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Join us for our 2026 Symposium at CSUSM, June 4th-5th!

The Symposium is a unique and interactive multidisciplinary conference designed to highlight the latest in academic palliative care research, teaching, and practice. It is the only event of its kind in the country designed for university faculty, practitioners, and researchers focused on advancing palliative care.

The annual conference features a dynamic agenda of plenary, panel, and breakout sessions highlighting how to incorporate palliative care concepts into research, courses, and experiences at all educational levels.

Since 2014, over 1,200 professionals from universities, academic medical centers, healthcare systems, health plans, hospices and community hospitals have attended the annual conference.

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The 2026 National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education & Research theme:

Design by: Carolyn Yonda, MS

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The 2026 Symposium is Coming

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Ann Berger MD, MSN

Ann Berger MD, MSN

Expert Private Consultant
Senior Volunteer Clinical Advisor, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Advisor, CareYaya Health Technologies

Dr. Ann Berger completed her undergraduate degree with a B.S. in nursing from New York University, which was then followed by receiving a MSN in Oncology Nursing from University of Pennsylvania. After working as an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist for several years, Dr. Berger completed her medical training at Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. Following medical school, Dr. Berger completed an internship and residency at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and a Fellowship in medical oncology and pain/palliative care at Yale University in Connecticut. Dr. Berger has had over 30 years of experience in pain and palliative care. Most recently she was chief of pain and palliative care at National Institutes of Health, clinical center where she had patient care, education, administrative, and research responsibilities. Dr. Berger has also been cochair of the National Institutes of Health clinical center wellness initiative for health care professionals and support staff. She was also intramural advisor for several scientific interest groups including the resilience sig, psychedelic sig and religion and spirituality sig. Dr. Berger has lectured nationally and internationally. Dr. Berger’s research involved developing ways to measure psychosocial spiritual healing. Her other area of research has been the use of integrative modalities for wellness for health care professionals and others such as teachers. She has also published extensively (articles, chapters and books) in the field of pain and palliative care and wellness for health care providers. Currently, Dr. Berger is a consultant in pain, palliative care and well being.

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE

Professor and Nursing Department Chair at CSU Monterey Bay

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE is a Professor and Nursing Department Chair at CSU Monterey Bay. She serves as CSUMB's Faculty Director for the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care and contributed to the development of the Palliative Care Faculty Toolkit. She has taught in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs for the past 14 years. Her area of research is in bereavement support for families who lost a loved one in the adult ICU.

George Fitchett, DMin, PhD

George Fitchett, DMin, PhD

Professor, Former Director of Research
Department of Religion, Health and Human Values
Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Illinois

George Fitchett, D.Min., Ph.D. is Professor and former Director of Research in the Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago Illinois. With training in both healthcare chaplaincy and epidemiology, he is one of the U.S.’s leading chaplain-researchers. In 1990 he developed the research program in Rush’s Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values. It was one of the first such programs in any chaplaincy department and has become a model for the field. He is the former Director of Transforming Chaplaincy, whose mission is to promote evidence-based spiritual care. In 2019 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University for Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Transforming Chaplaincy: The George Fitchett Reader, a collection of his research, was published in the Fall, 2021.

Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAP

Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAP

Associate Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics
Program Director, UCSD-Scripps Health Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Equity Lead, Jacobs Center for Health Innovation PI, Powermom

Dr. Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAPP is an Associate Physician in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine and in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego. She serves as the Program Director of the joint UC San Diego & Scripps Health Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship and the Digital Health Equity Lead in the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation. She is the PI of the PowerMom research study. She works clinically at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego as a hospitalist focusing on newborn care and as a pediatric palliative medicine physician, and at UC San Diego Health where she is an adult palliative medicine consultant. Elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in June 2022, Dr. Ajayi is also chair of the California Medical Association (CMA) Council on Medical Services and immediate-past president of the San Diego County Medical Society, where she was the first black woman president in the organization’s 152-year history.

Melinda S. Kavanaugh, PhD, LCSW

Melinda S. Kavanaugh, PhD, LCSW

Professor, Social Work
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare
Center Scientist, Center on Aging and Translational Research
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Dr. Kavanaugh is a professor of social work and licensed clinical social worker with expertise in multidisciplinary health settings addressing neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD). Funded by federal and non-profit organizations her research is informed by her clinical experience as a medical social worker. She is an international leader in translational and applied research and program development for children and youth caregivers “young carers”, in families with ALS/MND. Dr. Kavanaugh has created evidence-based interventions for young carers targeting caregiving education and skill, sleep, and quality of life across diverse care populations. Dr. Kavanaugh is also the president of Global Neuro YCare, an international non-profit, focused on developing programs and supports for children, youth and families in neurological disorders in underserved areas. Using her research and clinical expertise, Dr. Kavanaugh has written several books for parents, children, and schools, translated into 8 languages, and created the multidisciplinary YCare program, youth caregiving, support and education program implemented across the United States and South Africa.

