Social Aspects of Health Initiative

November 29, 2018 by Alex Chapin

Ronald Lunsford Professor
Department of English

I am a Professor of English, Linguistics, and Rhetoric at UNC Charlotte. Over a long career, I have written about Cognitive Linguistics and Functional Linguistics. I have applied Cognitive Linguistics to the study of literature and both Cognitive and Functional Linguistics to writing instruction. In recent years, I have applied genre theory, a branch of Functional Linguistics, to medical communication.

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Ronald F. Lunsford

keywords: health communication health disparities health policy health systems and organizations medical humanities

Dr. Laura Armstrong

September 21, 2018 by Laura Armstrong

Laura Armstrong Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My primary research interests are in the area of early childhood mental health. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Broadly, I am interested in the role of family risk and parenting behaviors in the development of child emotion regulation during the toddler and preschool years. This has led to two interrelated lines of research focused on: (a) understanding how young children develop the ability to use language as a way to effectively manage negative emotions and how certain child-rearing environments (e.g., parental psychopathology, poverty) may compromise this process; and (b) examining how cognitions among low-income parents (e.g., cognitive complexity, mind-mindedness, parenting self-efficacy and locus of control) as well as child and family functioning influence parents’ ability to promote self-regulatory skills in their preschool-age child. My long-term goal is to refine intervention targets for low-income families raising young children.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Laura Armstrong

keywords: mental health socioeconomic status

Dr. Erin Basinger

September 21, 2018 by Erin Basinger

Erin Basinger Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Studies

My research focuses on interpersonal processes, including conflict, social support, and coping, as they occur in the health contexts. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Specifically, I investigate how family members manage a variety of health stressors, including chronic illness, grief and loss, and mental illness.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Erin Basinger

keywords: chronic conditions mental health stress

Dr. Zinobia Bennefield

September 28, 2018 by Zinobia Bennefield

Zinobia Bennefield Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology

I study systemic inequality in the U.S. healthcare system with a focus on how these inequities impact the health and illness experiences of women and children.[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’]I have constructed a research agenda which involves the study of the sociology of health and illness, utilizing an intersectionality theoretical perspective in health research, and using a mixed methodological approach to create pragmatic suggestions for the eradication of health disparities. My current research explores the complexities of adolescent mental health and extends the theoretical and methodological literature concerning the relationship between socioeconomic status, race, gender, social integration and mental disorder.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Zinobia Bennefield

keywords: gender and socioeconomic status health disparities mental health race

Dr. Jeanette M. Bennett

September 28, 2018 by Jeanette Bennett

Associate Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I am an experimental health psychologist who focuses on understanding the biopsychosociological antecedents of stress-related chronic disease. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My research seeks to understand the physiological mechanisms that cause chronic diseases and how individual differences in emotion regulation ability and implementation of stress management interventions can holistically improve health and well-being. Currently, my lab, StressWAVES BRL, examines the relationships among emotional stressors, caffeine administration, and physiological markers such as heart rate variability and systemic inflammation. In addition, I developed and manage the Department of Psychological Science’s Biobehavioral Core (BBC) Lab that consists of a 500 ft2 BSL-2 wet lab, 2 data collection rooms designed for BSL-2 data collection, and office space.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jeanette M. Bennett

keywords: biobehavioral health chronic conditions complex & adaptive systems stress

Dr. Jaime Bochantin

September 28, 2018 by Jaime Bochantin

Jaime Bochantin Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies

My research involves the cognitive, physical, and emotional health and well-being of organizational members. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I examine the intersection between work and life, stress and well-being, burnout, organizational conflict and negotiation, and workplace mistreatment including incivility and bullying. While mostly applying a qualitative/interpretive lens to the research, I also conduct quantitative analysis. Furthermore, I study members of the public safety profession (i.e. police officers and fire fighters). Specifically, I research stress and burnout over the career length. I have examined the aging, female professional and their experiences in dealing with menopause and aging in the workplace. My research appears in Communication Monographs, Communication Studies, International Journal of Business Communication, Women & Language, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, and Negotiations and Conflict Management Research.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jaime Bochantin

keywords: aging health systems and organizations stress

Dr. Robert Boyer

September 28, 2018 by Robert Boyer

Robert Boyer Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I research research policy and plans related to urban cycling as a mode of transportation that offers environmental and public health benefits. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am currently working with officers of Project Mosaic to identify colleagues in CHHS to collaborate on projects that explore the health benefits of active transportation in Charlotte.For more information: https://pages.charlotte.edu/robert-boyer/[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Robert Boyer

keywords: health policy place and health

Dr. Cheryl L. Brown

September 28, 2018 by Cheryl Brown

Cheryl Brown Associate Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Administration

