Dr. Kheirbek is a Professor of Medicine and the inaugural Division Head of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Kheirbek's primary focus is on developing and implementing quality improvement programs for older adults with serious and advanced illnesses. Her research portfolio includes numerous large-scale projects with a particular focus on the oldest segment of the global population.

In addition to her research work, Dr. Kheirbek plays a vital role in training numerous learners on age-appropriate, person-centered care. She currently serves as the Program Director of the Geriatric Fellowship at UMD, where she fosters empathy, reflection, and professionalism in the practice of medicine. 

Markus Schafer is currently Professor of Sociology and Graduate Program Director at Baylor University. He earned his PhD in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University in 2011. His research investigates the intersections of health and aging, specifically the long-term consequences of childhood adversity and how social networks evolve to shape physical, mental, and cognitive health in later life. Schafer’s work has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada) and the Ontario Early Researcher Award program. He currently serves as Deputy Editor of the Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences and is a co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of the Sociology of Aging, 2nd Ed. (Springer).

Yaeji Kim-Knauss received a master’s degree in social welfare from Seoul National University, South Korea, and a PhD in psychogerontology from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. She is currently working as a senior researcher at the Institute of Psychogerontology at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Her research focuses on aging preparation, decision making, and end-of-life.

Aija Logren is a social psychologist specializing in interaction research, discursive psychology and conversation analysis. Her work examines how participation, morality, emotion, knowledge and power are negotiated in social and health care encounters. Logren has contributed to research on group counselling, health communication, shared decision making and professional–client interaction, with publications spanning topics such as hope work, group discussions, and the management of stance. She teaches interaction skills particularly for social work and medical students. She is recognized for her expertise in qualitative methods and the analysis of social interaction. Logren earned her doctorate in social sciences in 2019, and has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University and the University of Helsinki in projects exploring information literacy, affect and decision making in health care encounters. She is now university lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland, and currently studies negotiations considering transition from curative to palliative care.

Yaolin Pei, PhD is a gerontologist who used both qualitative and quantitative methods to study how social psychological factors affect end-of-life decision-making and end-of-life outcomes. She develops culturally adapted educational tools and interventions that facilitate end-of-life decision making and aims to improve end-of-life care outcomes.

Professor Jacqueline Yuen is a geriatrician, palliative care physician, and Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Clinical Medicine and School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Her research focuses on improving end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia and enhancing serious illness communication with older adults with life-limiting conditions. Prof. Yuen was an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York from 2012-2016. She served as a Clinical Lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2018, during which she received the University Education Award in recognition of her contributions to medical education. In 2025, she received the HKU Faculty Teaching Medal. She currently serves on the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Professionalism and Ethics Committee, and the Councils of the Hong Kong Geriatrics Society and the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology.