Palliative Care Education in Assisted Living (PCEAL) Lab

Research Team

Debra Dobbs, PhD

Dr. Debra Dobbs - Principal Investigator

Dr. Dobbs has research interests in palliative, hospice and end-of-life care, and palliative care education in assisted living with a specific focus on providers of persons living with dementia. As the Director of the Center for Hospice, Palliative and End-of-Life Studies, she has research partnerships with hospice organizations in Florida. Dr. Dobbs is also involved in disaster preparedness research and music and mindfulness studies in assisted living and other community-based settings for persons living with dementia and their caregivers.


Dr. Lindsay Peterson

Dr. Lindsay Peterson - Co-Investigator 
Dr. Peterson


Hangdao Meng

Dr. Hongdao Meng - Biostatistician 

Dr. Meng’s research focuses on examining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of integrative health interventions to improve outcomes among middle-aged and older adults in the community. His interdisciplinary training in medicine, public health, and health economics enables him to tackle research questions centered around the issue of how to achieve health in mind, body, and spirit over the life course. 


William Haley, PhD

Dr. William Haley - Intervention and Fidelity Treatment  

Dr. Haley’s research focuses on stress, coping, and adaptation in older adults and their family members. Most of his research has examined the experiences of family caregivers who often face potentially overwhelming chronic strain. 


Maureen Templeman

Ms. Jessica Yauk - Data Programmer and Analyst
Jessica is a doctoral candidate in the School of Aging Studies responsible for IRB preparations, recruitment of ALs, the consent process, and data management and entry. 


Cassidy Doyle, 

Girish Hemrajani

Ms. Rosa Diaz -webmaster
Rosa Diaz is a Fiscal & Business Analyst for the School of Aging Studies responsible for design of web content for the online modules of PCEAL. Ms. Diaz also assists with tracking the usage of online modules for the intervention.  

Past Affiliated Members 

Dr. Carlyn Vogel, University of South Florida

Dr. Dany Fanfan, University of Florida, College of Nursing 

Dr. Harleah Buck - Fidelity monitor, University of Iowa College of Nursing 

Dr. Susan McMillan, Measurement Expert, USF College of Nursing  

Dr. Kathryn Hyer - Fidelity Monitor, Past Professor and Director of Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging 

Laura Hanson, MD - Consultant, Palliative Care Specialist, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill College of Medicine  

Dr. Katherine Lin - Research Study Nurse, USF College of Medicine 

Dr. Maureen Templeman - Data entry lead, Missouri State University, Gerontology Program