My research has focused on the intersectionality of emerging technologies and health data privacy and protection and emphasized privacy conceptualizations and health technology acceptance in comparative cultures. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am particularly interested in the application of technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID), biometrics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and blockchains and protecting and preserving data privacy in healthcare in diverse, regulatory systems. I examine the role of ethics-by-design in building trust and technology acceptance. I presented two research projects, “Building Bi-level Awareness and Public Trust to Implement Big Data in Mitochondrial Health and Disease Research: Comparing Privacy and Ethics in Global Research” and “Vascular Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk Quantification and Monitoring in Internet of Vehicle Participant Technologies: Layered Privacy, Trust, and Security in Precision Care,” at the National Institutes of Health in 2016. The vascular inflammation research abstract was selected one of the twelve notable abstracts/posters among the 110 accepted scientific abstracts. I presented “RFID Implant Technology and Artificial Intelligence: Can We Spell Ethics and Trust?” at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Southeastern Michigan Conference on Ethics in Engineering in 2017. Related articles include “Health-care Data Protection and Biometric Authentication Policies: Comparative Culture and Technology Acceptance in China and the United States” in Review of Policy Research and the co-authored “Privacy-preserving Techniques of Genomic Data–A Survey” in Briefings in Bioinformatics, https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbx139 . As an invited participant, I contributed to the design of the health privacy sector of the 5th Cybersecurity Framework Workshop of the U. S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2013. I was the lead PI in the big data and health disparities interdisciplinary team’s application for the National Science Foundation South Hub Big Data Awards in 2016. I am currently researching the role of privacy and ethics in healthcare data using blockchain technology and collaborating on the study of assistive technologies and robotic density in long-distance caregiving.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Cheryl L. Brown

keywords: ethics health technology privacy trust

Dr. Amy Canevello

September 28, 2018 by Amy Canevello

Amy Canevello

Associate Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My research investigates the dynamics of close relationships and is driven by a simple, but powerful assumption: people create what they experience through the goals and motives that drive their behavior. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My research addresses questions such as: When and how do we create upward and downward spirals in our relationships with others? How do we contribute to our own and others’ experiences? What does it mean to have good relationships and how can we create them for ourselves and others? What are the benefits of giving to vs. receiving from others? What are the physiological correlates and health-related consequences of these processes?
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Amy Canevello

keywords: health behavior

Dr. Joanne Carman

September 28, 2018 by Joanne Carman

Associate Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Administration

I conduct applied research and program evaluation. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] One of my recent projects was to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of a health and wellness program in urban elementary schools. Using a quasi-experimental, pre-post research design with matched comparison schools, we looked at the program’s fidelity to the curriculum, implementation, and outcomes relating to academic achievement, students’ response to stress, and student behaviors. The findings from this project have been published in the Journal of Applied Educational and Policy Research, the International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, and the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (forthcoming).[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Joanne Carman

keywords: community health

Dr. Andrew Case

September 28, 2018 by Andrew Case

Andrew Case Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My work focuses broadly on issues of equity related to race and ethnicity. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Through basic and applied research, I seek to: (a) identify the causes of health disparities as well as other racial disparities in r life outcomes; and, (b) support community-driven strategies that reduce these disparities. One line of my current research is focused on examining community and societal risk factors (e.g., poverty and discrimination) that underlie the disproportionate disease burden experienced by African Americans in reference to cardiovascular disease. A second line of my research utilizes ethnographic and community-based participatory research to address factors within organizations and communities that underlie racial disparities in health and life outcomes. Current investigations focus on empowerment as an anti-poverty strategy and empowering counterspaces as a means reducing juvenile offending and incarceration among racial minority youth.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Andrew Case

keywords: community engagement community health community-based participatory research health disparities race and socioeconomic status

Dr. Jacqueline Chattopadhyay

September 28, 2018 by Jacqueline Chattopadhyay

Jacqueline Chattopadhyay Associate Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Administration

My research focuses on American politics with an emphasis on social policy, health policy, and immigration. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] In particular, I study fluctuations in the American welfare state; citizen interactions with regulatory and safety-net policies; households’ navigation of public and private insurance products; and the politics of policy implementation, durability, and retrenchment. I received past support from a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; a Harvard Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality & Social Policy NSF-IGERT Doctoral Fellowship; the Harvard Center for American Political Studies; and the UNC Charlotte Faculty Research Grant program.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jacqueline Chattopadhyay

keywords: health policy

Dr. Jim Cook

September 28, 2018 by Jim Cook

Jim Cook Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My area of research is community psychology, which focuses on changing systems and settings to better meet the needs of individuals and families. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] With a strong emphasis on community-based participatory research (CBPR), my faculty and student colleagues and I work with community groups as partners. We work together to develop research questions, collect data, and use the knowledge gained to improve the community. Examples of current partnerships (with Ryan Kilmer) include: evaluation of a major children’s mental health initiative; evaluation of family support programs within both mental health and child protective services (CPS); pilot efforts to improve social workers’ ability to identify and meet the mental health needs of youth in CPS; evaluating efforts to increase school readiness and skills for young children. Through working with these programs to evaluate their impact, we help them improve their ability to help children and families.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jim Cook

keywords: community engagement community health community-based participatory research mental health

