Professor Monique Chaaya is Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the American University of Beirut's Faculty of Health Sciences. Her research focuses on aging, dementia, and the mental health of older adults and their caregivers. She has led NIH-funded and national studies that produced the first population-based estimates of dementia prevalence and incidence in Lebanon and the MENA region, while advancing research on caregiver burden and mental health. Her work has also supported the development of validated Arabic cognitive and mental health assessment tools, providing evidence to inform policies and interventions for older adults and their caregivers.