Ann Berger MD, MSN

Ann Berger MD, MSN

Expert Private Consultant
Senior Volunteer Clinical Advisor, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Advisor, CareYaya Health Technologies

Dr. Ann Berger completed her undergraduate degree with a B.S. in nursing from New York University, which was then followed by receiving a MSN in Oncology Nursing from University of Pennsylvania. After working as an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist for several years, Dr. Berger completed her medical training at Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. Following medical school, Dr. Berger completed an internship and residency at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and a Fellowship in medical oncology and pain/palliative care at Yale University in Connecticut. Dr. Berger has had over 30 years of experience in pain and palliative care. Most recently she was chief of pain and palliative care at National Institutes of Health, clinical center where she had patient care, education, administrative, and research responsibilities. Dr. Berger has also been cochair of the National Institutes of Health clinical center wellness initiative for health care professionals and support staff. She was also intramural advisor for several scientific interest groups including the resilience sig, psychedelic sig and religion and spirituality sig. Dr. Berger has lectured nationally and internationally. Dr. Berger’s research involved developing ways to measure psychosocial spiritual healing. Her other area of research has been the use of integrative modalities for wellness for health care professionals and others such as teachers. She has also published extensively (articles, chapters and books) in the field of pain and palliative care and wellness for health care providers. Currently, Dr. Berger is a consultant in pain, palliative care and well being.

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE

Professor and Nursing Department Chair at CSU Monterey Bay

Alyssa Erikson, RN, PhD, CNE is a Professor and Nursing Department Chair at CSU Monterey Bay. She serves as CSUMB's Faculty Director for the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care and contributed to the development of the Palliative Care Faculty Toolkit. She has taught in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs for the past 14 years. Her area of research is in bereavement support for families who lost a loved one in the adult ICU.

George Fitchett, DMin, PhD

George Fitchett, DMin, PhD

Professor, Former Director of Research
Department of Religion, Health and Human Values
Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Illinois

George Fitchett, D.Min., Ph.D. is Professor and former Director of Research in the Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago Illinois. With training in both healthcare chaplaincy and epidemiology, he is one of the U.S.’s leading chaplain-researchers. In 1990 he developed the research program in Rush’s Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values. It was one of the first such programs in any chaplaincy department and has become a model for the field. He is the former Director of Transforming Chaplaincy, whose mission is to promote evidence-based spiritual care. In 2019 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University for Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Transforming Chaplaincy: The George Fitchett Reader, a collection of his research, was published in the Fall, 2021.

Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAP

Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAP

Associate Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics
Program Director, UCSD-Scripps Health Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Equity Lead, Jacobs Center for Health Innovation PI, Powermom

Dr. Tolúwalàsé (Lasé) A. Ajayi, MD, FAAPP is an Associate Physician in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Medicine and in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego. She serves as the Program Director of the joint UC San Diego & Scripps Health Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship and the Digital Health Equity Lead in the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation. She is the PI of the PowerMom research study. She works clinically at Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego as a hospitalist focusing on newborn care and as a pediatric palliative medicine physician, and at UC San Diego Health where she is an adult palliative medicine consultant. Elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in June 2022, Dr. Ajayi is also chair of the California Medical Association (CMA) Council on Medical Services and immediate-past president of the San Diego County Medical Society, where she was the first black woman president in the organization’s 152-year history.

Melinda S. Kavanaugh, PhD, LCSW

Melinda S. Kavanaugh, PhD, LCSW

Professor, Social Work
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare
Center Scientist, Center on Aging and Translational Research
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Dr. Kavanaugh is a professor of social work and licensed clinical social worker with expertise in multidisciplinary health settings addressing neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD). Funded by federal and non-profit organizations her research is informed by her clinical experience as a medical social worker. She is an international leader in translational and applied research and program development for children and youth caregivers “young carers”, in families with ALS/MND. Dr. Kavanaugh has created evidence-based interventions for young carers targeting caregiving education and skill, sleep, and quality of life across diverse care populations. Dr. Kavanaugh is also the president of Global Neuro YCare, an international non-profit, focused on developing programs and supports for children, youth and families in neurological disorders in underserved areas. Using her research and clinical expertise, Dr. Kavanaugh has written several books for parents, children, and schools, translated into 8 languages, and created the multidisciplinary YCare program, youth caregiving, support and education program implemented across the United States and South Africa.

Ann Berger MD, MSN

Ann Berger MD, MSN

Expert Private Consultant
Senior Volunteer Clinical Advisor, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Advisor, CareYaya Health Technologies

Dr. Ann Berger completed her undergraduate degree with a B.S. in nursing from New York University, which was then followed by receiving a MSN in Oncology Nursing from University of Pennsylvania. After working as an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist for several years, Dr. Berger completed her medical training at Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio. Following medical school, Dr. Berger completed an internship and residency at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and a Fellowship in medical oncology and pain/palliative care at Yale University in Connecticut. Dr. Berger has had over 30 years of experience in pain and palliative care. Most recently she was chief of pain and palliative care at National Institutes of Health, clinical center where she had patient care, education, administrative, and research responsibilities. Dr. Berger has also been cochair of the National Institutes of Health clinical center wellness initiative for health care professionals and support staff. She was also intramural advisor for several scientific interest groups including the resilience sig, psychedelic sig and religion and spirituality sig. Dr. Berger has lectured nationally and internationally. Dr. Berger’s research involved developing ways to measure psychosocial spiritual healing. Her other area of research has been the use of integrative modalities for wellness for health care professionals and others such as teachers. She has also published extensively (articles, chapters and books) in the field of pain and palliative care and wellness for health care providers. Currently, Dr. Berger is a consultant in pain, palliative care and well being.

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