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Whitley Aamodt, MD, MPH, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Neurology
University of Pennsylvania

Whitley Aamodt, MD, MPH, MSCE, is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine. She is a movement disorders specialist and directs the outpatient palliative care clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center. Dr. Aamodt's research interests relate to palliative care and end-of-life care for persons with neurodegenerative diseases. Her current work is focused on improving end-of-life care quality for hospitalized patients with Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Her prior work has also examined health care disparities at the end of life using administrative claims data.

Dr. Aamodt received her MD and MPH from the University of Texas Long School of Medicine. She subsequently completed her neurology residency and Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania. Following her clinical fellowship, she received formal research training in neuroepidemiology and completed the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Zach Baker, PhD
Assistant Professor
Arizona State University

Zachary G. Baker, PhD is an Assistant Professor within the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University. Dr. Baker aims to better understand, develop, evaluate, and disseminate technological tools and psychosocial resources that help caregivers and persons with dementia to thrive during and after the dementia caregiving process. This is accomplished through the use of advanced methods (e.g., interventions, longitudinal studies, event momentary assessment, dyadic data collection), statistics (e.g., multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, response surface analysis), and psychological theory/perspectives (e.g., self-determination theory, attachment theory, positive psychology). He also considers collaborating with community partners an essential part of his work and convenes the Supporting Dementia Caregivers After Death Community Advisory Board. 

Kara Bischoff, MD
Associate Division Chief and Medical Director, Outpatient Palliative Care
University of California - San Francisco

Dr. Kara Bischoff is the Associate Division Chief for Outpatient Palliative Care and the Medical Director of the Outpatient Palliative Care Service at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Bischoff has developed a particular expertise in palliative care for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She has published substantially about outpatient palliative for people will illnesses other than cancer and was recognized as an Emerging Leader in Palliative Medicine by the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Bischoff received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, followed by a residency and chief residency at UCSF in Internal Medicine, and a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, also at UCSF. She is a mother, an outdoor enthusiast, and a San Francisco Bay Area native.

Jori Bogetz, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine
Director of Research, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care
Attending Physician in Pediatric Palliative Care, Seattle Children's Hospital

Jori F. Bogetz, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Director of Research at the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, and an attending physician in pediatric palliative care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Bogetz completed her pediatric residency and an Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship at Stanford University and a Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Harvard/Boston Children’s Hospital. Her research focuses on improving care for children with severe neurological impairment and their families through interventions that support high quality communication and family-centered care. Dr. Bogetz has received funding for her research from the National Institutes of Health Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Cambia Health Foundation, the National Palliative Care Research Center, the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Dr. Bogetz has published >50 papers in peer reviewed journals and contributed to 4 foundational textbooks in her field. She serves as a member-at-large on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Roundtable on Quality Care for Patients with Serious Illness. 

Calli Carlson, OTR/L, CDP, CLT
Clinical Education Leader
Hospice of the Valley

Calli Carlson, OTR/L, CDP, CLT, serves as the Clinical Education Leader for Hospice of the Valley's Dementia Care and Education Campus. Calli's professional background includes experience in management, education, clinical instruction, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, lymphedema management, and dementia care. 

Robert Holloway, MD, MPH
Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
University of Rochester

Dr. Robert Holloway is Professor and Vollertsen Rykenboer Chair of Neurology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Connecticut and completed neurology and health services research training (MPH) at the University of Rochester (UR), where he has been a faculty member since 1996 and Chair since 2012. He became board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine since 2008. He continues to practice both neurology and palliative care, which has fueled his passion for over 30 years. Under his leadership, the department has more than doubled its faculty and created five new divisions, including a division of neuropalliative care. Renowned for its academic excellence, the department sees nearly 10% of its medical school graduates pursue neurology and conducts over $25 million in annual research across translational neuroscience, experimental neurotherapeutics, community-engagement, and global neurology. Dr. Holloway serves as Principal Investigator (PI) for the Rochester Site within the NINDS NeuroNEXT Network and the NIH-funded T32 training program in experimental neurotherapeutics. As the author of over 200 publications and co-editor of Case Studies in Neuroscience and Neuropalliative Care, he has received numerous honors, including the Dr. Robert Joynt Kindness Award, the C. Miller Fisher Neuroscience Visionary Award, the Harry Segal Prize for Excellence in Third Year Teaching, the UR Susan H. McDaniel Collaborative Care Award, and the University of Rochester Junior Faculty Mentoring Award. 

