Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, is a nurse and researcher specializing in gerontology, dementia care, and health disparities. Her particular focus is on improving care for African Americans living with dementia. She is a professor and the Karen and Ronald Hermann Distinguished Chair in Caregiver Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Nursing. Her work is centered around promoting awareness, education, and support for families affected by dementia, particularly within African American communities. Dr. Epps is recognized for her community-engaged research and her efforts to partner with faith communities to improve dementia care and resources. Her research focuses on exploring how faith-based organizations can serve as a support system for families and caregivers, and on developing culturally relevant resources to address health disparities in dementia care.

Jennifer Gabbard, MD, is an associate professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and directs the Serious Illness and Palliative Medicine Research Program. A board-certified geriatrician and palliative care physician, she has additional training in implementation science and health services research. Her work centers on improving care for seriously ill older adults—especially those with dementia, frailty, and unmet social needs—by integrating palliative care, shared decision-making, and social determinants into primary care. Dr. Gabbard leads NIH and foundation-funded studies, including pragmatic trials on advance care planning, telehealth, and technology-enabled interventions for people with cognitive impairment. Her research, published in JAMA and Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, informs scalable models of dementia care. She is funded by an NIH–NIA K23 Career Development Award and co-site PI of the PCORI-funded SPIRE trial. An active member of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, she contributes to national initiatives on dementia care and Age-Friendly Health Systems and mentors early-career investigators in geriatrics and palliative care.

David Gifford, MD, MPH, serves as the chief medical officer as well as the director of the Center for Health Policy Evaluation in Long Term Care at the American Health Care Association​. He established the Center and the Quality Department at AHCA. His interests are in improving and measuring quality in LTC as well as how regulatory and payment policies impact quality. He has developed 8 new quality measures for nursing homes that all received NQF e​ndorsement. He oversees a team of data analysis working with national MDS data, Medicare Claims, and Cost Reports to develop quality measures and conduct policy evaluations. Dr. Gifford also serves on the Board of the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes campaign and the Baldrige Foundation Board and chairs the Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatric and Gerontology Advisory Committee. He serves on the NQF Measures Applications Partnership (MAP).

Crystal Glover, PhD, is an applied social psychologist, mixed methodologist, and associate professor with tenure in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine. She has designed and built a program of research focused on addressing challenges related to brain health and facilitating optimal outcomes in aging. Her research program consists of two interconnected components that examine: 1) decision making associated with complex, nuanced, and sensitive topics in older age; and 2) protective and risk factors of brain health. Her research has led to the design, development, and implementation of engagement approaches, educational materials, and intervention strategies. Dr. Glover has widely published her peer-reviewed work in several high-impact scientific journals, including Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, CHEST, and Human Genetics. She continues to present her research at international and national scientific meetings and belongs to several intercontinental and domestic professional committees and groups. Overall, Dr. Glover dedicates her work to service and strategies for optimal aging for all - globally, nationally, and locally.