Elaine Amella is a Professor in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina and Director of the PhD in Nursing program. Dr. Amella received her PhD in Theory Development and Nursing from New York University. Prepared as an Advanced Practice Nurse in geriatrics, Dr. Amella's clinical specialization is in nursing and interdisciplinary care of the older adults, which she has maintained for over 30 years. Dr. Amella has been funded by the National Institutes of Health – both the NINR and NIA - for community and institutionally-based interventions to help caregivers manage ADLs, especially meals, for individuals with moderate or late-stage dementia, the USDA for the testing of rural nutrition and food safety training programs in senior centers around South Carolina, along with federal training and intramural grants – the latest an interprofessional award from SCTR - working with a basic scientist using an animal model to translate science to humans regarding nutrition and Alzheimer's disease. She collaborates with international colleagues on issues of end-of-life care and caregiving, has mentored numerous nursing and speech-language PhD students, and is widely published in interprofessional journals. She has a research interest in the association of dysphagia and dementia, and has served on international work groups concerning this issue.

Alzheimers, Dementia, Nutrition, Aging, Geriatrics