Advisory Board
Barker Bausell, PhD Dr. Barker Bausell, a Statistician specializing in Educational Measurement and Statistics, is a Senior Research Methodologist, a Professor and Director of Research in the Complementary Medical Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. His areas of research interest include research methodology, statistical power, and placebo. Bausell is Editor-in-Chief of Evaluation & The Health Professions and has co-authored several books, including Power Analysis for Experimental Research: A Practical Guide for the Biological, Medical and Social Sciences. Bausell received his PhD in Educational Research, Evaluation, and Measurement.
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Kathleen Coen Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Kathleen Coen Buckwalter is the Sally Mathis Hartwig Professor of Gerontological Nursing Research, at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. She is Director of the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, Associate Director of the Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center, Co-Director of the University's Center on Aging, and holds joint appointments in the University of Iowa College of Medicine Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine. Her PhD in Nursing is from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Buckwalter's research interests are in the area of geriatric mental health including care of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Her research has been funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as numerous private foundations. In 1987, together with model developer Dr. Geri Hall, she co-authored publication of the PLST (Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold) model of dementia care in Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. Over the last 20 years, Drs. Buckwalter and Hall have implemented, tested and refined the model in a variety of home, community, acute care and long term care settings. She has written extensively in the field of gerontology, authoring over 250 articles and 80 chapters, and has edited eight books. In 1999, Dr. Buckwalter received the Distinguished Contribution to Research Award from the Midwest Nursing Research Society and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. In 2001, she was the recipient of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Excellence in Research Award, and the first recipient of the National Gerontological Nursing Association Board of Directors Award.
Ruth Covell, MD Dr. Ruth Covell is Associate Dean for Programs and Policy for the School of Medicine and Clinical Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine. She has been very closely involved in the planning for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as the planning for the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building. Dr. Covell is responsible for the Introduction to the Health Care System Course which is required of 2nd year medical students. Students in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will also be enrolled in this course beginning in 2003-2004. Dr. Covell earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her MD degree from the University of Chicago where she also completed a Residency in Medicine. Following completion of her residency, she served as a Medical Officer for the Division of Medical Care Administration, the Program Planning and Evaluation Office of the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service and the Office of the Assistant Secreatry for Planning and Evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services. She joined the faculty at UCSD in 1970. She has been involved in numerous campus and university committees and task forces and on committees of state, local and national professional associations.
Linda Davis, PhD, RN Dr. Linda Davis, an expert in informal family caregiving for the elderly, is a Professor at the Duke School of Nursing (DUSON). A member of the NIH/NINR Study Section on Adults/Older Adults, Dr. Davis has led DUSON's successful standing committee conducting faculty searches. As of July 1, 2006, Dr. Davis has been named the Ann Henshaw Gardiner Professor of Nursing. (Ann Henshaw Gardiner was the first faculty member appointed to the school, working closely with Dean Bessie Baker to create the beginnings of the Duke School of Nursing, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006.) Before joining DUSON, Dr. Davis served 15 years as a Professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham where she also held the positions of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Dean for Research Affairs. Dr. Davis was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Fellow in Primary Care, which influenced and shaped her scholarship and research program around aging, chronic illness, and family caregiving in community-based settings. Her contributions to nursing science have been around issues of caregiver stress and coping with chronic illness. Dr. Davis is currently principal investigator for a 5-year, National Institute of Nursing Research funded, clinical trial of interventions designed to improve physical, psychological, social and economic outcomes for caregivers of elders with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Davis has published more that 50 refereed papers and book chapters on conceptual and methodological issues around family caregiving. She is a manuscript reviewer for various nursing and interdisciplinary journals on topics related to families, chronic illness and caregiving across the lifespan and is a current member of the National Institutes of Health Study Section on Adults and Older Adults research. Dr. Davis received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Maryland in 1985.
Willa Fields, DNSc, RN Dr. Willa Fields, Associate Professor of Nursing, San Diego State University School of Nursing. Willa Fields has a diverse background in clinical nursing, education, research, performance improvement, management, and information systems and was formerly Vice President of Patient Care Information Systems at Sharp Healthcare Systems in San Diego. Her research area of interest is in electronic health records, environmental and cultural factors affecting implementations, and the affect of computerized provider order entry systems on patient safety and adverse drug events. She is presently researching the impact of implementing a computerized provider order entry computer system on adverse drug event outcomes. Dr. Fields has published widely on the topic of information technology in nursing, among other topics, in journals such as the Journal of Nursing Care Quality, Computers in Nursing and the Journal of Nursing Quality Assurance. She has received honors such as the Excellence in Research Award in 1987 and Distinguished Lecturer in 2000 from Sigma Theta Tau.
