Elizabeth Zavala, MD

Dr. Elizabeth Zavala is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at the University of Chicago. She provides both primary and specialty geriatric care, with a clinical focus on urinary incontinence in older women. She practices in the clinic, hospital, and post-acute and long-term care settings.

Her research focuses on health disparities in urinary incontinence care among older African American and Latina women, aiming to improve understanding and delivery of equitable care. In addition, her research is dedicated to enhancing nursing home education within graduate medical education, specifically in internal medicine, family medicine residency programs, and geriatric medicine fellowships. Her goal is to strengthen how this critical area is taught and to improve the quality of care delivered to older adults in nursing home settings.

A committed educator, Dr. Zavala mentors trainees across the spectrum of medical and graduate medical education and directs the geriatric medicine clinical rotations at the University of Chicago. She also leads curriculum development initiatives centered on aging and health equity. She was recently accepted into the University of Chicago’s competitive Medical Education, Research, Innovation, Teaching, and Scholarship (MERITS) Fellowship, further advancing her scholarship in medical education.

Dr. Zavala is also an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) Medical Directors Association (AMDA), contributing her expertise to promote equity and inclusion within long-term care environments.

Fluent in Spanish and board-certified in both geriatric and family medicine, Dr. Zavala is a dedicated clinician, researcher, and advocate for health equity. She actively contributes to Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) initiatives, where she supports, mentors, and educates future generations of healthcare providers.