Tatiana Sadak, PhD, PMHNP, RN, FAAN

Tatiana Sadak

Professor

Deputy Dean

Dr. Tatiana Sadak assumed the role of Deputy Dean at the Yale School of Nursing in 2023. She brings a unique blend of research expertise, administrative skills, and a passion for curriculum innovation. With a focus on dementia research, Dr. Sadak is shaping a new generation of dementia-aware nurses who will play a pivotal role in providing accessible, dementia-capable healthcare both in the United States and worldwide.
 
Dr. Sadak’s research has centered on developing strategies to meet the needs of individuals living with dementia and their care partners. She has used research findings to revolutionize the nursing curriculum by incorporating dementia and eldercare knowledge into all aspects of education. Her work has gained international recognition and has profoundly impacted the lives of many.
 
One of Dr. Sadak’s notable achievements is the establishment and leadership of the Dementia Palliative Education Network (DPEN), which has become the gold standard for dementia education and training in nursing and related healthcare fields. DPEN also promotes antiracism and diversity within the healthcare profession.
 
Dr. Sadak’s expertise, accomplishments, and leadership have earned her various prestigious honors, including fellowship induction into the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America. She serves on the editorial board of the Frontiers in Dementia journal and holds a position on the board of directors of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. Her efforts have been supported by prestigious organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), various foundations, as well as state and legislative funding.
 
Apart from her research and educational initiatives, Dr. Sadak has held leadership positions on the Washington State Board of Nursing, the Dementia Action Collaborative, and a workgroup focused on identifying gaps in long-term care. This demonstrates her commitment to improving and shaping the future of dementia care. Overall, Dr. Sadak’s achievements highlight her impact in the nursing community and her dedication to enhancing the quality of dementia care through education and leadership. Additionally, Dr. Sadak has received multiple awards, including recognition as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar, a Cambia Health Foundation Sojourn’s Scholar, and a Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar.
Dr. Sadak earned her bachelor’s, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Washington, where she later held positions as faculty, director of undergraduate and graduate education, and associate dean for student and academic affairs. 
 
Nursing is a remarkable academic discipline that possesses a wide-ranging public presence. It holds the distinction of being America’s most trusted profession, owing to many factors. Dr. Sadak’s community service, teaching expertise, and administrative achievements attest to her recognition of the multifaceted responsibilities and opportunities that nursing entails. She fully comprehends and elevates the importance of nursing professionals being visible, dedicated to serving the public, and skillful communicators in promoting research, education, and community service within the field.

Research Interests

Dementia, elder care, care partner support, wellness, curriculum innovation

Selected Publications

Sadak, T., & Borson, S. (2023) Six Domains of Health: A Practical Approach to Identifying Priorities in Dementia Care. Frontiers in Dementia, 2, 1188953.

Mendez, K. J. W., Labrique, A. B., Budhathoki, C., Sadak, T., Tanner, E. K., Cotter, V. T., & Han, H. R. (2023). Use of mobile applications and health technologies among dementia caregivers with chronic conditions: A cross-sectional study. Digital Health, 9, 20552076231181213.

Hovsepian, V. E., Liu, J., Schlak, A. E., Sadak, T., Martsolf, G., Bilazarian, A., … & Poghosyan, L. (2023). Structural capabilities in primary care practices where nurse practitioners care for persons living with dementia. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 18(5), e12556.

Batie, D., Bruno, M., Chodosh, J., Felten, K., Sadak, T., …Zissimopoulous,J. (2023) Expanding the Use of Brief Cognitive Assessments to Detect Suspected Early-Stage Cognitive Impairment in Primary Care. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Dement. 2023 Apr 19. doi: 10.1002/alz.13051. [National expert consensus]

Webel, A., Sadak, T., Belza, B., Denison, P. (2023). At-Home Exercise Programming: Including Voices of People Living With Dementia and Their Care Partners When Designing Interventions. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(1), 2-4.