Mary Guerriero Austrom, PhD Dr. Mary Guerriero Austrom, Wesley P. Martin Professor of Alzheimer's Education, Indiana University, Indianapolis. Mary Guerriero Austrom received a B.A. and B.Ed. from Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Canada in 1980 and 1981 respectively. She then received her M.A. and Ph.D. from York University, in Toronto in 1983 and 1989 (social psychology). She joined IU in 1990 and became the Wesley P. Martin Professor in 2006. Dr. Guerriero Austrom is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine and the Director of the Education Core at the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Center. Dr. Guerriero Austrom is an expert in the field of aging and Alzheimer disease. Her clinical and research interests include developing non-pharmacological interventions for patients and families; providing care for AD patients in the home and in institutional settings. As a result, she also develops and delivers staff and management development workshops on providing care to AD patients for long term care facilities. Dr. Guerriero Austrom has been awarded the Glenn W. Irwin Jr., M.D., Experience Excellence Recognition Award in 2003 and was selected to the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching in 2004. In 2005, she was made a Colonel of the Commonwealth of Kentucky by the State of Kentucky for Excellence in Education. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Alzheimer's Association. She is also actively involved with other organizations locally and nationally devoted to issues affecting the elderly, such as the Gerontological Society of America and the International Psychogeriatric Association. She regularly speaks to groups nationally and internationally about her work.
Beverly Hall, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Beverly Hall is Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing. Previously, she was Professor and Chair, Department of Mental Health, Community, and Administrative Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hall is a psychiatric nurse and medical sociologist. She is the author of more than 70 articles and book chapters in the area of health, and has published 3 books: Mental Health and the Elderly, Surviving and Thriving After a Life Threatening Diagnosis, and The Art of Becoming a Nurse Healer. The latter book was awarded first place in the 2006 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards. Her professional work is aimed at maintaining mental, spiritual, and physical health in patients who have life threatening illnesses. She also presents classes, workshops, and public lectures on various topics of patient care, including human spirituality, caring, and human relationships.
Marcia K. Hall Marcia Hall is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Sharp Coronado Hospital, part of the Sharp HealthCare System in San Diego. The hospital has been recently honored as one of only five hospitals nationwide to be selected as a Planetree Designated Patient Centered Care Hospital. Sharp Coronado Hospital joins Sharp HealthCare as a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and will receive this significant honor from the President of the United States in March 2008. Marcia Hall began her career with Sharp HealthCare in 1987 and has extensive experience in progressive hospital management. Prior to her appointment as CEO of Sharp Coronado in 1995, she served as Vice President of Quality and Clinical Systems for Sharp Memorial, Cabrillo, and Mary Birch Hospitals; as System Director of Surgical Care Services for all Sharp Hospitals; Associate Administrator of Sharp Cabrillo Hospital; Director of Pharmacy Services at Sharp Cabrillo Hospital; and Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center. She received the TWIN Award (Tribute to Women in Industry) from the YWCA, a commendation award for "High Performing Team Building" from Sharp HealthCare, and a Superior Performance Award for "Quality of Management Skills" from UCSD. She has held adjunct/associate professorships with University of the Pacific and University of California at San Francisco Schools of Pharmacy. She is a Registered Pharmacist and graduate of Oregon State University.
Sharon Lewis, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Sharon Lewis is a Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas in both the School of Nursing and in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Lewis is also a Clinical Nurse Scientist at the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, for the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System in San Antonio. She has conducted studies and written journal articles on subjects including blood, renal, and dialysis issues. She has also presented on topics such as stress and health problems faced by family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lewis has been recognized as a Distinguished Writer (1999-present) and Lecturer (1994-present) by Sigma Theta Tau and was a fellow with the American Academy of Nursing in 1992 among other honors. She received her PhD in Immunology/Pathology in 1985 and completed Postdoctoral work in Renal Immunopathology in 1987.
Adrianne Dill Linton PhD, RN Dr. Adrianne Linton is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Center at San Antonio. She is committed to research in the management of behaviors in adults with dementia and has presented and published her findings extensively. Dr. Linton has served on the Advisory Board of the Alzheimer’s Association of San Antonio and has been awarded both the Dr. Rosemary Kerr McKevitt Memorial Research Award (1994) and the Army Nurse Corps Scholars Award (1995) for her work. She received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin in 1989.