Benzi Kluger, MD, MS
Professor
University of Rochester

Benzi Kluger, MD, MS is the founding president of the International Neuropalliative Care Society and the Julius, Helen, and Robert Fine Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Directot of Palliative Care Research and Chief of the Neuropalliative Care Service at the University of Rochester. He is a pioneer in the application of palliative care approaches to improve the lives of people living with neurologic illnesses and their families. His research has largely focused on Parkinson's disease (PD) and has ranged from qualitative studies to understand needs and preferences for care to multisite clinical trials to demonstrate the benefits of neuropalliative care and large scale implementation projects to improve real-world access. He has also worked to improve educational resources and opportunities for both healthcare professionals and the general public as well as helping support new clinics and programs get off the ground. Outside of academics, he is a father, a bass player, and an aspiring writer (www.benzikluger.com).

Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH
Distinguished Professor
University of Colorado School of Medicine

Dr. Kutner is the inaugural UCHealth Chief Academic Officer and a tenured Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Kutner received her MD from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and completed residency training in internal medicine at UCSF. Subsequently, she completed a NRSA primary care research fellowship, earning an MSPH degree with honors, and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is Board Certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice and palliative medicine and cares for patients on the palliative care service at University of Colorado Hospital. Her research focuses on improving symptoms and quality of life for people with serious illness and their family caregivers and building capacity for palliative care research.  Dr. Kutner was Co-Chair of the NIH-funded Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) and a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Transforming End of Life Care Committee. She is a Past-President of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM). Dr. Kutner is Vice Chair of the Vizient AMC Chief Medical Executives Steering Committee and previously served as Chair of the AAMC CMOG Steering Committee. She is a member of the Cambia Sojourns Scholars Program Advisory Board and is on the Board of Directors for DSST Public Schools. Dr. Kutner served as the Head of the University of Colorado School of Medicine Division of General Internal Medicine from 2002-2014 and as the inaugural Chief Medical Officer, University of Colorado Hospital and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of Colorado School of Medicine from 2014 to 2025.

Ashley Lautar, MSN, NP-C, HNB-BC, CHPN
Nurse Practitioner
Hospice of the Valley

Ashley Lautar is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with Hospice of the Valley, serving in both the Supportive Care for Dementia and GUIDE programs. She brings advanced clinical expertise in dementia care, complemented by national board certifications in holistic nursing and hospice and palliative care. Ashley is deeply committed to delivering compassionate, in-home supportive care to individuals living with dementia and their families. She also provides care and guidance at Hospice of the Valley’s Dementia Care and Education Campus, where she supports patients and caregivers through every stage of the dementia journey. 

Yaowaree "Noona" Leavell
ALS Clinic Director
Neuromuscular Neurologist
Oregon Health & Science University

Yaowaree "Noona" Leavell is a Neurologist and Palliativist currently practicing in the Neurology department at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and at the Portland Veteran's Affairs Hospital in Portland, OR. She completed her Neurology Residency, as well as her Palliative Care and Hospice and Neuromuscular Medicine Fellowship years at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Upper East Side of New York City. She serves as the Neuromuscular Fellowship Director at OHSU, where she also practices clinically seeing patients with serious Neurologic illnesses including ALS, muscular dystrophies, and immune neuromuscular disorders, and is the ALS Clinic Medical Director for the Portland VA ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic. In addition to clinical, educational, and research work in the neuropalliative and neuromuscular fields, she enjoys watching sci-fi horror movies with her husband, oil painting, and climbing. 

Christi Lero, MSW, LCSW
Student
Washington University in St. Louis

Christi Lero, MSW, LCSW, is a doctoral candidate at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, where she was recently awarded the Mark S. Wrighton Award on Aging for her research on family caregiving in the context of neurodegenerative disease. Ms. Lero earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri in 2016 and subsequently worked as a hospice and palliative care social worker, supporting patients and families affected by a broad range of life-limiting illnesses, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Clinically, she provides psychotherapy for individuals navigating family caregiving, grief, loss, and traumatic bereavement. A National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) T32 fellow, Ms. Lero has published widely in academic and medical journals on death and dying, neuropalliative care, caregiving, and ethics. Her research focuses on end-of-life caregiver wellbeing and neuropalliative care, with particular attention to caregivers of people with neurodegenerative diseases at the end of life and into bereavement. 

