A family physician with broad clinical experience in private and academic settings, she is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has expanded her skills by completing both Stanford University's "Geriatrics in Primary Care" and Morehouse School of Medicine Faculty Development Programs. Dr. Parker received a National Institute of Health (NIH) Minority Supplement award to study dementia in ethnic persons in the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). Dr. Parker has had an integral role in leading research projects to test caregiver education programs that have been supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Alzheimer's Association.