Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are profiling the McKnight’s 2025 Women of Distinction honorees daily through Aug. 18. For additional McKnight’s Women of Distinction content, visit this page.

With a deep background in research and years of senior care experience, Shadi Gholizadeh, PhD, uses her clinical know-how to drive TheKey to operational excellence.

As head of quality and clinical development, Gholizadeh oversees the home care provider’s major care quality, retention and client satisfaction initiatives. She also leads the company’s scientific advisory board, which brings together leading neuroscience, neuropsychology and geriatrics experts to help shape TheKey’s care practices.

For those efforts and more, Gholizadeh was selected by judges to be a 2025 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Rising Star.

Prior to joining TheKey, Gholizadeh worked in academia and clinical research. Her specialties span topics such as aging, dementia care, caregiver education and clinical psychology. This expertise has influenced Gholizadeh’s work, and she has had a hand in developing programs to enhance caregiver training, client intake, care planning and assessment processes for TheKey.

“Dr. Shadi Gholizadeh has made transformative contributions to the senior living and care field through innovative quality initiatives, groundbreaking research, and thought leadership,” her nominator said. “Her efforts directly improved client satisfaction scores, care plan accuracy and retention rates, driving organic growth and enhancing TheKey’s reputation for excellence.”

Among colleagues, Gholizadeh is known as a dedicated and empathetic leader. She is deeply committed to professional development, supporting teams with her clinical expertise and mentoring spirit.

Meanwhile, she remains active in senior care advocacy and thought leadership. She is a frequent lecturer at industry conferences, co-authors books and delivers presentations on topics spanning caregiving, aging and health equity. Gholizadeh also serves as a volunteer clinical assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a member of the Dementia Action Alliance’s task force on anosognosia, a condition where a person is unaware of their own illness or disability.

“With her unique combination of academic rigor, clinical expertise and professional leadership, she is driving meaningful change in how aging well is understood and delivered,” one colleague said. “Her accomplishments — spanning innovative programs, thought leadership and team mentorship — underscore her exceptional commitment to improving the lives of seniors and their families.”

The McKnight’s Women of Distinction program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living  and McKnight’s Home Care. Healthcare Services Group was the Platinum sponsor of this year’s festivities, and PharMerica was the Silver sponsor. Additional sponsors included Affinity Health Services, Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, EasyShifts, Guardian Pharmacy Services, Marquis Health Consulting Services, Priority Life Care, Reliant Rehabilitation, Reside Admissions and Sentrics.

Visit this web page to see lists of honorees from 2025 and previous years.