Dr. Laura N. Gitlin, an applied research sociologist, is professor in the Department of Community Public Health, School of Nursing with joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University. She is the founding director of the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Hopkins School of Nursing which is transforming health care delivery and the health and wellbeing of older adults and their families through rigorous research, trainings of health and human service professionals in evidence-based programs and models of care, and translation and implementation of proven interventions in service delivery settings. Dr. Gitlin is nationally and, internationally recognized for her research on developing, evaluating and implementing novel home and community-based approaches that improve the quality of life of persons with dementia and their family caregivers, enhance daily functioning in older adults with disability, and address mental health disparities. She is a well-funded researcher, having received continuous research and training grants from federal agencies and private foundations for close to 30 years. A theme throughout her research is applying a social ecological perspective and person-directed approach as well as collaborating with community organizations, health professionals and other stake holders to maximize the relevance and impact of intervention strategies. She is also involved in translating and implementing her team’s proven interventions for delivery in different practice settings globally and in the United States. Dr. Gitlin is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2009 Eastern Pennsylvania Geriatric Society, Charles Ewing Presidential Award for outstanding contribution to geriatric care; the 2010 United Way Champion Impact Award for Healthy Aging at Home, the 2010 National Institute of Senior Centers Award with Center in the Park, the 2010 MetLife Award for translating the Skills2Care Program (a dementia caregiver intervention program) with Fox Rehabilitation (a home health agency); the 2011 John Mackey Award for Excellence in Dementia Care, from Johns Hopkins University, the 2014 M. Powell Lawton Award from the Gerontological Society of America, and in 2015 she was named as an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is the author of over 250 scientific publications and has authored or co-authored 6 books, with the most recent one published on 2016 on behavioral intervention research and a forthcoming book in 2017 on transforming dementia care and services. Finally, she is a recent appointee to the Health and Human Service’s Advisory Council for the National Alzheimer’s Plan Act and co-chairing a national effort to organize a National Research Summit on Care and Services for Individuals with Dementia and Caregivers. She is also a recent appointee to the medical advisory board of the Alzheimer’s Association and to a Lancet Commission on dementia care.