Victoria Behar-Zusman, PhD, is Professor and Associate Dean for Research and PhD Program Director at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS). For the past 3 decades, Dr. Behar-Zusman’s research has focused on family processes and interventions for minority families across the lifespan who are affected by stigmatized health conditions. Dr. Behar-Zusman has an extensive record demonstrating her dedication to advancing the careers of early-stage investigators in health disparities research, and she has been instrumental in program development and addressing structural barriers to success for minority investigators and students. She serves as the contact Principal Investigator of the Center for Latino Health Research Opportunities (CLaRO, U54MD002266), which is in the third 5-year cycle as part of the NIMHD's Center of Excellence program. CLaRO is focused on supporting health disparities research and scientist development related to the SAVA (substance abuse, violence, HIV/AIDS) syndemic. Dr. Behar-Zusman also directs the Developmental Core of the NIMH-funded Center for HIV Research in Mental Health (CHARM, P30MD116867) to support career development of early-stage investigators conducting research to address HIV and mental health disparities. In recent years, she served on the study section for career development awards for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). As the recipient of a K01 award from the National Institute of Aging focused on family process measurement in Cuban-American families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Behar-Zusman is particularly honored to share her experiences as part of this panel at the Gerontological Society of America.

Cerise Elliott, PhD is currently a Program Director for the Clinical Interventions and Diagnostics Branch of the Division of Neuroscience (DN) at the National Institute on Aging. She coordinates health disparities research for Alzheimer’s disease and leads the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers program. Dr. Elliott received her B.S. in Chemistry from Creighton University and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Nebraska Medical Center both in Omaha, NE. Her scientific research focused on cell apoptosis controlled by peripheral T cells in multiple sclerosis. Her recent programmatic interests are creating new and effective scientific collaborations, facilitating successful mentoring relationships among grantees and providing effective evaluation of program development.  Dr. Elliott is published in journals and has served on a number NIA and NIH committees and workgroups.

NiCole Keith, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in the School of Health & Human Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She has served on the IUPUI faculty since 2002 and is also a Research Scientist at both the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine and the IU Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute. Dr. Keith is a physical activity researcher specializing in community-based participatory research with a focus on health equity. Her current research examines ways to improve physical fitness and health as individuals age. She has dedicated her career to positively influencing health outcomes for socio-economically challenged community residents. Dr. Keith has been awarded consistent research funding through both the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Keith is also the immediate past President of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), where she continues to serve on the Exercise is Medicine and American Fitness Index Advisory Boards as well as several other ACSM national committees. Dr. Keith earned a B.S. degree in Physical Education from Howard University, a M.S. degree in Exercise Science from the University of Rhode Island, a Ph.D. degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Connecticut, as well as a M.S. degree in Clinical Research from Indiana University.

Keith Whitfield, PhD is the President of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In addition to many impressive accomplishments as a university administrator, President Whitfield is a prolific scholar in the fields of psychology, health, and aging. As a psychologist and expert in the social, psychological, and cultural factors of cognition and healthy aging, President Whitfield’s current research focuses on the relationship between stress and longevity in African American families. He has authored or co-authored over 200 publications and has earned nearly $20 million in funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Science Foundation. President Whitfield is a member of the NIA’s National Advisory Council on Aging. In addition, he has served on committees for the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Santa Fe, a Ph.D. in lifespan developmental psychology from Texas Tech University, and completed postdoctoral training in quantitative genetics from the University of Colorado Boulder.