About Us
The ASCENT Consortium includes principal investigators from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Duke University School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and 40 key personnel from more than 20 institutions, representing the interdisciplinary approach that is integral to palliative care.
Read the press release and click on the video below to learn more about this palliative care research consortium.
ASCENT Consortium Mission, Vision and Values
Mission
The mission of the Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan (ASCENT) Consortium is to develop and support a nationwide interdisciplinary palliative care scientific community who will perform important and innovative hospice and palliative care research to improve care for persons with serious illness across the lifespan and those who care for them.
The ASCENT Consortium will achieve this mission by:
- Developing a national scientific infrastructure and community;
- Funding and supporting the generation of new knowledge and research methodologies;
- Expanding the hospice and palliative care scientific community; and
- Disseminating research findings and resources across multiple key audiences.
Vision
Every person living with serious illness across the lifespan, and those who care for them, will have access to high-quality, evidence-based palliative care.
Values
- Compassion: We uphold the dignity and humanity of individuals living with serious illness and those who care for them, centering empathy and respect in our research and collaborations.
- Scientific Rigor: We are committed to the highest standards of research excellence, innovation, and methodological integrity in the advancement of hospice and palliative care science.
- Collaboration: We value interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations and partnerships, recognizing that advancing the science of palliative care requires wide-ranging expertise and shared purpose.
- Impact: We strive to generate meaningful, measurable improvements in the care of seriously ill individuals through actionable, person- and family-centered research.
- Integrity: We operate with transparency, accountability, and ethical responsibility in all aspects of our work.
- Responsiveness: We remain attentive and adaptive to emerging needs, evidence, policies, and priorities in the field of serious illness care.
Research Cores
The ASCENT Consortium consists of seven cores who will guide activities to reach the Consortium’s aims and objectives.
- Leadership and Administrative (LAC)
- Research Education (REC)
- Pilot and Exploratory Studies (Pilot)
- Research Design and Methodology (Design)
- Measures and Measurement Development (Measurement)
- Health Disparities Research and Community Engagement (Engagement)
- Population-Based Data (PBD)
Leadership
The ASCENT Consortium is led by five multiple principal investigators, who bring expertise in palliative care across the lifespan.
Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH
Distinguished Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer of UCHealth
Melissa Aldridge, PhD, MBA
Hermann Merkin Professor of Palliative Care and Vice-Chair for Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ab Brody, PhD, RN, FAAN
Assistant Dean for Transformational Excellence in Aging, Mathy Mezey Professor of Geriatric Nursing, Professor of Medicine, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing
Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH
Division Chief of General Pediatrics, Director of Research for the Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, David Cornfeld Endowed Chair in Pediatrics
Kimberly Johnson, MD
Brenda E. Armstrong Distinguished Professor, Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical School, Member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Senior Fellow in the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
National Institute on Aging Program Officials
Alexis Bakos, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN
Health Scientist Administrator
Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology
National Institute on Aging
Elena Fazio, PhD
Director, Office of AD/ADRD Strategic Coordination and Program Official
Division of Behavioral and Social Research
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health Project Scientists
Chandra Keller, EdD, MPH, MPP
Chief of Staff & Health Scientist Administrator
Division of Behavioral and Social Research
National Institute on Aging
Brennan Parmelee Streck, PhD, RN, MPH
Program Director
Division of Cancer Prevention
National Cancer Institute
Sandra A. Mitchell, PhD, CRNP, FAAN
Senior Scientist and Program Director
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
Karen A. Kehl, PhD, RN, FPCN
Chief, Systems and Models of Care
Division of Extramural Science Programs
National Institute of Nursing Research
Liz Necka (Lyons), PhD
Chief, Behavioral Science and Neuroscience of Mental Disorders and Aging Programs
Associate Director of Life Course and Aging Research
Division of Translational Research
National Institute of Mental Health
Rebecca Hommer, MD
Program Director
Division of Clinical Research
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Tammara Jenkins, MSN, RN, PCNS-BC, FCCM
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development