Laura Block, BS, BSN, RN

Laura Block is a PhD Student in Nursing with a research focus on long-term care and cognitive aging among older adults with serious mental illness (SMI), and is advised by Dr. Tonya Roberts. Ms. Block’s pursuit of advanced training in nursing and dementia-focused research is driven by personal and professional experiences caring for people with dementia. Her role as a Registered Nurse (RN) in a Skilled Nursing environment, with added pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic, has deepened her commitment to dementia-focused research in post-acute and long-term settings of care, and the cognitive aging experience and associated care needs of people with SMI. Ms. Block also works as a Project Assistant for Dr. Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi of the School of Nursing, supporting a wide array of research studies focused on promoting effective and equitable care and research for persons living with and at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).