Ambereen Mehta, MD, MPH, FAAHPM
Medical Director, Palliative Care Program
Associate Professor of Palliative Care
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Ambereen K. Mehta, MD, MPH, FAAHPM is the Medical Director of the Palliative Care Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Palliative Care in the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She developed the specialty palliative care program in the Johns Hopkins Center for Specialty ALS Care. She leads multiple studies as part of the ALS Clinical Trials Unit and has published numerous studies in high impact peer-reviewed journals on increasing access to specialty palliative care including education for neurologists and improving quality of life for people with neurological illnesses, specifically those living with ALS. She has received awards for education including the 2022 Inaugural INPCS Tara Cook Award for Innovation in Neuropalliative Education and 2020 UCLA Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Faculty Award Excellence in Education Award. She is a content expert for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Roon, and Northeast ALS Consortium. She currently co-chairs the Northeast ALS Consortium Palliative Subcommittee, co-leads the INPCS ALS Working Group, and is an ALS Association Care Services Committee member. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the official journal of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). She is the past Chair of the INPCS Strategic Communications Committee and the AAHPM Neuropalliative Special Interest Group. 

Diane Meier, MD
Professor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, is a nationally recognized leader in the field of palliative care and a Professor in the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She is the immediate past CEO of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), a national organization dedicated to increasing access to high-quality palliative care for people living with serious illness and their families across the United States.

Under Dr. Meier’s leadership, the number of palliative care programs in U.S. hospitals more than tripled over the past decade. She also serves as Co-Director of the Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center, and holds the Catherine Gaisman Professorship in Medical Ethics. From 1997 to 2011, she was the founding Director of the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Meier’s contributions to healthcare have earned her numerous accolades. In 2010, she was named one of the “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better” by HealthLeaders Media. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013, and has received prestigious honors including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2008), the Gustav O. Lienhard Award from the National Academy of Medicine (2017), and the AHA-HRET TRUST Award (2017).

Her policy expertise was further recognized during her tenure as a Health and Aging Policy Fellow in Washington, D.C., where she worked with the Senate HELP Committee and the Department of Health and Human Services from 2009 to 2010.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Meier has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications in the medical literature. Her most recent book, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Reform, was published in 2014.

R. Sean Morrison
Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair
Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. R. Sean Morrison is the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Professor and Chair of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. He serves as Co-Director of the Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center and Director of the National Palliative Care Research Center, both of which are national organizations focused on expanding the evidence base for palliative care in the United States. He has held national leadership roles, including President and Secretary of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Morrison has received numerous awards, including the PDIA National Leadership, Excellence in Research, and Visionary Awards from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; the Distinguished Achievement in Cancer and Clinical Research Professor Awards from the American Cancer Society; the Outstanding Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award from the American Geriatrics Society; and the Jacobi Medallion, Mount Sinai’s highest recognition.

He has secured over $75 million in research funding aimed at improving care for seriously ill older adults and their families. His research has been published in major peer-reviewed medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Journal of the American Medical Association. He edited the first textbook on geriatric palliative care and has contributed to more than 15 books on geriatrics and palliative care. He is a recognized figure in the field and has made multiple media appearances to discuss his research and issues affecting older adults and those with serious illness.

Dr. Morrison earned his ScB from Brown University and his MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and pursued post-graduate fellowship training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He has been a faculty member at Mount Sinai since 1995.

Alex Presciutti, PhD
Clinical Health Psychologist, Faculty Member
Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Presciutti is a clinical health psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Member of the Faculty at Harvard Medical School. For the past 10 years he has led pioneering efforts aimed improving emotional distress in critically ill patients and their caregivers. In January 2023, Alex co-launched the largest online peer support community for cardiac arrest survivors, loved ones, and advocates (the Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance). Later that year he was inducted into the Citizen CPR Foundation’s “Top 40 Under 40” class, in recognition of his work in this space. He is currently PI of an NCCIH K23, Neurocritical Care Foundation award, and RCMAR pilot project all of which are focused on neurocritical care and cardiac arrest survivorship. 

Krithika Rao, MD
Associate Professor
Kasturba Medical College
Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Dr. Krithika Rao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, part of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in Manipal, India. She serves as the lead physician for Pediatric Palliative Care services and is the Course Director of the International NeuroPalliative Care Certificate Course in India. She currently works in a university teaching hospital that hosts a Palliative Medicine Post Graduate Teaching Program.

Dr. Rao actively provides palliative care services across multiple specialties, including Pediatrics, Neonatology, Pediatric Oncology, Neurology, Oncology, and Intensive Care. She is a member of the Hospital Critical Care Review Board and the Cancer Quality Initiative, a Quality Improvement Hub. Her research focuses on pain and symptom management, end-of-life care, pediatric palliative care, neuro-palliative care, and ICU palliative care.

