Who We Are

NDWS brings together more than 40 national experts in dementia clinical care, survey research methodology, the health care workforce, qualitative and mixed-methods inquiry, bioethics, and implementation science. They represent multiple university and non-profit partners including the University of Michigan; University of California, San Francisco; Brown University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of Pennsylvania; Yale University; and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Other partners include Mathematica, RTI International, DLH, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed), and several consultants, including PHI, a nonprofit direct care industry organization.

Work is carried out by five Core Teams: Administrative, Survey Design, Data Linkage, Data Collection, and Pilot Grants.

Leadership

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Principal Investigator

Donovan Maust, MD, MS

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

Also Co-Lead of Administrative Core
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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Principal Investigator

Joanne Spetz, PhD

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

Also Co-Lead of Administrative Core and 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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Managing Director

Rachel Tocco, MA

Senior Administrative Manager, Psychiatry, University of Michigan

Also Co-Lead of Administrative Core
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.

NDWS Staff

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Becky Clive, BA

Regulatory Specialist

Becky Clive began working in research at the University of Michigan in 2007 and is currently a project manager at the VA Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research working with Dr. Maust to support his VA and UM research portfolio. She has coordinated the regulatory engagement and approval for research partnering with a variety of institutions, including nationally representative survey research involving Veteran and non-Veteran college students.
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Julie Hendrickson, MPA

Research Administrator Senior

Julie Hendrickson is responsible for pre-and post-award research administration-related activities for NDWS, including reconciliation of grants and contracts to ensure compliance according to award guidelines and yearly projections. Her entire career has been in higher education and includes extensive experience in financial management, budgeting, and grant administration.
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Danielle Norman, MSW

Program Manager

Danielle Norman oversees organizational and logistical support for NDWS, including coordination of project timelines, regulatory matters, and day-to-day activities. She brings more than six years of experience in project coordination and management of health services research projects, including various CMS-funded projects.
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Martha Pennington, BA

Communications Specialist

Martha Pennington is responsible for the communications presence of NDWS, including communication plans, website content, and education and training materials. She has extensive experience in higher education, including more than ten years in marketing and communications.
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Joanie Rothstein, MPP, MPH

Senior Program Manager, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco

Also a member of the Survey Design Core
Joanie Rothstein is a program manager for NDWS, focused on survey development. She has extensive experience in education and health care. Her skills include strategic planning, policy, partnership building, and designing/evaluating programs to improve health and opportunities for children, families, and communities.
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Kristen Zuck

Senior Administrative Assistant

Kristen Zuck provides administrative support to the NDWS team. Prior to joining NDWS, she spent ten years at a mid-Michigan health system, where her efforts focused on practitioner credentialing and enrollment for their clinically integrated network. She brings more than 20 years of administrative experience in the health care community, the medical insurance field, and workforce analytics.