Board of Directors
Brian J. Balin, PhD
Dr. Brian J. Balin has been Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology since 1999 having first arrived at PCOM in the fall of 1998. He was named Director of Basic Science Research in July 2005 for the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging at PCOM. Dr. Balin is an internationally recognized expert in the field of Alzheimer's Disease research. His research interests include: Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae as a trigger in the neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease, effects of infection and inflammation on the blood brain barrier in cerebrovascular disease, modification of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins through phosphorylation and the action of transglutaminase, and pathogenesis of chronic disease associated with the aging process.
Richard Kriebel, PhD
Dr. Richard Kriebel is Chair and Professor of the Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology Department at PCOM. He is also Associate Dean of Curriculum and Research. His scholarly interests include the use of technologies in health education and patient care, neurocircuitry and CNS regeneration and plasticity with a focus on development, aging and pain, and curriculum evolution and the impact of technology. Dr. Kriebel has been involved in many teaching programs, including the Minority Student Tract Program in Anatomical Sciences, Clinical Integration of the Neurosciences, and Sensory-Motor Development, and he served as an Independent Studies Supervisor for courses on Anatomy in Art.
Michael L. Kuchera, DO, FAAO
The Clinical Director of the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA), Michael L. Kuchera, DO, is a physician specializing in neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM) and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). He was recruited to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in 2002 as the Director of OMM Research and as a professor for the college's osteopathic medicine program. Dr. Kuchera graduated from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) where he provided over two decades of teaching, research, and clinical service; for twenty years, he was an active leader on the Missouri Arthritis Advisory Board. At PCOM he has devoted his career to researching ways to enhance quality of life by helping structures to function better and to mentoring physicians-in-training to integrate new ways to "Seek Health".