Gary W. Small, M.D., Director

Gary Small, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, is the Director of the UCLA Center on Aging and one of the world's leading physician/scientists in the fields of memory and longevity. He has developed breakthrough brain-imaging technology that allows physicians to detect brain aging and Alzheimer's disease years before patients show symptoms.

Dr. Small has authored over 500 scientific publications, received numerous awards, written three popular books (The Memory Bible, The Memory Prescription, and The Longevity Bible), and was named one of the world's top innovators in science and technology by Scientific American Magazine. Dr. Small's research has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Time and Newsweek magazines and he appears frequently on numerous national television shows, including NBC's TODAY Show, ABC's 20/20, and Good Morning America.

Fernando Torres-Gil, Ph.D., Associate Director

The appointment of Fernando Torres-Gil currently acting dean of the UCLA School of Public Affairs — to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has been confirmed. Dr.Torres-Gil, also a professor of social welfare and public policy at the School of Public Affairs, is one of six new commission members appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and confirmed Sept. 6 by the Los Angeles City Council.

The six new members of the seven-member commission will oversee Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Ontario International Airport, and the Van Nuys and Palmdale airports. Professor Torres-Gil's focus of study is health and long-term care, the politics of aging, social policy, ethnicity, and disability. He is the author of four books and more than 70 articles and book chapters.

His honors include election in 1985 as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the National Academy of Public Administration in 1995. In addition, Professor Torres-Gil has served as Assistant Secretary for Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this capacity, he managed the Administration on Aging and was responsible for organizing the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.

Helen Berman, Senior Advisor to the Director

Helen Berman served as Executive Administrator from 1997 to 2007. In this capacity, she oversaw the Center on Aging programs as well as provided support to the Board of Directors and its committees. Currently, she is working part-time with responsibility for the Board of Directors and the Annual ICON Award.

Karen Rushfield, Education Coordinator

As Education Coordinator, Karen Rushfield manages the Center's education programs for the campus and community. These programs include Senior Scholars, which invites adults aged 50+ to audit undergraduate courses at UCLA; the Retired Educators Mentor Program, which pairs retired educators with new teachers; the Annual Research conference; Aging and Technology Conference; and community meetings on topics of interest to older adults.

Karen Rushfield previously worked in the field of adult education and has also been involved in volunteer management. She is an enthusiastic theatergoer and an avid reader.

Iris Portillo, Administrative Assistant

As the Center's Administrative Assistant, Iris Portillo's responsibilities include handling inquiries regarding the Center's activities; administering Pilot Research Grants, which offer funds to launch new research projects on aging; overseeing the production of the Senior Resource Directory, a comprehensive listing of services for older adults and caregivers in West Los Angeles and Santa Monica; and managing memberships and tributes.

She previously worked at the WorkSource California Resource Center, a statewide system of regional resource centers that helps low income adults find better jobs.

Tania Perez, Administrative Assistant

Tanis Perez's responsibilities include coordinating Memory Training, a five-week program which is designed for people with age-related memory concerns who wish to improve or maintain their memory ability. Ms. Perez recruits and provides support to volunteer memory trainers who implement the program. Also, she helps identify local venues for conducting the program.

Ms. Perez graduated from UCLA in December 2007 with a Sociology and minor in Chicana/o Studies.