Dr. David Dalton

September 28, 2018 by David Dalton

David Dalton Assistant Professor
Department of Language and Culture Studies

I am especially interested in how science and technology interface with constructs of race and gender in Mexico and throughout the world. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’][/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. David Dalton

keywords: global health health technology race and gender

Dr. Christine Davis

September 28, 2018 by Christine Davis

Christine Davis Professor
Department of Communication Studies

My research interests are in the intersection of family, culture, and health communication. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I publish regularly on topics such as children’s health, end-of-life communication, disability, and qualitative research methods. I have published over 50 academic books, journal articles, book chapters, and other publications and has received numerous research awards. I specifically study people with illnesses and conditions that are incurable as they face revisions in their personal identity and narrative and negotiate the liminal spaces between ‘well’ and ‘unwell,’ alive and dead, and power and marginalization. I am the author of Death: The Beginning of a Relationship (2010); Conversations about Qualitative Communication Research: Behind the Scenes with Leading Scholars (2014); Communicating Hope: An Ethnography of a Children’s Mental Health Care Team (2014); and Focus Groups: Applying Communication Theory through Design, Facilitation, and Analysis; and is lead author of Talking through Death: Communicating about Death in Interpersonal, Mediated, and Cultural Contexts (2018) and Straight Talk about Communication Research Methods (3rd edition, 2017)..
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Christine Davis

keywords: culture and health end of life communication health humanities healthcare groups and teams healthcare organizations mental health

Dr. Eric Delmelle

September 28, 2018 by Eric Delmelle

Eric Delmelle Associate Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

My research focuses on answering fundamental epidemiological questions where spatial and spatio-temporal methodology are critical. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I (along with students and other colleagues) am interested in developing new, robust geocomputational methodologies that deepen our understanding on the dynamics of infectious and chronic diseases. I am concentrating efforts in the development of new visualization techniques to detect space-time patterns at different scales (e.g. clusters), and leverage on state-of-the art computational techniques (e.g. cyberGIS, parallel computing) for unusually large datasets. I have received funding from the March of Dimes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among others.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Eric Delmelle

keywords: health technology place and health

Dr. George Demakis

September 28, 2018 by George Demakis

George Demakis Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I study neuropsychological correlates of Parkinson’s Disease, recovery from traumatic brain injury, meta-analysis, detection of malingering, activities of daily living, and competency evaluations and issues (both civil and criminal). [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’]
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. George Demakis

keywords: clinical neuropsychology and forensic psychology

Dr. James Douglas

October 24, 2018 by Alex Chapin

James Douglas Professor
Department of Political Science & Public Administration

I am interested in the Medicaid financing structure. In particular, I plan to assess whether state cost-sharing makes sense in our federal system of government.

keywords: health financing health policy

Dr. Paula Gallant Eckard

November 13, 2018 by Alex Chapin

Paula Eckard Associate Professor
Department of English

I am interested in the intersections between literature and medicine, including illness narratives, representations of the body, and women’s experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. My research also focuses on the wellbeing of children and families in literature.

For more information: Faculty Connections >Dr. Paula Gallant Eckard

keywords: medical humanities

Dr. Shunji Egusa

September 28, 2018 by Shunji Egusa

Assistant Professor
Department of Physics and Optical Science

I conduct research on nanomaterials synthesis and characterization; Nanomedicine; Plasmonics

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Shunji Egusa

keywords: health technology

Dr. Karen Flint

September 28, 2018 by Karen Flint

Associate Professor
Department of History

Author of Healing Traditions: African Medicine, Cultural Exchange, and Competition in South Africa, 1820-1948 (Ohio University Press, 2008). [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] She’s written a number of articles and chapters on African medicine and healing and is currently examining how biomedicine and doctors both empowered and disrupted the system of South African indenture. She is particularly interested in determining the conditions that embolden whistle-blowers or enabled doctors and administrators to nudge reform in a system overwhelmingly stacked in the favor of the rich and powerful. She has a growing interest in the history of global food systems and teaches some classes within this vein.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Karen Flint

keywords: global food systems.global health history of medicine indigenous knowledge systems

