Dr. Fawn Cothran is the Hunt Research Director at the National Alliance for Caregiving. Dr. Cothran is a nurse scientist, and a board-certified gerontological clinical nurse specialist. Prior to joining the National Alliance for Caregiving, Dr. Cothran was a faculty member with the Family Caregiving Institute in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis and Rush University, College of Nursing in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Cothran brings 15+ years of experience in dementia family caregiving research and related activities where her work has focused on health equity and the health of African American dementia family caregivers, including most recently caregiving stress and resilience. Dr. Cothran will help elevate national family caregiving research by designing and managing NAC research initiatives, including Caregiving in the US 2025.
Dr. Cothran’s prior work as Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia project lead for an HRSA funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, and experience as Co-lead of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, translate to leading a peer-to-peer network of national and international experts, and representing NAC in public meetings and professional research forums.
Dr. Cothran earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She completed a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Gerontological Nursing and a Doctor of Philosophy, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She also completed a Claire M. Fagin Post-Doctoral Fellowship with the National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, a member of the National Black Nurses Association, and a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing Education.
Hunt Research Director
