Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN

Professor

Karen and Ron Hermann Endowed Chair in Caregiver Research

Currently seeking Ph.D. students

Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, has been named the inaugural Karen and Ron Hermann Endowed Chair in Caregiver Research within the School of Nursing. Dr. Epps is an accomplished nurse scholar, brings a wealth of expertise and experience in caregiving, strongly focusing on improving the quality of life for families affected by dementia. She comes to UT Health San Antonio as an associate professor, tenured, from the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, where she has been on faculty since August 2019. She is also a current Fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Program for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. She earned her doctoral degree in nursing from Southern University and A&M College and completed her post-doctoral fellowship with the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, showcasing her dedication to academic excellence. Epps also holds a Master's of Science degree in Nursing specializing in Health Care Systems Management from Loyola University New Orleans and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Tuskegee University. Her primary career goal as a nurse scholar is to enhance the quality of life for families affected by dementia through a combination of research, education, and service. Dr. Epps specializes in evidence-based practices that promote a higher quality of life for African Americans with dementia and their family caregivers. Her research is particularly focused on exploring how religious activities and spiritual connectedness can foster meaningful engagement among persons with dementia. She oversees several faith-based and psychoeducation research projects, including Faith-HAT, Dementia-Friendly Congregations, and Caregiveing while Black. These projects have received sponsorship from federal and private funding agencies.

Dr. Epps' commitment to enhancing the lives of those affected by dementia extends beyond academia. She is the founder of the only nurse-led dementia-friendly congregation program, Alter. Through this program, Dr. Epps and her interdisciplinary team collaborate with African American faith communities, equipping them with the necessary tools and resources to support families facing dementia. “The prospect of shaping the future of the science of caregiving and inspiring the next generation of nurse researchers fills me with boundless excitement and passion,” said Dr. Epps. “I look forward to contributing to the university's academic legacy and the growth and success of the students and community while furthering the mission of UT Health San Antonio and the School of Nursing.” "With her extensive knowledge and experience in caregiving, Dr. Epps is set to make a significant impact in her role as the Karen and Ron Hermann Endowed Chair in Caregiver Research,” said Dean Hardin. “Her expertise in caregiver well-being, health disparities, neurocognitive diseases, Alzheimer's, and her dedication to vulnerable populations and gerontology and elder health make her a vital asset to our UT Health San Antonio community.”

Professional Background
Education
- 2012 - PhD - Nursing - Southern University and A&M College
- 2003 - MSN - Health Care Systems - Loyola University New Orleans
- 2000 - BSN - Nursing - Tuskegee Unversity
Highlights
Licensure and Certifications
- RN, Georgia
HONORS AND AWARDS
- 2023 Kay Hind Change Agent Award, Georgia Gerontology Society
- 2023 Leader in Dementia Care Award, James M. Dixon Foundation
Appointments
- 2024 - Present - Professor - UT Health San Antonio
- 2019 - 2023 - Associate Professor - Emory University, School of Nursing
- 2016 - 2019 - Assistant Professor - Georgia State University
Instruction & Training
- 2023, NRSG 733 Health Risk Interventions and Outcomes, Emory Unversity
- 2023, PY 619 42 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Research and the Workplace, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- 2022, NRSG 322 Health Promotion and Wellness, Emory University
- 2021, NRSG 705 Endogenous & Exogenous Determinants of Human Health
- 2022, NURS 712 Advanced Nursing Research, Southern University and A&M College
Research & Grants

Grants

GRANTS AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Currently Funded:

Research Grants Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

2023 - 2025 Caregiving while Black-LIVE: Empowering Black Dementia Caregivers to Navigate Care (Epps/Clevenger) National Institute on Aging (1R21AG083366) Role: MPI, 10% Effort Total Costs: $433,523

2023- 2028 Caregiver as Navigator-Developing Skills Online (CAN-DO): Developing Dementia Family Caregiver Mastery for Navigating Complex Health, Social Service, Legal, Financial, and Family Systems (Clevenger/Hepburn) National Institute on Aging (1R01AG082833) Role: Co-I, 10% Effort Total costs: $3,518,541

Research Grants Funded by other agencies

2022 - 2025 Caregiving while Black: Optimizing Outcomes for Black Dementia Caregivers (Epps) UC Davis, Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators (66515) Role: PI, 20% (Y1); 35%(Y2, Y3) Effort Total costs: $500,000

2022 - 2025 The Integrated Memory Care in Community (Clevenger) American Nurses Foundation (66098) Role: Co-I, 15% Effort Total costs: $1,499,851

Pending Submissions: (under review)

2023 - 2029 Tele-Savvy@Home: An Interactive Asynchronous Online Psychoeducation Program for Dementia Family Caregivers (Epps/Clevenger) Role: MPI National Institute on Aging Requested total costs: $ 3,875,480

Completed Research/Projects:

2023 - 2024 Promoting Health Equity in Parkinson's Care for Black Families through Faith-Based Partnerships (Epps) Parkinson’s Foundation (PF-CG-1049293) Role: PI, 0% Effort Total costs: $6,000

2021 - 2023 Assessing a new measure of community level dementia friendliness (Moore/Bender) Alzheimer’s Association (ACROM-22-882653) Role: Co-I, 5% Effort Total costs: $249,998
Service
School
STUDENT MENTEES/TRAINEES

Postdoctoral and Faculty Mentoring
- 2022-2023 Onome Henry Osokpo, PhD, MSc., MSN, RN University of Pennsylvania Culturally concordant interventions to advance health equity among vulnerable and marginalized populations
Institutional
Service to the Institutions:

Emory University Service
- 2021-Present Emory Primary Care Consortium Grants Committee
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Service, Emory University
- 2022-Present PhD Admissions Committee
- 2022-Present Community & Research Engagement for the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Office
- 2019-Present Graduate PhD Faculty Committee
University of Minnesota
- 2021-Present Leadership Core
- 2021-Present Health Equity Task Force
Service to the Profession
Service to the Profession:

Editorial Board Member
- 2023-Present The Gerontologist
- 2022-2025 Journal of Gerontological Nursing
- 2021-2024 Journal of Applied Gerontology
Manuscript Reviewer
- 2022-Present Family and Community Health
- 2022-Present Community Heal Equity Research and Policy
- 2021-Present Journal of Women and Aging
- 2020-Present Association of Black Nursing Faculty Journal
- 2020-Present Journal of Religion and Health
Professional Affiliations (memberships)
- 2023-Present Religion Research Association
- 2021-Present American Academy of Nursing
Community
Community Service:
- 2024-2026 Respite for All Foundation Board of Directors
- 2022 Public Health and Faith BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving
- 2022 Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illnesses: A Workshop National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- 2022 Perspectives from Health Researchers in Advancing Health Equity in Diverse Communities National Hispanic Council on Aging and the Diverse Elders Coalition
Publications

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Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN

Professional Background

Education

Highlights

Appointments

Instruction & Training

Research & Grants

Grants

Service

School

Institutional

Service to the Profession

Community

Publications