Dr. Andrea Freidus

September 28, 2018 by Andrea Freidus

Andrea Freidus Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology

I specialize in applied and medical anthropology. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I also have an MPH in global public health. I have worked in Latin America, Africa, and South Florida. My research has looked at the rise of grassroots transnational organizations targeting aid to orphans in Malawi, southern Africa. I explore the emerging global connections among volunteers, donors, development workers, program organizers and the directors associated with these organizations and the children they serve. I have also worked on projects that included an examination of risky sexual behavior between female long term tourists and local men in Monteverde, Costa Rica, farmworker experiences with eye injury and access to medical care in Immokalee, Florida, and community experiences with evacuation and relocation in and around Mount Tungurahua in Ecuador. My most current research examines the rise of volunteer tourism with orphans and the proliferation of International Medical Experiences (whereby undergraduates, medical students, and residents volunteer in health programs in the resource poor contexts).[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Andrea Freidus

keywords: community health global health health systems and organizations

Dr. Jane Gaultney

September 28, 2018 by Jane Gaultney

Jane Gaultney Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I study cognition and behavior in children and adults with sleep disorders; the effect of sleepiness on children and adults. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Click here for more information about Dr. Gaultney’s sleep lab.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jane Gaultney

keywords: sleep

Dr. Virginia Gil-Rivas

September 28, 2018 by Virginia Gil-Rivas

Virginia Gil-Rivas Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I study the development, implementation, and evaluation of culturally appropriate brief cognitive behavioral interventions that can be widely disseminated in primary care and community settings. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] In particular, my work aims to develop interventions that address the needs of individuals living in poverty and other vulnerable populations (i.e., ethnic/racial minority groups, immigrants, individuals with mental health disorders, and other marginalized groups).
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Virginia Gil-Rivas

keywords: behavioral health global health mental health stress trauma

Dr. Ruth Groenhout

September 28, 2018 by Ruth Groenhout

Distinguished Professor of Health Ethics
Department of Philosophy

My primary areas of research in healthcare ethics focus on gender, health systems and organizations, and health policy. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I have a book coming out in 2019 that uses an ethics of care as a framework for analyzing policy and systems in health care. Other books include Connected Lives: Human Nature and an Ethics of Care, Transforming Care, Bioethics: A Reformed Look at Life and Death Choices, and Philosophy, Feminism, Faith. Recent articles include “Beauvoir and the Biological Body” in the Blackwell Companion to Simone de Beauvoir, “Of Medicine and Monsters: Rationing and an Ethics of Care” in Care Ethics and Political Theory and “Virtue and a Feminist Ethics of Care” in Virtues and Their Vices.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Ruth Groenhout

keywords: ethics gender health policy health systems and organizations

Dr. Colleen Hammelman

September 28, 2018 by Colleen Hammelman

Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I have an active research program examining social justice in urban food systems with particular attention paid to food security in low-income immigrant communities in in Medellin, Colombia; Rosario, Argentina; Toronto, Canada; and Charlotte. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’][/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Colleen Hammelman

keywords: community health food justice gender and socioeconomic status global health place and health

Dr. Don Jacobs

September 28, 2018 by Donald Jacobs

Don Jacobs Professor
Department of Physics and Optical Science

My research is primarily concerned with applying statistical and computational physics to model and investigate thermodynamic, mechanical and dynamic properties of proteins and polypeptides in solution, and to study the thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Proteins are macromolecular machines that carry out biological functions in living organisms − making them an important biomolecule to study because their existence is critical for supporting life on Earth.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Don Jacobs

keywords: health technology

Bethany Johnson

September 28, 2018 by Johnson Bethany

Bethany Johnson Research Affiliate Faculty
Department of Communication Studies

I have co-authored a book with Dr. Quinlan (2019) on social media-based health technology as they intersect ideas of “the good mother” and “the medical expert.”

For more information: Faculty Connections > Bethany Johnson

keywords: gender health systems and organizations women’s reproductive health

Dr. Susan Johnson

September 28, 2018 by Susan Johnson

Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I study mood and information processing, efficacy and prevalence of alternative and complementary medicine, and bio-psychosocial approaches to unexplained illness. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’]
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Susan Johnson

Dr. Sara Juengst

September 28, 2018 by Sara Juengst

Photo of Sara Juengst Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology

I specialize in bioarchaeology and Andean archaeology and has conducted research in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am particularly interested in using human skeletal remains to investigate the connections between health and social status in the past (and present). I have also worked with human remains to evaluate past medical practices (trepanation or skull surgery) and violence levels within past Andean populations.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Sara Juengst

keywords: bioarchaeology socioeconomic status

Dr. Ryan Kilmer

September 28, 2018 by Ryan Kilmer

Ryan Kilmer Professor
Department of Psychological Science

A child clinical-community psychologist, my interests center around children and families and: (a) factors influencing the development of children at-risk for emotional, behavioral, and/or academic difficulties, particularly risk and resilience and youngsters’ adjustment to trauma; and (b) the use of evaluation research to guide system change, program refinement, service delivery, and policy. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] One recent effort involved a multi-year partnership with our local school system’s pre-kindergarten program and office of research, analytics, and evaluation. We worked to increase their capacity to collect, manage, and use data to better support teacher coaching, teacher differentiated instruction, teacher curricula implementation, and research capacity.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Ryan Kilmer

keywords: behavioral health clinical research community engagement community health community-based participatory research health policy

