Dr. Rene P. Laje has a Ph.D. in Social Work from Fordham University and an M.A. in Gerontology from University of Northern Colorado. Prior to developing the Center for Caregivers, Dr. Laje worked as both the Director of Social Work and as a Research Associate at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington (Charles E. Smith Life Communities) and the New York City’s Department for the Aging with a focus on older adults and their caregivers. She has written and co-authored several presentations and articles on the needs of seniors and their caregivers. In addition, Dr. Laje worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute / Columbia University in the Smoking Cessation Clinic and wrote and co-authored articles on smoking cessation and relapse prevention. Dr. Laje also received training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington.