Dr. Frank Puga is an assistant professor in the Department of Acute, Chronic, and Continuing Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing. He received his Ph.D. in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin. His research program focuses on the stress and mental health profiles of older adults living with chronic illness and their care partners. Much of his work focuses on minoritized populations disproportionately impacted by dementia and cancer, including Hispanic and LGBTQ+ populations. Dr. Puga currently has R01 funding from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging to examine stress, resilience, cultural factors, and daily and long-term mental health patterns among Hispanic dementia care partners. The main goal of Dr. Puga’s work is to understand which individuals, under what circumstances, are more likely to shift from mild psychological distress to severe psychopathology. Ultimately this work will inform the development of resilience-based interventions that are culturally responsive and tailored to the unique needs of individuals living with chronic illness and their care partners. Dr. Puga is Mexican American and he is deeply committed to ensuring that underrepresented and underserved populations at greater risk for age-related disease are engaged in research.