Harry Taylor research addresses the prevalence, risk factors, and associative health outcomes of social isolation and loneliness among older adult Black Americans. His research increases public awareness of these factors and is poised to inform risk assessments, intervention programs, and policies to mitigate the adverse health effects of isolation and loneliness. Dr. Taylor primarily utilizes quantitative techniques to analyze nationally representative panel data. Dr. Taylor earned his PhD at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, his MSW at the School of Social Work and MPH at the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, and his BA in Sociology at Howard University. He has received extramural funding for his research from the National Institute of Aging, and his research has been published in peer-reviewed outlets including The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, The Journal of Aging and Health, The Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and The Journal of Gerontological Social Work. His work has also been featured in Public Health Post, Aging Today, and US News and World Reports.

Yewande Akinbami MD, MPH, is a Senior Program Officer in the Clinical Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research (CER) unit at PCORI and co-leads the older adult topic theme working group which is focused on identifying evidence gaps and funding opportunities on issues affecting older adults. She currently manages a diverse portfolio focused on Healthy Aging, Delirium, and Chronic disease management. Yewande is a primary care physician by training and prior to PCORI served as a Program director at the  Center for Clinical Trials, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University.