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USC Team

Donna Benton

Donna Benton, PhD

Principal Investigator

Donna Benton PhD is a Research Associate Professor of Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She is the Director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center (FCSC) and the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center (LACRC). She has over 30 years of experience providing direct service, advocacy, and programs for families caring for persons with dementia. Benton was appointed to the CA Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Commission and the CA Commission on Aging (CCOA). Her research focus is on the development of online evidence-based interventions for family caregivers to improve mental and physical health and well-being and prevention of elder mistreatment. Benton also serves as a mentor to students interested in advocacy for caregivers.

Kate Wilber

Kate Wilber, PhD

Co-Investigator

Kate Wilber PhD is the Mary Pickford Foundation Professor of Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Wilber’s research focuses on enhancing health outcomes and quality of life for vulnerable older adults, particularly those with chronic illnesses, disabilities, cognitive impairments, or economic challenges. Her work aims to improve the design and delivery of long-term services and supports. Wilber has led projects evaluating the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of Elder Abuse Forensic Centers, developing universal assessments for California’s in-home Medicaid services, and examining factors influencing transitions from nursing facilities to community care. Wilber has authored over 100 publications and regularly teaches courses in public policy, administration, systems management, and long-term care.

Susan Enguidanos

Susan Enguídanos, PhD

Co-Investigator

Susan Enguídanos PhD is an Associate Professor of Gerontology at USC. Her research focuses on palliative care and bridging racial/ethnic differences in access to end-of-life care. Her work has focused on developing and testing a home-based palliative care model, and she is currently working to expand access to this program in the state of Hawaii. Enguídanos has published more than 100 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Enguidanos teaches courses on death and dying, end-of-life care, and a travel abroad course to Italy examining death and dying practices among ancient civilizations.

Sindy Lomeli, MPH

Program Coordinator

Sindy Lomeli received her Master’s in Public Health from USC. She began her career working on several research projects with the Department of Preventive Medicine at Keck School of Medicine at USC. She joined the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in 2016 with the Enguídanos Lab on a palliative care study and then Wilber Lab in 2021.