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.

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.

Stephanie Kissam, MPH, is the executive director of the Long-Term Care Data Cooperative, one component of the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory and governed by the American Health Care Association (AHCA). In this role, she supports the core mission of using electronic health record data assembled in the LTC Data Cooperative for health care improvement, public health surveillance, and comparative effectiveness and clinical trials research. She has over 20 years of leadership in public health program development, research, and management, including as a program director at RTI International, where she led large national evaluation projects for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and the Administration for Community Living. Her areas of research include health IT implementation, nursing home quality measure development and maintenance, outcomes of value-based payment models, and state health policy. Earlier in her career, she contributed to the development of Rhode Island’s Health Information Exchange and patient-centered medical home initiatives while at the Department of Health. Additionally, at the Rhode Island Quality Improvement Organization, she developed resources to support nursing homes with CMS’s National Nursing Home Quality Initiative.

Kevin McConeghy, PharmD, PhD, has a background in clinical pharmacy and advanced training in quantitative analytical methods. His primary research focus is on the effectiveness and safety of medications in the older population, particularly vaccine effectiveness in the nursing home cohort.

Karen Moss, PhD, RN, CNL, FNAP, FGSA, is a registered nurse and nurse scientist and associate professor in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. Her program of research focuses on peer support, pain, palliative and end-of-life care, and healthcare decision making for care partners of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). She examines multi-partner perspectives on factors that influence pain and end-of-life decision-making processes for Black older adults living with ADRD and their family care partners and also seeks to better understand care partner stress. Dr. Moss is the principal investigator in the health equity-focused Family Caregiver Community Research (FamCare) Laboratory. She is actively engaged in refining and testing her co-designed Pair 2 Care intervention, a peer support program developed using community engagement principles. Dr. Moss is passionate about improving the quality of life for marginalized and underserved older adults living with ADRD and their care partners through palliative and end-of-life care outcomes towards achieving health equity.