October 9, 2024
For Carolyn Thorpe, PhD, her career path has always been about understanding how people adjust to health challenges, especially chronic illness. With a background in psychology and a master’s in public health, she was first drawn to how individuals manage life-altering diagnoses. “Research was a good fit for my skills and interest,” Thorpe said, recalling her early days working on health behavior research.
She earned her PhD in health behavior from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where her focus shifted to treatment adherence—understanding how patients carry out prescribed medical plans. “It’s one thing to adjust to illness, but another to actually adhere to treatment and do what the doctor has in mind for you,” she explained.
Over time, Thorpe’s research evolved to address a deeper issue—whether patients were even on the right medications in the first place. “Along the way, it became apparent to me that patients aren’t always on the right medication, or they’re getting something they shouldn’t,” she said. This led to her focus on appropriate prescribing and eventually, deprescribing, particularly in older adults. Her research now explores the delicate balance of discontinuing medications that may cause more harm than good in aging populations.
“Dr. Carolyn Thorpe is an outstanding educator and scholar and has established herself as a thought leader in the pharmacoepidemiology space,” said Ronny Bell, PhD, Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor and chair of the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy (DPOP). “Her research findings have potentially significant impacts on medication prescribing to enhance care for older adults.”
Thorpe also holds a joint appointment as core investigator with the Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. Since joining the School in 2018, she has been instrumental in integrating medication data for veterans, ensuring that care inside and outside the VA system is coordinated.
“Veterans have an amazing integrated health system available to them, which is great for research and data,” Thorpe said, but she noted the challenges when veterans seek care outside the VA, leading to risks from uncoordinated medication use.
Her promotion to full professor in DPOP reflects her contributions to both academia and patient care. “What I’m doing isn’t just going to lead to a publication in a journal—it’s going to lead to an actual change in health care.”
Thorpe’s work continues to shape not only policy but also the future of research, as she mentors students and postdoctoral fellows, helping them build their own careers in pharmaceutical outcomes.