Ashwin Kotwal, MD

Assistant Adjunct Professor

Dr. Kotwal is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. He completed undergraduate training in Anthropology at Northwestern University, and his medical and biostatistics training at University of Chicago. He went on to complete his Internal Medicine residency at Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an integrated clinical fellowship in Geriatrics and Palliative Care at UCSF.

Dr. Kotwal devotes most of his time to research focusing on understanding and enhancing social connections of older adults to improve their quality of life and health care access. Recent work has investigated experiences of loneliness and social isolation among older adults with cognitive impairment, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social well-being. His research interests involve evaluation of community-based interventions to address loneliness and isolation, particularly among older adults with cognitive impairment or approaching the end of life.

Dr. Kotwal is funded by the National Institute on Aging K23 Career Development Award. He is currently a research scholar in the UCSF Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center and has received funding from the National Palliative Care Research Center, Hellman Family Fund, and Metta Foundation. He is Associate Director of the UCSF Division of Geriatrics NIH-funded T32 Aging Research Fellowship and has a strong interest in mentorship.

Dr. Kotwal is an attending on the inpatient palliative care service and the outpatient palliative care clinic at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

Education
Fellowship, 2019 - Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 2017 - Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
MD, 2014 - Medicine, University of Chicago
MS, 2013 - Biostatistics, University of Chicago
BA, 2009 - Anthropology, Northwestern University
Honors and Awards
  • Early Career Investigator Award, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2024
  • Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award, American Geriatrics Society, 2024
  • Deep Explore & Inquiry Curriculum Mentor of the Year Award, UCSF Medical School, 2023
  • Deep Explore & Inquiry Curriculum Mentor of the Year Award, UCSF Medical School, 2022
  • Best Abstract, Epidemiology Section, American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, 2020
  • New Investigator Award, American Geriatrics Society Health in Aging Foundation, 2020
  • 2020 Editor's Choice Award, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2020
  • Annals of Internal Medicine Top Reviewer, 2019
  • Catherine Dobson Prize for Best Oral Presentation in Clinical or Social Science, University of Chicago, 2014
  • Department of Medicine Award, University of Chicago, 2014
  • Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Award, American Federation for Aging Research, 2010
  • Oswald Werner Prize for Distinguished Honors Thesis in Anthropology, Northwestern University, 2009
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Northwestern University, 2009
Websites
Publications

  1. Choi KW, Waite LJ, Finch LE, Kotwal AA. Social Isolation and Worsening Health Behaviors Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2023. PMID: 37591797


  2. Pomeroy ML, Cudjoe TKM, Cuellar AE, Ihara ES, Ornstein KA, Bollens-Lund E, Kotwal AA, Gimm GW. Association of Social Isolation With Hospitalization and Nursing Home Entry Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. JAMA internal medicine 2023. PMID: 37486647


  3. Aronson L, Kotwal A. Understanding Pandemic Experiences Among America's Elders. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2022. PMID: 36469814


  4. Kotwal AA, Cenzer IS, Yaffe K, Perissinotto C, Smith AK. End-of-life health care use among socially isolated and cognitively impaired older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022. PMID: 36420540


  5. Rudy ET, McNamara KC, Parker A, Kotwal AA, Perissinotto CM. Loneliness Among Older Adults. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2022. PMID: 36190881


  6. Fuller SM, Kotwal AA, Tha SH, Hill D, Perissinotto C, Myers JJ. Key Elements and Mechanisms of a Peer-Support Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Isolation among Low-Income Older Adults: A Qualitative Implementation Science Study. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society 2022. PMID: 36053132


  7. Kotwal AA, Batio S, Wolf MS, Covinsky KE, Yoshino Benavente J, Perissinotto CM, O'Conor RM. Persistent loneliness due to COVID-19 over 18?months of the pandemic: a prospective cohort study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022. PMID: 36054661


  8. Kotwal AA, Meier DE. A paradigm shift-Loneliness as a root cause of symptom distress among older adults. 2022. PMID: 35607720


  9. Waite LJ, Iveniuk J, Kotwal A. Takes Two to Tango: Cognitive Impairment and Sexual Activity in Older Individuals and Dyads. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2021. PMID: 34460903


