Our Team

Elma Johnson, MPH manages PHCOE-DC operations and co-leads the strategic and programmatic planning for the Center. Ms. Johnson has expertise in healthcare management, quality improvement and working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Ms. Johnson supervised the Interpreter Services Department and served as Innovations Project Manager and Patient Experience Consultant at Hennepin Healthcare.

Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD, is a Distinguished Medical Scholar at Education Development Center, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior and Associate Professor of Medical Science at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is a health services investigator and geriatric psychiatrist, providing outpatient and inpatient services at Butler Hospital in Providence, RI.

Dr. Lubow leads the National Dementia Care Collaborative, a project supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation to accelerate health system adoption of evidence-based comprehensive care for dementia.

Mr. Matthew Baumgart is Vice President of Health Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association, and he directs the Association’s global public policy efforts in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Disease International, the World Dementia Council, and the World Health Organization.

Dr. Joseph Gaugler directs the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving, and is a professor and head of the Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care and Aging at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. His research examines the sources and effectiveness of long-term care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic conditions.

As an applied gerontologist, Dr. Gaugler’s areas of interest include Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, long-term care, family caregiving and implementation science.

Dr. Lauren J. Parker is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research examines how home-and-community based supports can be used to address the cultural needs of African American and Hispanic caregivers for people with dementia.

Dr. Epps is a Professor and the Karen and Ronald Hermann Distinguished Chair in Caregiver Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio School of Nursing. She has devoted her career as a nurse leader to reducing health disparities for underserved populations through innovative, culturally relevant programs for the African American community. She works closely with an interdisciplinary team to promote quality of life for African Americans living with dementia and their family caregivers through self-care and meaningful activities. She is also the founder of Alter, the only nurse-led dementia-friendly initiative to support African American congregations.

Robbin Frazier is the Associate Director of Equity and Community Engagement at the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation (CHAI) at the University of Minnesota where she leads the planning and execution of community-oriented activities, partnerships, and engagement.

Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Robbin was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND Chapter.

Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, School of Nursing. Her research focuses on quality of life among older adults with dementia and their family caregivers, chronic disease management for older adults with Type 2 diabetes, and culturally appropriate community-based interventions among African American/Black adults.

Ishan research further concentrates on recruitment science and using an equity approach to understanding the health care needs of older adults and their family caregivers within social, cultural, and geographical contexts.