She also serves as a facilitator member of the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person, a UK-based organization.

Talia Shear, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital

Talia Shear, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Child Neurology and Division of Palliative Care in the Department of Pediatrics at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. 

Dr. Shear is both a board-certified child neurologist and palliative care physician. She works with children with a variety of conditions and their families to support values-based shared decision making and quality of life. She has built a pediatric neuropalliative care clinic, the first in Illinois, that uniquely addresses the needs of children with serious neurological conditions and their families. She is also developing a neuropalliative care curriculum for pediatric neurology trainees at her institution.

She has a lifelong passion for advocating for disability rights and disability justice. She co-facilitates a quarterly meeting of neurologists, across the United States, who are committed to shifting the practice paradigm of all neurologists to one that is anti-ableist. Recent scholarly work from this group has included a paper on neurodiversity-affirming clinical practices and pearls, published in the Journal of Child Neurology.

Julia Simon
Strategic Project Manager
International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations

Julia is the Strategic Project Manager at the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. She has a Bachelor of Commerce from the John Molson School of Business in Montreal, Canada, and has diverse work experience in various industries including technology, gastronomy, and tourism.

Julia was a caregiver to her father, who was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS-FTD in 2022, before he passed away a few months later. This loss inspired her to learn about death positivity, and to get trained as a peer support worker and an end of life doula. She volunteers doing grief support with people who have lived experience with medical assistance in dying. Julia spends her down time eating dark chocolate and with her son and her two furry companions.

Priya Treesa Thomas, PhD
Additional Professor of Psychiatric Social Work
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (India)

Dr Priya Treesa Thomas holds Ph D in Psychiatric Social Work from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India. and currently is an Additional Professor in the department. She coordinates the psychosocial care services to the neurologically ill and is involved in clinical, teaching and research activities. In NIMHANS, she essentially concentrates her clinical expertise in neuropalliative care, social work and social science research with persons living with various neurological illness and their families and works extensively with neurodegenerative disorders including dementia and movement disorders. She is interested in the social contexts that define people’s experiences and the complex social networks that influence caregiving and psychological wellbeing across the life span. Her main area of work currently focuses on developing psychosocial care models for various neuropsychiatric conditions and has been instrumental in establishing one of the first integrated multidisciplinary neuropalliative care services in the public healthcare sector in India. She is a Commonwealth Scholar- India for her Dementia Studies Programme and undertakes qualitative research with the group that she is working with. Dr Priya is passionate about compassionate care and building micro-skills among healthcare professionals. She has several publications and ongoing research projects in these areas to her credit, and is guiding doctoral research students in related fields. 

Amanda Weiler, BS
Dementia Educator
Hospice of the Valley

Amanda Weiler is a Dementia Educator with Hospice of the Valley's Supportive Care for Dementia program. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Biomedical Science and Sociology and has worked throughout her career to educate and advise older adults and their families on various topics related to aging and living well. She has experience working across the spectrum of senior services from home and community-based care to adult day centers and skilled nursing facilities. No matter what the setting is, she works to help people understand the various aspects of a dementia diagnosis and how it effects the day-to-day experiences for the person with dementia and the people who care for them. Her goal is to help families and care teams personalize their communication and approach to bring more comfort to all of their interactions. 

Carrie Wester, MBA, MDiv, BCC
Director of Spiritual Care, Arizona Market
Dignity Health, a member of CommonSpirit

Carrie has worked 20 years in healthcare in a variety of roles. Prior to joining the Dignity Health team, she served as a staff chaplain at Banner Behavior Health in Scottsdale, where she was the sole chaplain for patients with mental illness. As a chaplain resident, Carrie was a member of the chaplaincy team at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin, Texas.  Before her residency, she volunteered as chaplain at Kossuth Regional Hospital/Hospice of the Heartland in Iowa. Carrie has a wide range of clinical skills that include spiritual and emotional support, grief support, ministry in crises, spiritual group leadership, and the development of spiritual services and events.

Carrie was an officer in the United States Air Force 355th Medical Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ. After that time, she worked for the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System. She also served as a professor for Ottawa University, where she instructed healthcare administration classes on leadership, cultural diversity, compliance and regulations. Carrie has a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Colorado.

Carrie currently serves as the Director of Spiritual Care for Dignity Health's Arizona Hospitals. She oversees 6 different locations and a team of 17 staff.