  10. Ankuda CK, Kotwal A, Reckrey J, Harrison KL, Ornstein KA. The Experience of Homebound Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2022. PMID: 35167063


  11. Kotwal AA, Cenzer IS, Waite LJ, Smith AK, Perissinotto CM, Hawkley LC. A single question assessment of loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationally-representative study. 2022. PMID: 35141875


  12. Waite LJ, Hawkley L, Kotwal AA, O'Muircheartaigh C, Schumm LP, Wroblewski K. Analyzing Birth Cohorts With the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. 2021. PMID: 34918157


  13. Waite LJ, Duvoisin R, Kotwal AA. Social Health in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. 2021. PMID: 34918156


  14. Kotwal AA, Steinman MA, Cenzer I, Smith AK. Use of High-risk Medications Among Lonely Older Adults: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample. JAMA internal medicine 2021. PMID: 34309620


  15. Kotwal AA, Barnes DE, Volow AM, Li BH, Boscardin WJ, Sudore RL. Engaging Diverse Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment and Caregivers in Advance Care Planning: A Pilot Study of the Interactive PREPARE Website. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders 2021. PMID: 34310443


  16. Kotwal AA, Fuller SM, Myers JJ, Hill D, Tha SH, Smith AK, Perissinotto C. A Peer Intervention Reduces Loneliness and Improves Social Well-Being in Low-Income Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021. PMID: 34449870


  17. Hawkley LC, Finch LE, Kotwal AA, Waite LJ. Can remote social contact replace in-person contact to protect mental health among older adults? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021. PMID: 34337740


  18. Kotwal AA, Cenzer IS, Waite LJ, Covinsky KE, Perissinotto CM, Boscardin WJ, Hawkley LC, Dale W, Smith AK. The epidemiology of social isolation and loneliness among older adults during the last years of life. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021. PMID: 34247388


  19. Yang EZ, Kotwal AA, Lisha NE, Wong JS, Huang AJ. Formal and informal social participation and elder mistreatment in a national sample of older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021. PMID: 34105769


  20. Aliberti MJR, Kotwal AA, Smith AK, Lee SJ, Banda S, Boscardin WJ. Pre-estimating subsets: A new approach for unavailable predictors in prognostic modeling. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021. PMID: 34002370


  21. Harrison KL, Kotwal AA, Smith AK. Palliative Care for Patients With Noncancer Illnesses. JAMA 2020. PMID: 33048142


  22. Kotwal AA, Holt-Lunstad J, Newmark RL, Cenzer I, Smith AK, Covinsky KE, Escueta DP, Lee JM, Perissinotto CM. Social Isolation and Loneliness Among San Francisco Bay Area Older Adults During the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Orders. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 32965024


  23. Kotwal AA, Walter LC. Cancer Screening in Older Adults: Individualized Decision-Making and Communication Strategies. The Medical clinics of North America 2020. PMID: 33099456


  24. Nouri SS, Ritchie C, Volow A, Li B, McSpadden S, Dearman K, Kotwal A, Sudore RL. A Toolkit for Community-Based, Medicaid-Funded Case Managers to Introduce Advance Care Planning to Frail, Older Adults: A Pilot Study. Journal of palliative medicine 2020. PMID: 32865472


  25. Kotwal AA, Walter LC. Cancer Screening Among Older Adults: a Geriatrician's Perspective on Breast, Cervical, Colon, Prostate, and Lung Cancer Screening. Current oncology reports 2020. PMID: 32803486


  26. Cudjoe TKM, Kotwal AA. "Social distancing" amidst a crisis in social isolation and loneliness. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 32359072


  27. Flint L, Kotwal A. The New Normal: Key Considerations for Effective Serious Illness Communication Over Video or Telephone During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Annals of internal medicine 2020. PMID: 32422084


  28. Kotwal AA, Lee SJ, Dale W, Boscardin WJ, Waite LJ, Smith AK. Integration of an Objective Cognitive Assessment Into a Prognostic Index for 5-Year Mortality Prediction. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 32356919


