Sarah Dys, PhD, MPA, is a senior research associate at the Institute on Aging at Portland State University with expertise in assisted living, residential care, and memory care communities and resident population health and outcomes. She is an early career member of the Gerontology Society of America, where she has served in leadership roles within the Social Research, Policy, and Practice member section. Dr. Dys earned her doctorate in Community Health from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health with a specialization in gerontology. Her professional vision is to center aging in public health discourse, particularly at the intersection of housing, health, and social services provision. She specializes in weaving together quantitative and qualitative methods to tell stories that highlight the voices of those who live and work in long-term services and support (LTSS).

Prof. Dr. Yasemin Afacan received her BArch and MS from Middle East Technical University and her PhD from Bilkent University in 2008. She worked at Queen's University Belfast before joining Bilkent in 2010, where she is dean of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, and faculty member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Her research focuses on neuro-architecture, indoor environmental quality and environmental gerontechnology. She has written over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Her research has received sponsorship from many organizations, including Driving Urban Transitions – Urban Europe (EU), The European Research Executive Agency (ERA), Centre for Aging and Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI), The DAIWA Anglo-Japanese Foundation, and TUBITAK (TUR). She received the Outstanding Young Scientist Awards; BAGEP (2017), GEBIP (2018). She teaches sustainable interior design and has served on the board of the International Society of Gerontechnology (ISG) since 2014. She is also Vice-President of ISG Turkey Chapter.

Dr. Rahul Malhotra is the Executive Director of the Centre for Ageing Research & Education (CARE) and Associate Professor of Health Services Research & Population Health at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. The primary area of his research is ageing, at the individual and population level. Key projects that he has led/is leading include (1) national longitudinal surveys of older Singaporeans, studying predictors and outcomes of change in physical, psychological and social health of older adults, (2) longitudinal quantitative and qualitative studies of older Singaporean-family caregiver dyads, assessing patterns, correlates and consequences of changes in caregiving-related outcomes over time, and (3) a health services research project on older person-centred prescription medication labels. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed papers in the medical, public health and social science literature. He received his basic and advanced medical training at the University of Delhi, India, and public health (MPH) training at Harvard University, USA.

Birgit Pianosi, PhD, CPG, is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Laurentian University, where her work focuses on gerontology, aging, and the well-being of older adults. A Credentialed Professional Gerontologist, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to teaching, research, and community engagement in the field of aging. Dr. Pianosi’s scholarship and professional interests include dementia care, age-friendly communities, caregiving, and strategies that promote quality of life for older adults and their families. She is also recognized for her work in education and training that helps prepare future professionals to meet the evolving needs of aging populations. An experienced educator and advocate for aging-related issues, Dr. Pianosi is committed to advancing practical, person-centered approaches that support healthy aging, dignity, and inclusion across care and community settings. 

Dr. Innocent Tesha is a Medical Officer at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania, currently a master’s candidate in Geriatrics Medicine at Jinzhou Medical University, leading AI-driven research on cardiovascular aging. He holds an MD from Hubert Kariuki Memorial University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cardiology from the University of Buckingham. His work merges machine learning, clinical epidemiology, Chronic diseases in aging to develop equitable cardiovascular risk-prediction tools for frail older adults in low-resource settings. His research has been published in The Gerontologist, The Lancet Regional Health – Africa, and Frontiers in Aging. Recognized with the 2nd Best Innovator Award at a national digital health forum, Dr. Tesha is An active member of the Gerontology Society of America, his vision is to advance gerontology through scalable, data-driven solutions that improve cardiovascular care and population health outcomes across Africa and beyond.