Dr. Amber Knight

September 28, 2018 by Amber Knight

Amber Knight Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science

Broadly speaking, my research places disability at the center of political theorizing in order to evaluate the political nature of disability and the often disabling nature of our political arrangements . [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Even though my research is located in the field of normative political thought, I embrace an applied and contextualized approach by grappling with the empirical realities of our society in order to develop helpful strategies for just and egalitarian policy changes. I am currently working on a book manuscript, tentatively titled Disability and the Politics of Parenthood, which uses disability as a prism to better understand the relationship between “politics as usual” and the family. Chapters cover a range of relevant issues surrounding the experiences of parents of children with disabilities, including: prenatal genetic testing and the selective abortion of disabled fetuses; guardianship laws; in-home care support and Medicaid waivers; and, special education policy.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Amber Knight

keywords: disability health policy

Dr. Shaoyu Li

September 28, 2018 by Shaoyu Li

Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,

My research interests include both developing statistical methodologies and applications to different scientific research areas to gain novel insights. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Especially, I am currently working on statistical and computational methods for the analysis of microbiome data to understand its effects on human wellness and diseases, and integrative analysis of omics data to identify genetic markers associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Shaoyu Li

keywords: aging clinical research mental health

Dr. Yang Li

October 12, 2018 by Xander Marciniak

Yang Li I received my PhD from the department of Statistics, University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2013 (Advisor: Dr. Jianguo Tony Sun). [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I have a broad background in statistics, with specific training and research expertise in panel count data analysis, recurrent event data analysis, survival analysis in event-history studies.

I have been doing biostatistics research to answer realistic, data-based medical questions. My role is to develop novel statistical methodology when the existing methods do not apply.

My recent research has mainly focused on developing semiparametric and nonparametric methods for panel count data analysis. My methods have been applied to address medical questions in cancer research and clinical follow-up studies.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Yang Li

keywords: Biostatistics clinical research Epidemiology

Dr. Brian Magi

September 28, 2018 by Brian Magi

Associate Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I am an atmospheric scientist studying air quality, with a focus on developing methods to monitor and analyze particulate matter data collected with low-cost sensors that could be distributed in neighborhoods for community-based research. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I collaborate on research and community projects with environmental chemistry and health experts around North Carolina, and as both a scientist and member of the Board of Directors of Clean Air Carolina, a non-profit outreach and advocacy group based in Charlotte (https://cleanaircarolina.org/who-we-are/). I am also member of the Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission, a group that provides citizen and stakeholder input about local air pollution permitting and strategies (https://www.mecknc.gov/LUESA/AirQuality/EducationandOutreach/Pages/AQC.aspx)
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Brian Magi

keywords: environmental health

Dr. Jonathan Marks

September 28, 2018 by Jonathan Marks

Professor
Department of Anthropology

My research interests are centered on questions of human origins and human diversity, both of which are relevant, in different ways, to issues of modern health. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My recent book Is Science Racist? (Polity Press, 2017) discusses the meaning of genetic differences among populations, and particularly their relationship to observed differences in health risks and behavior patterns. I have also written about the bio-ethical issues associated with taking genetic samples from indigenous peoples.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jonathan Marks

keywords: bioanthropology ethics human genetics

Dr. Alyssa McGonagle

September 28, 2018 by Alyssa McGonagle

ATTACHMENT DETAILS Heather-Perry.jpg September 28, 2018 5 KB 150 × 150 Edit Image Delete Permanently URL http://pages.charlotte.edu/healthresearch/wp-content/uploads/sites/1185/2018/09/Heather-Perry.jpg Title Assistant Professor
Psychology & Organizational Science

I research topics related to worker health, safety, and well-being, and I focus on potentially vulnerable working populations, including aging workers, disabled workers, and workers with chronic health conditions. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am currently working on research related to preventing disability discrimination at work, understanding factors that relate to workers’ perceptions of their work ability, and designing an intervention to promote work ability and quality of work life for workers with chronic health conditions.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Alyssa McGonagle

keywords: aging chronic conditions

Dr. Christopher D. Mellinger

September 28, 2018 by Chris Mellinger

Associate Professor
Department of Languages and Culture Studies

My research is centered on translation and interpreting and aims to understand the various cognitive, social, technological, and linguistic processes involved in language mediation and intercultural communication. I also research how translation and interpreting impact language access in medical and legal settings, with a particular interest in how mediated communication alters interaction among the various parties. At several institutions, I have taught courses on Spanish for Healthcare, medical terminology, medical translation and interpreting, and healthcare disparities in U.S. Latino populations.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Christopher D. Mellinger

keywords: health disparities interpreting studies medical humanities sociocultural influences translation studies

