About

I am a clinical psychologist whose primary focus is on developing innovative approaches to meeting the urgent needs of family caregivers – that is, family members and friends of patients with chronic or life-limiting illnesses, disabilities, or mental health challenges who serve a critical and often unrecognized role on the healthcare team. I am a Professor and Director of the Steven S. Elbaum Family Center for Caregiving in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Previously, I was the Founding Director of the Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center Center. The Caregivers Clinic was the first of its kind in any NCCN Comprehensive Cancer Center in the United States and provides psychosocial care to family members and friends of patients who experience significant distress and burden as a result of their caregiving role.

I work with healthcare systems worldwide to develop similar support programs for caregivers, to draw attention to the unique needs of caregivers across various illnesses and care settings, and to implement systems-level changes that facilitate support and integrate caregivers more formally into the healthcare team.

My professional work as a caregiving scientist has been mirrored by my own caregiving journey in providing care for my father. I deeply understand the distress, invisibility, and multidimensional hardship that over 53 million caregivers in the United States experience today. I am committed to amplifying the voices of caregiving families and addressing the profound mental health needs of caregivers worldwide.