Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson is an Assistant Professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from The University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007. She graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing in 2012 from Vanderbilt University, specializing as a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Bonds Johnson graduated with a PhD from Oregon Health & Science University in 2019. Most recently, she completed her postdoctoral training (or training after completing a PhD) at Emory University from 2019-2021. During her career trajectory, she has been funded through several mechanisms, including the National Institutes of Health, SAMHSA at American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program, and the Jonas Foundation as a Veterans Health Care Scholar. Dr. Bonds Johnson hopes to improve health outcomes for African American/Black American persons living with dementia and their families through the development of culturally tailored programs to help with navigating health care decisions for the person living with dementia.

When Dr. Bonds Johnson is not writing manuscripts or grants, she spends her time with her husband, Eric Johnson, and their dog, Tink. They celebrate their wedding anniversary in September. Dr. Bonds Johnson attributes her love for older adults and interest in dementia caregiving to her grandmother who raised her, Jessie Bonds. Dr. Bonds Johnson dedicates the work from this lab to her grandmother.

Contact:

Phone: (404)-727-5937

Email: kbonds@emory.edu

Hi! My name is Jordan Wurapa. I am a student at Emory University majoring in Sociology on the Premed track with a plan to attend medical school after graduation. I joined the DECIDE Research lab because my grandfather has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. I have seen firsthand the challenges he faced as well as my family.  Finding a way to support the individual, care partners, and support system can create a better quality of life for everyone and minimize the tension experienced with this stressful diagnosis. I love working with Dr. Johnson because her passion for this topic shines through the research. I am excited to see the growth of this study over the next few years.

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Coming Soon

Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson encourages participants to use their “consumer power” as research participants

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The DECIDE Research Lab has two active projects.

DECIDE: Providers

This project is funded by the Emory University’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The purpose of this project is to examine how health care providers and staff assist families of African American persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias navigate health care decision making. Providers can include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants. Staff includes nurse, social workers, and medical assistants. For those interested in participating, please complete the survey.

Providers Survey

• Should be completed by either the provider or staff member
• Should take no more than 5 minutes to complete

Take the Providers Survey

DECIDE: Dyads and Families

The second project is entitled DECIDE: Dyads and Families. This project is funded by the National Institute on Aging (K23AG0735160). The purpose of this project is to understand how care partners and families of African American persons living with memory loss make health care decisions. This project is open to adult daughters and their parents with memory loss as well as adult daughters who no longer provide direct care to a parent living with dementia. For those interested in participating, please complete the survey.

• Can be completed by the adult daughter or parent with memory loss
• Should take no more than 5 minutes to complete

Take the Dyads and Families Survey

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