Dr. Erika Montanaro

September 28, 2018 by Erika Montanaro

Erika Montanaro Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological Science

HIV prevention often begins with a targeted behavior, for example, a young woman negotiating condom use with her partner. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] It is important to understand what factors contribute to HIV risk behavior in order to create effective interventions. Additionally, HIV disproportionately impacts young minority populations. To that end, the goal of my research program is to integrate theory, advanced analytic techniques, and technology to develop and assess innovative and impactful interventions to decrease HIV transmission rates in at-risk minority health communities.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Erika Montanaro

keywords: health technology race

Dr. Julian Montoro Rodriguez

September 28, 2018 by Julian Montoro-Rodriguez

montoro-rodriguez

Professor of Sociology and Gerontology
Gerontology Program

My research background focuses on aging, health, human development and family studies. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Most of my research during the past 20 years has examined the interrelations between formal and informal support systems and optimal adaptation and adjustment to developmental changes for older adults.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Julian Montoro Rodriguez

keywords: aging family caregiving mental health

Dr. Yuri Nesmelov

September 28, 2018 by Yuri Nesmelov

Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Optical Science

My specialties include biological molecular motors, elecron paramagnetic resonance/EPR, transient time-resolved fluorescence resonce energy transfer/TR2FRET. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’][/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Yuri Nesmelov

keywords: health technology

Dr. Irina Nesmelova

September 28, 2018 by Irina Nesmelova

Irina Nesmelova Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Optical Science

Our research area is experimental biophysics. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] We are trying to understand the molecular logic underlying biological function. By nature, the research is highly interdisciplinary. Students will learn spectroscopic techniques (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence), molecular modeling, and gain basic biochemistry skills.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Irina Nesmelova

keywords: health technology

Dr. Heather Perry

September 28, 2018 by Heather Perry

Heather Perry Associate Professor
Department of History

I am a historian of medicine, health, and the body with a particular focus on the way that modern warfare impacts the health of both soldiers and civilians.[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] In particular, I enjoy researching how warfare has impacted society, culture, medicine, and science in European history from the late nineteenth century through the world wars. My publications examine the history of disabled veterans, the development of rehabilitation medicine and artificial limb technology, public health education and exhibitions, and the history of nutritional science. I am currently working on two projects: The first examines food insecurity and population health during the First World War; the second examines the internment of enemy aliens in WWI America. I teach courses on Modern German history, History of the First World War, History of Medicine and Health, War and Medicine, and Epidemics.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Heather Perry

keywords: disability medicine and rehabilitation disabled veterans food and nutrition gender health and society history of medicine and health

Dr. Amy Peterman

September 28, 2018 by Amy Peterman

Amy Peterman Associate Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My research interests center on developing a deeper understanding of the role played by psychological and behavioral factors in the socioeconomic gradient of health. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am also very interested in the role that health psychology interventions, including those delivered in primary care settings, can play in minimizing SES-related health disparities.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Amy Peterman

keywords: behavioral health chronic conditions health disparities socioeconomic status

Dr. Nicole Peterson

September 28, 2018 by Nicole Peterson

Associate Professor

Dr. Nicole Peterson

Department of Anthropology

I am a sociocultural, environmental, and applied anthropologist who works at the intersection of culture and food. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I have examined how fishing communities adapt to changing economic, environmental, and political contexts in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, how agriculturalists in Ethiopia adapt to changing climates, and how and why Charlotteans experience food insecurity. I have collaborated with a variety of organizations on these projects as a way to ensure the research questions and outcomes are relevant for policies of non-profit organizations, government agencies, and research participants. My undergraduate and graduate students are also collaborators on the long-term research project on Charlotte food systems through class projects, internships, and thesis research.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Nicole Peterson

keywords: community engagement community-based participatory research food justice

Dr. Andrea Pitts

September 28, 2018 by Andrea J. Pitts

Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy

My research interests include social epistemology, critical philosophy of race, feminist philosophy, Latin American and U.S. Latinx philosophy, and critical prison studies.[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My research focuses on three distinct, but interrelated areas: 1) how speech and linguistic forms of communication impact processes of racialization and structural racism; 2) the political and ethical intersections of criminalization, health, and race; and 3) post-revolutionary Mexican existentialism, feminism, and philosophy of culture. Some of my recent articles can be found in IJFAB: International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy, Radical Philosophy Review, and Inter-American Journal of Philosophy. At UNC Charlotte, I have taught courses (graduate and undergraduate) on feminist theory, prison abolitionism, decolonial theory, and social epistemology. For more information, visit: https://pages.charlotte.edu/andrea-pitts/.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Andrea Pitts

keywords: biomedical ethics critical prison studies philosophy of race and gender

