Talayeh Mirseyedhosseini is a PhD student and Graduate Fellow of DIHR in the City and Metropolitan Department at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on urban health, green space equity, and the development of planning interventions that promote the active participation of senior citizens in community life while enhancing their mental and cognitive well-being. Recently, Talayeh has been engaged in exploring nature-based mental health solutions for older adults as a member of the HARP Lab in the CMP Department. Her doctoral research examines social infrastructure and third places for older adults, with a particular emphasis on the influence of the built environment on cognitive health in aging populations.

Dr. Sarah Canham is an Associate Professor in the College of Social Work and the Associate Director of the University of Utah’s Health Interprofessional Education program. Her research focuses on community-based approaches to addressing homelessness, access to health and social services, and aging. She collaborates with a wide network of providers, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience to inform her work and drive meaningful change.

Nicole Porter, PhD, PGCHE, MARCH, BPD, FHEA, is the Chair of the Multi-Disciplinary Design Division (MDD) and Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on creating healthy, meaningful places that sustain ecological and cultural diversity through design. She works across various scales, geographies, and disciplines, leveraging her expertise and training in architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture. Central to her work are human-nature relationships that foster mutual health and flourishing. More recently, her interests have expanded to explore the relationship between mindfulness practices, such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and the spaces where these practices occur. She is trained in MBCT through the University of Oxford.