Kalisha Bonds Johnson, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Emory University Integrated Memory Care, a primary care clinic tailored to the care of persons living with dementia and their families. Dr. Bonds Johnson is the Principal Investigator of the DECIDE Research Lab at Emory University, which focuses on creating culturally tailored decision-making programs to improve the quality of life of families of African American persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor of science in nursing in 2007, earned a master of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University in 2012, and received her doctoral degree from Oregon Health & Science University in 2019. In 2021, Dr. Bonds Johnson completed her postdoctoral training at Emory University. Her research focuses on improving the quality of life of African American persons living with dementia and their family care partners, as well as improving the communication between these families and their primary care providers.

Lauren Bouchard, PhD, is a social gerontologist and educator who utilizes mixed methodology and qualitative research to explore aging and health within community settings. Dr. Bouchard’s research interests include resilience narratives, social connectedness, faith communities, and LGBTQ aging. They have published research in the Journal of Career Development, Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, Journal of Aging and Mental Health, and the Clinical Gerontologist. Dr. Bouchard is a proud and active member of the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) section of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). They are the faculty advisor for the Portland State University GSA Student Chapter.

Giuliana Casanova is a PhD candidate in Gerontology and Geriatrics at the University of Aveiro, in collaboration with the University of Porto, Portugal. She is a recipient of a research fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), supporting her work at RISE-HEALTH on adult education, lifelong learning, and the impact of productive engagement on older adults’ well-being. She holds two master’s degrees, one in Social Gerontology from the Instituto Superior de Serviço Social do Porto, Portugal, and another in Social Work from Florida International University, USA. Giuliana is the founder and president of the first international GSA student chapter, established in 2022. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences, contributing to discussions on productive engagement and lifelong learning. As an active member of GSA, she has been awarded the James McKenney Travel Award and the GSA Student Leadership Award.

Wenxing Wei, MSW, LMSW, is a doctoral candidate in social welfare at Case Western Reserve University. His research interests include elder abuse, the impact of childhood abuse in later adulthood, health outcomes, and racial and ethnic disparities. His goal is to promote the quality of life for older adults exposed to violence, with a particular focus on addressing the unique challenges faced by racial minorities.