes of a transitional care intervention to prevent delirium: a mixed-methods process evaluation from the TRADE study. BMC Geriatr. 2025 Sep 25; 25(1):704. PMID: 40999346.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 8/29/2025
Boehm FJ, Fritzenschaft L, Braig S, Denkinger M, Rothenbacher D, Dallmeier D. Sex- and system-specific analysis of blood-based biomarkers and frailty in older adults-the Activity and Function of the Elderly study. Age Ageing. 2025 Aug 29; 54(9). PMID: 40996138.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 8/13/2025
Kocar TD, Brefka S, Leinert C, Rieger UL, Kestler H, Dallmeier D, Klenk J, Denkinger M. Deep Learning Predicts Postoperative Mobility, Activities of Daily Living, and Discharge Destination in Older Adults from Sensor Data. Sensors (Basel). 2025 Aug 13; 25(16). PMID: 40871885.
Read At: PubMed
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