Laura Martinez, PhD, RN Dr. Laura Martinez is Associate Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. As Coordinator for the Collaborative Mexico/CON MSN Program she worked with thirty-seven faculty members from Universidad Autonoma Nacional de Mexico (UNAM), Universidad Autonoma de Estado de Morelos (UAEM), and Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (UACH). She provided on-site instruction and supervision of required coursework in Mexico at the three sites and planned, implemented, and evaluated the program, as well as translated articles, coursework, course syllabi, and other instructional materials and provided simultaneous translation for onsite courses. Dr. Martinez will contribute her expertise in Gerontology as a consultant to LightBridge, in addition to coordinating Spanish translation services.
Melvina McCabe, MD Dr. Melvina McCabe has been dedicated to medicine and furthering the field of Geriatric health for over 20 years. She currently serves as Chairperson of Geriatrics in the Department of Family Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Medical Director of the Horizon Health Care Center, and an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico in Family Medicine/Geriatrics. Dr. McCabe is Director of the Geriatric Education Center, and was appointed by the Governor to serve on the NM Health Policy Commission. She is also a grant reviewer for the Alzheimer’s Association and an active member of the Association of American Indian Physicians, the American Geriatric Society and the American Medical Association. As an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Dr. McCabe has made major contributions to understanding health attitudes among elderly Native Americans through research, publications, and many lectures on subjects such as Alzheimer’s in general and in Native American populations, as well as diversity issues in health care. She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in 1984 and has a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatrics.
Brian D. Mulligan, MD Dr. Brian Mulligan is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Mulligan has been Board Certified in Diagnostic Radiology by The American Board of Radiology for 27 years. He has practiced the sub specialty of mammography for the past 10 years. Dr. Mulligan’s experience in the field of mammography includes multiple academic positions including Acting Director of Breast Imaging and Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Chicago, Director of Breast Imaging and lead radiologist at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Hospital at the University of Missouri in Colombia, Chief of Interventional Breast Procedures at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, and Chief of Angiography and Interventional Radiology at Westside Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Chicago. During this time Dr. Mulligan has developed a comprehensive mammographic teaching library which enabled him to educate other radiologists, medical students, residents, and technicians in the principles of mammography. He also presents a series of lectures annually to the residents in training at the University of Illinois to prepare them for their specialty board examinations. Dr. Mulligan has also been a guest lecturer at numerous conferences in both the United States and abroad that provide continuing medical education courses to physicians in practice. Dr. Muligan also had a Private Practice of Family Medicine for 9 years. He received an MD from the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in 1972.
Linda R. Phillips, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Linda Phillips is Professor and Audrienne H. Moseley Endowed Chair in Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles. She was formerly Professor of Nursing, Associate Dean of Research for the College of Nursing and Co-Director, Arizona Center on Aging at the University of Arizona, Tucson. She received her master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her doctoral degree from the University of Arizona in 1980. Dr. Phillips has written about and conducted research on aging and taught courses in nursing and gerontology since 1982. Her research, which focuses on elder abuse, family caregiving for frail elders, and nursing interventions for frail elders with dementia, has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute of Aging and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association. In the past years, she has been an invited member of a number of federal expert panels on aging including: the National Institute of Nursing Research Expert Panel on Long-term Care, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Panel on Dementia Screening, and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Panel on Community-based Long term Care. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America as well as a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice.
Gustavo C. Roman, MD Dr. Gustavo Román is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center's School of Medicine in San Antonio. An internationally recognized expert in the field of Vascular dementia, Dr. Román will consult LightBridge on the medical and neurological content in the Sleep Behavior Disorders component of its caregiver guide. Dr. Román will also review the guide for medical accuracy and applicability to dementia. Additionally, as a native Spanish-speaker, Dr. Román will review the translations for accuracy, cultural relevance, and sensitivity. Dr. Román served as an advisor to the US Food and Drug Administration and was Chief of the Neuroepidemiology Branch at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he helped develop cooperative international research programs. During his tenure at the NIH, Dr. Román was instrumental in organizing the international workshop that defined the criteria for vascular dementia for research studies.
Dianna Shomaker, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Dianna Shomaker is Professor Emerita of the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. Her expertise reflects a deep appreciation for and understanding of cross-cultural issues and an interest in translating culturally specific aspects of dementia and caregiving. Dr. Shomaker served as Director of the University of New Mexico (UNM) Graduate Centers at Santa Fe, Taos, and Los Alamos; Interim Associate Dean for Community Partnerships and Distance Education (UNM); and a Professor at the College of Nursing (UNM). She has been recognized extensively with fellowships, honors, and awards for outstanding achievements in nursing, research, and teaching. Dr. Shomaker is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau. She has written widely on the subjects of cross-cultural Gerontology. Dr. Shomaker received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico and completed post-doctoral work in Geriatrics at the University of Birmingham, UK and the University of Warwick, UK.
