Dio Kavalieratos

Dio Kavalieratos

Discipline: Researcher
Funding awarded to: Emory University

Developing Equitable End-of-Life Care to Address Social and Structural Determinants of Health among People with Heart Failure (HF)

The purpose of this project is to 1) identify components of serious illness care that address the self-identified needs of adults living with HF who are also experiencing poverty and/or inadequate social support, and 2) understand how existing policies and programs disenfranchise individuals experiencing poverty and/or inadequate social support from obtaining goal-concordant, high-quality serious illness care.

“The question driving my early career has been: How can palliative care be delivered to support the needs of individuals with non-cancer serious illness? Today, as a more established scientist and emerging leader in palliative care research, I recognize that my science, and the field at large, cannot advance without revisiting that question on a fundamental level, focusing on equity. I am committed to enhancing my skills as a researcher to ensure that palliative care services reflect the experiences of all people with serious illness, not just those with privilege or resources, and as a leader to translate science into actionable policy. I will also use my experience as a PhD researcher in the field to mentor and support others driven to answer similar questions.”