James W. Pennebaker is a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He wrote Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions and Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering From Trauma and Emotional Upheaval.

Debra Kaysen is a clinical psychologist and a professor with the department of psychiatry at Stanford University. Kaysen studies trauma-related disorders. Send interview requests to Lisa Kim.

Sally Karioth is a faculty member of the Florida State University College of Nursing. She teaches one of the university’s most popular courses, called ”Death, the Individual and the Family.”

Emily Smith-Greenaway is an associate professor of sociology and spatial sciences at the University of Southern California. Smith-Greenaway authored a research article called “Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States.”

David Kessler is an expert on grief and loss. He is an author and wrote Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief.

Imam Saad Jalloh is the spiritual leader of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York. Throughout the pandemic, he has offered support for those caring for the sick and dying at local hospitals.

Bryant Hightower is president of the National Funeral Directors Association’s board of directors and works for Martin & Hightower Funeral Home in Carrollton, Georgia. Contact Jessica Koth for media requests.

Michael Hebb is the founder of Death Over Dinner, an organization that encourages people to discuss death with family and friends. He also launched the End of Life Collective, an online resource that connects people to death and dying experts and providers.

Laurie Garber-Amram is a grief and mental health specialist at JCFS Chicago. She is also a Jewish mindfulness meditation instructor, who received her certification through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Contact Pam Austin for media inquiries.