Debra Parker Oliver

Debra Parker Oliver is the Ira Kodner Professor of Research in Supportive Care at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. She has a Masters degree in Social Work and a PhD in Rural Sociology. She led hospice programs for a total of more than 20 years. After getting her doctorate she continued her commitment to the improvement of hospice care through research with more than 200 peer-reviewed articles related to palliative and hospice care.

Despite her expertise in working with the terminally ill and their family, she found herself ill prepared for her personal journey with her husband David. Determined to share their experience with the world, the Oliver’s filmed 28 YouTube videos on their cancer experience. An international speaker on issues related to Caregiving and End of Life Care she seeks to improve the dying experience.