Josh Ehrlich

 Joshua (Josh) Ehrlich, MD
Associate Professor
Office:
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Institute for Social Research
426 Thompson Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
Available to mentor
Josh Ehrlich
Joshua (Josh) Ehrlich, MD
Associate Professor
  • About
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  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications

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    • About

    Josh Ehrlich is a population health scientist and global aging expert, bridging epidemiology, demography, public policy, and clinical medicine to understand how societies can adapt to aging populations. His work places particular emphasis on eye health as a driver of healthy longevity, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

    As the Paul R. Lichter Research Professor at the University of Michigan and Associate Director of the Center for Global Health Equity, Dr. Ehrlich leads the Longitudinal Study of Health and Ageing in Kenya (LOSHAK), a transformative population-level platform for studying aging in East Africa, which provides critical data to shape global understanding about health, retirement, and well-being in later-life. His research also explores sensory health - with a focus on vision and eye health - as a lens to understand aging, health, and well-being through initiatives like SENSE Network and Mi-SHARC, collaboratives that are dedicated to interdisciplinary research, training, and policy translation.

    An ophthalmologist trained in epidemiology, Dr. Ehrlich holds tenured faculty appointments at the University of Michigan Medical School (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences) and Institute for Social Research (Survey Research Center). He is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research and commentary have appeared on podcasts and in outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, The Conversation, Milbank Quarterly, and Lancet Global Health, and he has advised policymakers and media on how science can inform fairer, healthier aging for all societies.

    Committed to public engagement and mentorship, Dr. Ehrlich writes and speaks on global aging and population science for audiences beyond academia, while also training the next generation of researchers in global health equity, epidemiology, and population health science.

    Visit joshehrlich.org for more information.

    Links
    • Website
    • linkedin

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Center for Global Health Equity
    • Center Member
      e-Health and Artificial Intelligence Initiative
    • Center Member
      Global REACH
    • Center Member
      Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

    Research Overview

    - Population health science
    - Population aging
    - Aging and disability
    - Survey research
    - Aging and sensory health (vision, hearing, olfaction, taste, touch, balance)
    - Cognitive health and dementia
    - Global health
    - Global eye health
    - Health policy
    - Scientific knowledge translation

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Visual Impairment and Driving in Older Adults: A Narrative Review
      Xu S, Ehrlich JR, De Lott LB. Current Treatment Options in Neurology, 2026 Dec 1; 28 (1): DOI:10.1007/s11940-026-00871-z
    • Journal Article
      Contrast Sensitivity Impairment Is Associated With Limitations of Physical Functioning and Activities of Daily Living Among Older Adults
      Kumar N, Kabeto M, Galecki AT, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Ehrlich JR. Journal of Aging and Health, 2026 Oct 1; 38 (9): 535 - 545. DOI:10.1177/08982643251375113
      PMID: 40891983
    • Journal Article
      Sensory Difficulty, Social and Physical Activity, and Dementia Risk Among Older Adults
      Xu S, Burr JA, Song Q, Ehrlich JR. Journal of Aging and Health, 2026 Oct 1; 38 (9): 491 - 503. DOI:10.1177/08982643251364364
      PMID: 40747808
    • Journal Article
      Family Screening in Glaucoma: A Scoping Review
      Odayappan A, Ehrlich JR, Berendschot TTJM, Owda A, Sampangi Rama Iyer S, Sun MJ, Iswarya M, Mala R, Srinivasan K, Webers CAB, Venkatesh R. Ophthalmology Glaucoma, 2026 Sep 1; 9 (5): 584 - 594. DOI:10.1016/j.ogla.2026.03.003
      PMID: 41850528
    • Journal Article
      Locally-affiliated authorship in global eye health research conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2003 and 2022
      Herrod SK, Hutton-Mensah EY, Alder CJ, Friedman DS, Zhao Y, Ademola-Popoola D, Essuman VA, Rees CA, Kalua K, Goss D, Ehrlich JR, Sherief ST. Eye Basingstoke, 2026 Aug 1; 40 (12): 1870 - 1882. DOI:10.1038/s41433-026-04576-0
      PMID: 42203989
    • Journal Article
      A Clinically Relevant Threshold of Impaired Contrast Sensitivity among Older US Adults
      Xu S, Nguyen M, Zhou Y, Hu M, Ehrlich JR, De Lott LB. JAMA Ophthalmology, 2026 Jul 16; 144 (7): 619 - 625. DOI:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2026.1570
      PMID: 42207527
    • Journal Article
      Twenty years of USAID and NIH eye health funding for Sub-Saharan Africa: A descriptive analysis of a bibliometric dataset
      Herrod SK, Alder CJ, Hutton-Mensah E, Friedman DS, Zhao Y, Ademola-Popoola D, Essuman VA, Kalua K, Ehrlich JR, Goss D, Sherief ST. Ajo International, 2026 Jul 6; 3 (2): DOI:10.1016/j.ajoint.2026.100243
    • Journal Article
      Gender disparities in visual difficulty among older adults: a cross-national analysis
      Burns SD, Saenz JL, Ehrlich JR. Journal of Global Ageing, 2025 Nov 20; 3 (2): 231 - 254. DOI:10.1332/29767202y2025d000000039

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