Dr. Margaret Quinlan

September 28, 2018 by Margaret Quinlan

Margaret Quinlan Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies

My primary scholarly interests lie in the intersections between health, medical expertise and organizational communication. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Drawing on narrative and feminist sensibilities, my work focuses on a range of social justice issues that affect marginalized populations including disability-rights and gender inequities (e.g., infertility, practitioner-patient communication). My research strengths are in interpretive/ethnographic, critical and rhetorical methodologies. I have published in: Health Communication, Journal of Holistic Nursing, Women’s Reproductive Health, The Journal of Men’s Studies, Sexuality and Culture, Women & Language, and Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning. From my ethnographic research, I produced two PBS documentaries in a regional Emmy award-winning series, Courage of Creativity: Creative Abundance (Co-Producer, with PBS) Beautiful Remedy (Associate Producer, with PBS), and Acoustics of Care (Co-Producer). My forthcoming book, published through Rutgers University Press with Bethany Johnson is titled, You’re doing it wrong! Mothering, media, and medical expertise (2019). For more information and to view documentary clips and research-informed infertility support cards, see: https://johnsonquinlanresearch.com/
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Margaret Quinlan

keywords: gender health systems and organizations women’s reproductive health

Dr. Lisa Rasmussen

September 28, 2018 by Lisa Rasmussen

Associate Professor
Department of Philosophy

I earned a PhD in Philosophy (with a focus on bioethics) from Rice University in 2003. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I began working at UNC Charlotte in 2006, and am currently Associate Professor in the Philosophy department. One of my main research areas is research ethics, particularly research misconduct and federal regulatory approaches to ethical issues in research. I am presently working on a book manuscript on unregulated human subject research, and write and teach in the areas of healthcare ethics and ethics consultation. I serve on a hospital ethics committee for Atrium Healthcare and as Editor of the book series Philosophy and Medicine.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Lisa Rasmussen

keywords: research ethics

Dr. Charlie Reeve

September 28, 2018 by Charlie Reeve

Charlie Reeve Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My research areas are quantitative research methods; measurement theory; data analytic designs. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’]
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Charlie Reeve

keywords: quantitative methods

Dr. Teresa Scheid

September 28, 2018 by Teresa Scheid

Teresa Scheid Professor
Department of Sociology

I am a full professor in the Department of Sociology with joint appointments in Public Policy and Health Services Research. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I also work with doctoral students in Public Health and Health Psychology. My research focuses on the organization and delivery of mental health services and the work of mental health and HIV providers. I have examined the impact of a number of legislative mandates including outpatient commitment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state level efforts to reform mental health care. I have worked collaboratively with local agencies to develop and conduct cross-training workshops to help integrate mental health, substance use, and physical healthcare, and have been involved in a number of community based initiatives designed to integrate diverse systems of care for minority populations living with HIV/AIDS (see my 2015 book, Comprehensive Care for HIV/AIDS: Community-Based Strategies). I am senior editor (with Eric Wright) of the “Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories, and Systems”, and am currently working on a book on community mental health care. I advise doctoral students across all of the health related graduate programs on campus, and have worked with them to get their work published (including a recent book with Stephany De Scisciolo, “Reducing Race Differences in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising: The Case for Regulation”). I have also served as Executive Director of the Health Academy, the first UNC-C Academy, which is designed to foster collaborations across campus as well as within the community.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Teresa Scheid

keywords: community-based participatory research health policy health systems and organizations mental health

Dr. Dorothy Smith Ruiz

September 28, 2018 by Dorothy Smith-Ruiz

Dorothy Smith Ruiz Associate Professor
Department of Africana Studies

I received a Ph.D. in sociology from Michigan State University and pursued postdoctoral studies in Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University, and the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development.[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’]I was also a Fulbright Scholar. I study race and cultural differences in health behaviors and chronic disease among women of African descent in the U.S., including African American, Afro-Caribbean, and transnational African[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Dorothy Smith Ruiz

keywords: aging chronic conditions mental health race

Dr. Heather Smith

September 28, 2018 by Heather Smith

Heather Smith Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I am a founding member of the Mecklenburg Partnership for Primary care Research (MAPPR) and collaborate closely with Dr. Michael Dulin (CHHS).[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] MAPPR seeks solutions that eliminate barriers to primary care access for Hispanic immigrants and improves overall health and well-being. The MAPPR research group has received support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Charlotte Research Institute.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Heather Smith

keywords: community engagement community health place and health race and ethnicity

