Fellows

María P. Aranda, PhD

Inducted in 2024

Bio

María P. Aranda is the Margaret W. Driscoll/Louise M. Clevenger Professor in Social Policy and Administration and Executive Director of the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the University of Southern California. Dr. Aranda specializes in the area of medical and psychiatric comorbidity in adult and older adult populations specifically in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, psychosocial interventions for individuals and family care partners, and health disparities. She has extensive experience in randomized trials, qualitative methods, large-scale epidemiological research, and research engagement. Dr. Aranda has served as PI/Co-PI on several key studies/projects funded by the National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Southern California-CTSI, The John A. Hartford Foundation/The Gerontological Society of America, National Institute of Rehabilitation and Research, the Alzheimer’s Association/Health Resources and Services Administration, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Partners in Care Foundation, the California Community Foundation, and the State of California Department of Public Health AD Programs. Dr. Aranda has served on several consensus committees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and received the 2022 James Jackson Mentoring Award in Minority Aging. Dr. Aranda is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, and serves on the NIH Director’s NExTRAC Working Group on Engaging the Public as Partners in Clinical Research.  She received her MSW and PhD from the University of Southern California, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. 

Education

PhD