Barbara Smith, PhD, RN, FACSM, FAAN Dr. Barbara Smith is the Associate Dean for Research and a Professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Nursing. Dr. Smith will advise LightBridge on its research procedures, including the evaluation process used to determine the LightBridge team’s research results.
Janet K. Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN Dr. Janet Specht, Associate Professor, University of Iowa College of Nursing. Dr. Specht's research interests include practice models to promote professional nursing; diagnosis, interventions and outcomes for older persons with urinary incontinence; and care of persons with dementia and their families. Dr. Specht has a grant through the Administration on Aging and the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs for a demonstration project to increase access to, and use of community based dementia- specific services in rural Iowa. The proposed model includes the use of Nurse Care Managers to deliver direct services to persons with dementia and their caregivers, and a community development program to involve the community in identifying and developing needed services. The grant provides rich opportunities to increase services as well as influence policy at the state and national level.
Linda Teri, PhD Dr. Linda Teri, Professor in the Department of Psychosocial & Community Health and Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at the University of Washington. She is the past Director and Chief Psychologist of the Geriatric and Family Services Clinic at the University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Teri received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont in 1980, after which she joined the faculty at the University of Oregon. Since 1984, she has been at the University of Washington, School of Medicine, where she was actively engaged in teaching, research, clinical work and supervision in the areas of geropsychology. In 1998, she moved to the University of Washington, School of Nursing, to establish a school-wide Center on Healthy Aging. She has authored over 200 professional publications plus abstracts, over 280 presentations, and co-author of five books, including three texts in geropsychology. She currently is on five editorial boards of leading professional journals and reviews regularly for another 20. She has served for several years on the NIMH review committee, Mental Disorders of the Aging, has been chair on the APA Task Force on Clinical Training on Aging, and am a past member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of the Alzheimer's Association. She is a Co-Investigator of the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry and Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on various NIH grants focusing on Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging. She is most interested in 1) the ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment programs for Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers, 2) investigating the relationship between cognitive, affective, and behavioral function as it relates to disease progression and treatment, and 3) developing and evaluating training programs to increase independence and improve physical functioning in older adults.
Wendy Wood, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Dr. Wendy Wood received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in 1975. Inspired by her clinical work with frail elders, she went on to earn a post-professional Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy in 1988 and a PhD in Occupational Science in 1995, from the University of Southern California. Her doctoral research investigated how the psychological being of zoo chimpanzees could be enriched by access to ‘chimpanzee occupations.’ After completing her PhD, Dr. Wood joined the faculty in the Division of Occupational Science and Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she remained for 9 years. While at UNC-Chapel Hill, her research increasingly focused on the everyday quality of life of older adults with dementia. In 2004, she became an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, a position she still holds. Also in 2004, Dr. Wood moved to New Mexico to take a position as Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy at the University of New Mexico, School of Medicine. She has recently refashioned her career around three core commitments: clinical practice, research and writing. Toward these ends, Dr. Wood became a home health occupational therapist at Presbyterian Health System in March 2007. Also in 2007, she became a Research Associate Professor in the Center on Aging, Division of Geriatrics, within UNM’s School of Medicine. Dr. Wood has published extensively in the field, and continues to find writing one of her most rewarding occupations. In addition to her publications, she has extensively presented her work in occupational therapy, occupational science and gerontological conferences in the United States and internationally.
Lena Smith, M.A., LBSW, LNHA, PhD Candidate Lena Smith has twenty-four years of experience working with seniors and an expertise in long-term care, dementia care programs and facility design. Lena’s experience has included direct medical social work, facility management, and program design for numerous facilities and levels of care within the long-term care continuum. Lena was the founder and managing partner for The Cottages of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s first specialty care facility for moderate and advanced dementia residents. This facility received the AHCA’s Quality Award and was the first assisted living facility in the country to have this distinction. Lena also teaches at the University of New Mexico and Webster University, Albuquerque, in the area of gerontology & family science. Lena’s dissertation research includes the topics of aging, dementia, coping strategies, agitation, quality of life, and spirituality. She has been asked to present on these topics for numerous organizations including the national Alzheimer’s Association, numerous state affiliates of the American Health Care Association, National Association of Professional Geriatric Case Managers, and The National Council on Aging and American Society on Aging joint conference.
Last Modified 06/30/2009