Core Teams

The work of NDWS is carried out by five core teams under the direction of NDWS leadership. Core teams consist of co-investigators who are national experts in their fields and support staff who bring a wealth of complementary expertise.

Administrative Core

The Administrative Core coordinates all NDWS activities across cores to ensure the successful creation and launch of the surveys and associated data infrastructure. Its other key function is to develop and promote dissemination activities to facilitate use of NDWS by the scientific community.

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Core Co-Lead

Donovan Maust, MD, MS

Professor and Willard C. Blackney Jr. and Geraldine LaTendresse Blackney Research Professor in Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Michigan

Donovan Maust is a geriatric psychiatrist at the University of Michigan and VA Ann Arbor and a health services researcher. As a practicing clinician, he is particularly interested in how the health care system provides care to persons living with dementia and the extent to which this care is determined by the clinicians who happen to be providing the care. His research frequently uses national surveys and linked administrative data, with a particular interest in psychotropic prescribing.
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Core Co-Lead

Joanne Spetz, PhD

Professor, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco

Also Co-Lead of the Survey Design Core
Joanne Spetz is an internationally known expert on the health workforce who leads the UCSF Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care and the NIA-funded AWARD (Advancing Workforce Analysis and Research for Dementia) Network, focused on the direct care workforce for persons living with dementia.
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Core Co-Lead

Rachel Tocco, MA

Senior Administrative Manager, Psychiatry, University of Michigan

Rachel Tocco is a master’s-level research professional at the University of Michigan with more than 20 years of health services and population science research experience. She has dedicated her career to helping research teams conduct high-quality science in service of patients living with conditions that include dementia, cancer, traumatic brain injury, kidney and liver disease, and more.

Team Members

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Catherine Woodward Calder, BS

Executive Assistant to the Director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco

Catherine Woodward Calder has experience as an executive assistant, office coordinator, and e-commerce manager. She has expertise in general project coordination, website set-up and maintenance, online surveys, and webinar planning and execution. She provides administrative support to MPI Dr. Spetz.
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Sam Fazio, PhD

Senior Director of Psychosocial Research and Quality Care, Alzheimer’s Association
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Esther M. Friedman, PhD

Research Associate Professor, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

Also a member of the Survey Design Core
Esther Friedman is a sociologist and research associate professor. She also serves as an associate director of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Her research examines how families and communities facilitate the health and wellbeing of older adults. She is currently leading a study for which she is collecting and analyzing new data on the social support networks of family caregivers to persons with dementia.
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Lauren Gerlach, DO, MS

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, University of Michigan

Also a member of the Survey Design Core
Lauren Gerlach is a geriatric psychiatrist and assistant professor. Her research is focused on dementia end-of-life care as well as understanding trends and appropriate use of psychiatric medications among older adults with mental health and cognitive disorders.
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Timothy Schmutte, PsyD

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine

Also a member of the Data Linkage Core
Timothy Schmutte is a licensed clinical psychologist and mental health services researcher with a longstanding interest in older adults and suicide prevention. His current research seeks to improve the quality of care for persons with serious mental illness and the aging population with a focus on suicide prevention. He is an expert in using large databases such as Medicaid/Medicare claims and electronic health records.
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Lauren Stratton, PhD

Senior Associate Director of Psychosocial Research and Program Evaluation, Alzheimer’s Association

Core Teams

Administrative Core

Core Co-Lead

Core Co-Lead

Core Co-Lead

Team Members