Hovsepian, V., Bilazarian, A., Schlak, A., Sadak, T. , Poghosyan, L. (2023) The Association between Primary Care Practices’ Structural Capabilities and Hospitalizations among Persons Living with Dementia. Journal of Applied Gerontology. e-published ahead of print, Feb 4, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231155444 [mentored Dr. Hovsepian, Columbia University, during the post-doc]

Vasquez, L., Schultz, M., Ishado, E., Borson, S., Sadak, T. (2022). Building a Dementia‐Capable Nursing Workforce. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 18, e068711. [Mentored Mrs. Vasquez, UW SoN BSN 2022 graduate]

Sadak, T., & Borson, S. (2022). The Art of Balance: Empowering Dementia Care Partners to Optimize Their Wellness, Resilience, and Health. Innovation in Aging, 6 (Supplement_1).

Zhou, Y., O’Hara, A., Ishado, E., Borson, S., Sadak, T. (2022) Developing a New Behavioral Framework for Dementia Care Partner Resilience: A Mixed Research Synthesis, The Gerontologist, Volume 62, Issue 4, May 2022, Pages e265–e281, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa218

Zhou, Y., Berridge, C., Hooyman, NR., Sadak, T., Morz, T., Phelan, E. (2022). Development of a behavioral framework for dementia care partners’ fall risk management. BMC Geriatrics 22 (975). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03620-4

Figuracion, CC., Halasz, L., Lam, NY., Goldberg, M., Stuckey,J.,  Failor,J.,  Knowles, L., Artherholt, S., Chou, B., Francis, C., Knight, K., Kaur, M., Sadak, T., McGranahan. T (2022) Surveillance of Long-Term Complications after Treatment of Adult Brain Tumor Survivors - review and evidence-based recommendations. Neuro-Oncology Practice. 9(12 Suppl 2). DOI: 10.1093/nop/npac053 [Expert consensus]

Hovsepian, V., Bilazarian, A., Schlak, A., Sadak, T. , Poghosyan, L. (2021). The Impact of Ambulatory Dementia Care Models on Hospitalization of Persons Living with Dementia (PLWD): A Systematic Review. Research on Aging. https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275211053239

Waligora Mendez, K., Budhathoki, C., Labrique, A., Sadak, T., Tanner, E., Han, H. (2021). Journal of Medical Internet Research. Factors Associated with Intention to Adopt mHealth Applications Among Dementia Caregivers with a Chronic Condition: A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study. 9(8):e27926. doi:10.2196/27926

Zaslavsky, O., Yu, O., Walker, R., Crane, P., Gray, S., Sadak T., Borson, S., Larson, E. (2021) Incident Dementia, Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Levels and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations in People Age 65 and Older with Diabetes. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. 76(11):2054-2061. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab119

Poghosyan, L., Brooks, J., Hovsepian, V., Pollifrone, M., & Sadak, T. (2021). The growing primary care nurse practitioner workforce: A solution for the aging population living with dementia. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 29(6):517-526 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2021.01.135

Zhou, Y., Sadak, T., Phelan, E., & Hooyman, N. (2020). A mixed-methods systematic review of informal caregivers’ experiences of fall risk among community-dwelling elders with dementia. Health & Social Care in the Community. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13148

Zhou, Y., O’Herra, A., Ishado, E., Borson, S., & Sadak, T. (2020). Developing a new behavioral framework for dementia care partner resilience (CP-R): A systematic review. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa218

Zhou, Y., Ishado, E., Borson, S., & Sadak, T. (2020). Developing a unifying model of resilience in dementia caregiving: A scoping review and content analysis. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464820923549

Borson, S., Sadak, T., Mobley, P., Fernstrom, K., Bingham P., & Britt, H. (2018). Measuring caregiver activation to identify coaching and support needs: Extending MYLOH to advanced chronic illness. PLOS ONE, 13(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205153