PROGRAM MPI

Dr. Tamara Baker is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an appointed member of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatric and Gerontology Advisory Committee, and Editor-in-Chief of Ethnicity & Health. She was recently appointed as a Scientific Committee Member to the National Institutes of Health’s Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee.  Dr. Baker’s research broadly focuses on health disparities and health equity, cultural diversity/sensitivity, and social determinants of health among older adults. She received her BA from North Carolina Central University (HBCU) and MA from Norfolk State University (HBCU). 

PROGRAM MPI

Darlingtina Esiaka, PhD, CPG, CPH, is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University. She has a dual-title Ph.D. in Social Psychology and Gerontology from the University of Kansas, a Masters in Psychology from Arkansas Tech University with Distinction, Graduate certificates in Health Psychology and African Studies from the University of Kansas, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with First class honors and a Diploma in Social Works from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her research interests revolve around two major themes. One focuses on the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in aging Black people. She examines how to detect progression and conversion to ADRD, long before the presentation of behavioral symptoms. The second focuses on the early detection of cancer in older Black people. She investigates psychosocial factors that predict fatal stage cancer diagnosis and survivorship in Black people. 

PROGRAM MPI

Dr. Candi Nwakasi is an Assistant Professor of Gerontology in Human Development and Family Sciences. His background includes undergraduate training in biochemistry, and graduate training in public health, and social gerontology. His previous work experience before joining academia spanned medical, pharmaceutical, and non-profit sectors. 

He is a co-founder of Black in Gerontology and Geriatrics (BIGG), an organization that works to amplify the voices and efforts of Black people in the field of aging. He serves on the board of PACE-RI, and the editorial board of Journal of Aging Studies. With a focus on aging disadvantaged populations, Candi’s research includes cancer survivorship, cognitive decline and caregiving, and sociocultural factors influencing health care access.  

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Jordan Dudley is a recent graduate from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, specializing in health and the determinants of well-being. In her role as Program Manager for the Health Outcomes Research & Education Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Jordan oversees key initiatives aimed at improving health equity and advancing public health research. Additionally, she serves as the Administrative Assistant for the HBCU Aging Conference and Program Manager for the Duke/UNC-CH Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) Program, both of which are dedicated to fostering diversity and excellence in aging research. Jordan also contributes as the Project Coordinator for the Black Men in Pain Study. Through these roles, Jordan is committed to enhancing pathways for inclusive research and advancing knowledge in the fields of health outcomes and public health.