Dr. Janni Sorensen

September 28, 2018 by Janni Sorensen

Janni Sorenson Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I am collaborating with Dr. Mark Dehaven (College of Health and Human Services, CHHS) on efforts that link neighborhood planning, community development and health (see http://arches.uncc.edu/ucity-family-zone ), a proposal is in preparation to seek external funding from Center City Partners.[read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am also working closely with Dr. Beth Racine, CHHS on securing funding for a research project on childhood obesity specifically focusing on community interventions (focused on Downtown Concord, NC) and the built environment leading to knowledge that will inform medical practitioners as they advise families on issues around obesity in children. A new NIH proposal is in discussion.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Janni Sorensen

keywords: community engagement community health place and health race and gender

Dr. Wenwu Tang

September 28, 2018 by Wenwu Tang

Wenwu Tang Associate Professor
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I am a Geographic Information Scientist collaborating with Dr. Eric Delmelle and Dr. Gary Silverman, CHHS, on the ongoing CDC sponsored “Healthy Wells” Initiative. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I am interested in applying geospatial technologies, geocomputational models, and cyberinfrastructure to address health-related problems.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Wenwu Tang

keywords: cyberinfrastructure for health geospatial technology for health health and place

Dr. Rich Tedeschi

September 28, 2018 by Rich Tedeschi

Rich Tedeschi Professor
Department of Psychological Science

I study predictors, correlates, and consequences of posttraumatic growth, i.e., the experience of positive change that can emerge from the struggle with a highly stressful event (with Lawrence Calhoun).

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Rich Tedeschi

keywords: stress

Dr. Deborah Thomas

September 28, 2018 by Deborah Thomas

Professor and Chair
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

I specialize in hazards and health geography and have more than twenty years of experience in the application of geographic information science & technology in a variety of social science application areas, including health and disaster management. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My teaching and research interests focus on issues of vulnerability/resilience as they relate to both natural and human-induced hazards and health outcomes, commonly emphasizing the role of technology, particularly GIS, in assessing and evaluating the intersection of human-physical systems and the built environment. Around these themes, I have published in numerous journals and is co-editor a book entitled Social Vulnerability. In 2005, I was a Fulbright Scholar to Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. I have worked for the last 10 years in Tanzania as part of a partnership with the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences in Mwanza, Tanzania.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Deborah Thomas

keywords: environmental health gis/mapping global health health technology

Dr. Susan Trammell

September 28, 2018 by Susan Trammell

Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Optical Science

My research focuses on the use of lasers, spectroscopy and imaging as tools in medicine. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] My research includes the development of an enhanced mid-IR imaging technique for cancer margin delineation and the assessment of blood flow in tissues, as well as, the design and development of a hyperspectral imaging system based on a single-pixel camera design for use in cancer diagnosis. In addition, I am developing a light-based processing method to dehydrate biologics in preparation for long-term storage at near ambient temperatures.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Susan Trammell

keywords: health technology

Dr. Letha Victor

September 28, 2018 by Letha Victor

Letha Victor Assistant Professor
Department of Religious Studies

My work lies at the intersections of religion and healing, both broadly construed. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] Trained as a socio-cultural anthropologist, my research projects since 2008 have centred on the Acholi sub-region of northern Uganda, where I have conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork on postcolonial violence, haunting, human-spirit relations, and ethics. I am interested in a wide range of issues that include subjectivity, ethics, temporality, social change, religiosity, trauma and the cross-linguistic and cross-cultural legibility of suffering, witchcraft and conspiracy, and debates about morality, ritual expertise, and authenticity in Acholi society and beyond. Currently, I am working on a book manuscript about ghostly vengeance and spiritual pollution in contemporary post-war Acholi.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Letha Victor

keywords: culture and health ethics religiosity and ritual

Dr. Coral Wayland

September 28, 2018 by Coral Wayland

Associate Dean
Office of Undergraduate Education

I specialize in medical anthropology and the scholarship of teaching and learning. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] I have worked in Brazil and Charlotte. My early research looked the politics of medicinal plant use in the urban Amazon. It also explored contested understandings of primary health care in Brazil. My more recent research explores team based learning in large undergraduate classes. One research project examines the ways that gender and race shape the peer evaluation process. Another documents the effectiveness of team based learning for different groups of students.[/read]

For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Coral Wayland

keywords: medical anthropology race and gender

Dr. Jennifer B. Webb

September 28, 2018 by Jennifer Webb

Associate Professor
Department of Psychological Science

My research and teaching emphasize the critical importance of adopting interdisciplinary, multicultural, and positive psychological/strengths-based perspectives in the science and practice of clinical health psychology. [read more=’Read more’ less=’Read less’] More specifically, our lab studies socio-cultural risk and protective factors (e.g., body image, ethnic identity, marginalization stress, weight stigma) that may contribute to and/or mitigate disparities in cardiometabolic health among culturally-diverse women during college, pregnancy, and the postpartum. I also have a strong interest in the application of integrative mind-body approaches (including the practices of yoga, mindful and intuitive eating, and self-compassion) and Health at Every Size® principles towards optimizing a more holistic experience of health and well-being in ethnically-diverse groups.
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For more information: Faculty Connections > Dr. Jennifer B. Webb

keywords: clinical health disparities health technology mixed methods race and ethnicity sociocultural influences stress

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