Black in Gerontology & Geriatrics (BIGG), also known as Black in Aging, was founded to address disparities and barriers in aging research, education, and practice for Black professionals worldwide. The organization centers its mission around three core pillars: community, advocacy, and accountability.
We collaborate with groups and organizations to foster inclusive environments and offer social support for attracting and retaining Black individuals in the aging field.
We provide guidance and professional development opportunities to BIGGs. We also offer support and guidance to people interested in working with aging Black communities
We engage with communities to achieve sustainable outcomes, equitable decision-making processes, and deepen relationships and trust between the field of aging and communities
We are stronger together. We recognize the importance of connecting with ally partners (those who do not identify as BIGG but support our mission) to determine strategies and opportunities to work together to reduce barriers to growth and advancements in organizations and spaces.
Founder and CEO
Director of Community Engagement
Director of Special Programs
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Founder and CEO.
Dr. Darlingtina Esiaka is the principal investigator and director of Health and Aging from Multicultural Perspectives Lab (HAMPLAB). Her research interests revolve around two major themes. One focuses on the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in Black communities. She studies structural and social determinants of ADRD. The second focuses on the early detection of cancer. She studies psychosocial factors that predict fatal stage cancer diagnosis in Black population.
Her research has received funding from NIH/NIA, the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD), and the New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF). She has received over 20 awards, scholarships, and fellowships, including the prestigious Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett Woman Mentoring Women Award from the Emily Taylor Centre for Women and Gender Equity, the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) ‘s Diversity, Mentoring, Career Development and Technical Assistance Fellowship, and the Louise Julie Doehring’s Excellence in Gerontology Award.
Director of Community Engagement
Dr Candi Nwakasi, is an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences at Providence College, RI. He was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Southern Indiana School of Nursing and Health Professions, where he worked on dementia workforce improvement.
With a PhD in Social Gerontology and MS in Public Health, Candi’s research is broadly focused on understanding and examining several factors that influence the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged people as they age. His interests include cancer survivorship in disadvantaged populations, cognitive decline, dementia, and caregiving, and health care and support access in older and disadvantaged populations.
He has received multiple funding for his work and his latest grant is from NIH, through the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (RI-INBRE), to evaluate cancer survivorship in Blacks and Latinx in Rhode Island. Candi hopes to use his work to inform tailored, culturally relevant care and interventions for disadvantaged population groups.
Director of Special Programs
Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson is an Assistant Professor on the tenure track at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Bonds Johnson graduated with a PhD from Oregon Health & Science University in 2019.
During her PhD program, she was funded through several mechanisms, including the SAMHSA at American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program and the Jonas Foundation as a Veterans Healthcare Scholar. In her postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University, she is advancing this line of inquiry to focus on the decision-making process regarding health care for African American persons living with dementia and how these decision-making processes affect the quality of life of African American persons living with dementia and their families.
Dr. Bonds Johnson hopes to improve health outcomes from African American persons living with dementia and their families through clinical interventions and/or theoretical developments.