  29. Kotwal AA, Presley CJ, Loh KP, Huang LW, Lam V, Wong ML. Geriatric oncology research at the 2019 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) annual meeting: Joint perspectives from the Young International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) and AGS Cancer and Aging Special Interest Group. Journal of geriatric oncology 2019. PMID: 31272896


  30. Kotwal AA, Walter LC, Lee SJ, Dale W. Are We Choosing Wisely? Older Adults' Cancer Screening Intentions and Recalled Discussions with Physicians About Stopping. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31147981


  31. Kotwal AA, Abdoler E, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Kelley AS, Ornstein KA, Boscardin WJ, Smith AK. 'Til Death Do Us Part: End-of-Life Experiences of Married Couples in a Nationally Representative Survey. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2018. PMID: 30251423


  32. Dale W, Kotwal AA, Shega JW, Schumm LP, Kern DW, Pinto JM, Pudelek KM, Waite LJ, McClintock MK. Cognitive Function and its Risk Factors Among Older US Adults Living at Home. Volume 32 of Issue 3. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders 2018. PMID: 29334499


  33. Kotwal AA, Schonberg MA. Cancer Screening in the Elderly: A Review of Breast, Colorectal, Lung, and Prostate Cancer Screening. Volume 23 of Issue 4. Cancer journal (Sudbury, Mass.) 2017. PMID: 28731949


  34. Kotwal AA, Kim J, Waite L, Dale W. Social Function and Cognitive Status: Results from a US Nationally Representative Survey of Older Adults. Volume 31 of Issue 8. Journal of general internal medicine 2016. PMID: 27130624


  35. Kotwal AA, Lauderdale DS, Waite LJ, Dale W. Differences between husbands and wives in colonoscopy use: Results from a national sample of married couples. Volume 88. Preventive medicine 2016. PMID: 27009632


  36. Sajid S, Dale W, Mustian K, Kotwal A, Heckler C, Porto M, Fung C, Mohile SG. Novel physical activity interventions for older patients with prostate cancer on hormone therapy: A pilot randomized study. Journal of geriatric oncology 2016. PMID: 26916611


  37. Kotwal AA, Schumm P, Kern DW, McClintock MK, Waite LJ, Shega JW, Huisingh-Scheetz MJ, Dale W. Evaluation of a Brief Survey Instrument for Assessing Subtle Differences in Cognitive Function Among Older Adults. Volume 29 of Issue 4. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders 2015. PMID: 25390883


  38. Vasilopoulos T, Kotwal A, Huisingh-Scheetz MJ, Waite LJ, McClintock MK, Dale W. Comorbidity and chronic conditions in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), Wave 2. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2014. PMID: 25360017


  39. Shega JW, Sunkara PD, Kotwal A, Kern DW, Henning SL, McClintock MK, Schumm P, Waite LJ, Dale W. Measuring cognition: the Chicago Cognitive Function Measure in the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, Wave 2. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2014. PMID: 25360018


  40. Shega JW, Andrew M, Kotwal A, Lau DT, Herr K, Ersek M, Weiner DK, Chin MH, Dale W. Relationship between persistent pain and 5-year mortality: a population-based prospective cohort study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2013. PMID: 24320761


  41. Kotwal AA, Schumm P, Mohile SG, Dale W. The influence of stress, depression, and anxiety on PSA screening rates in a nationally representative sample. Volume 50 of Issue 12. Medical care 2012. PMID: 22955835


  42. Sajid S, Kotwal AA, Dale W. Interventions to improve decision making and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the management of prostate cancer: a systematic review. Volume 27 of Issue 8. Journal of general internal medicine 2012. PMID: 22798216


  43. Kotwal AA, Mohile SG, Dale W. Remaining Life Expectancy Measurement and PSA Screening of Older Men. Volume 3 of Issue 3. Journal of geriatric oncology 2012. PMID: 22773938


  44. Kotwal AA. Physical and psychological health of first and second generation Turkish immigrants in Germany. Volume 22 of Issue 4. American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council 2010. PMID: 20309991


  45. Tendulkar RD, Chellman-Jeffers M, Rybicki LA, Rim A, Kotwal A, Macklis R, Obi BB. Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging in early breast cancer: implications for partial breast irradiation. Cancer 2009. PMID: 19224552