Staja “Star” Q. Booker is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, College of Nursing. Dr. Booker is well-known for her research on disparities and health equity in the field of pain. For over 10 years, Dr. Booker’s research has illuminated the lived experience and management of chronic pain in older adults, particularly those who identify as African American/Black. She has completed several NIH-funded research projects. Her most recent studies investigated biopsychosocial-behavioral predictors of movement-evoked pain in older African Americans/Blacks with knee osteoarthritis. She is now testing a novel culturally congruent pain self-management intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain in older Black adults. She loves to use her voice and expertise through writing, she has published 86 peer-reviewed articles and editorials, 9 book chapters, and given over 110 scientific presentations. In 2022, she was one of 10 faculty from across the University of Florida who received the Excellence Award for Assistant Professors, the first time that a College of Nursing faculty has received this award. For her commitment to inclusive excellence in research and mentoring, Dr. Booker was honored with the UF College of Nursing’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2021. She is a true and abiding advocate for underrepresented older adults.