Hometown: Nashville, TN
- B.A.: UT Knoxville
- M.A.: University of Oregon
- PhD.: University of New Mexico
Joined UC Merced: 2015
Current Research Focus:
Current work focuses on a number of topics including:
- Organizational health literacy innovative models and care for the structurally vulnerable
- Understanding and promoting oral health literacy
- Tobacco cessation interventions for LEP groups
- Breast cancer screening and survivorship
- Oral Health Disparities
- Cancer Clinical Trial Recruitment
- Filipina Breast Cancer Suvivorship
Medical Anthropology
Areas of expertise:
- Global Health
- Cancer
- Oral Health
- Social Inequalities
- Health Literacy
- Clinical Trials Recruitment
- Suvivorship
- Tobacco Cessation
Graduate Student Research:
- Health effects of immigration policy
- Social capital and networks among rural African Americans
- Breast cancer screening disparities
- Family networks and long term care in Merced, Co.
- Refugee Oral Health
- Ethnography of Behavioral Health
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Qualitative Research Methods Graduate Courses: Grant writing, Professional Seminar, Qualitative Research Methods, Mixed Methods, Health Behavior TheoryCurrent Graduate Students: 4
Community Affiliation:
- Shanti Breast Cancer Program
- Pilipino Senior Resource Center
- Member of HSRI Executive
Current Funding Needs:
- Funding to support community led research partnerships
- Graduate student funding for health literacy and cancer disparities research
Recent Success:
- Principal Investigator of National Institute of Nursing Research R01 (Health literacy systems in the safety-net: Lessons from complex care management.)
Hometown: Madrid, Spain
- B.Sc.: University Complutense, Madrid
- M.S.: University Complutense, Madrid
- PhD: Spanish National Research Council
Post Doc: NIH
Joined UC Merced: 2017
Current Research Focus:
Applying our research findings to engineer proteins with altered functionality to serve as templates for potential therapeutic targets, and to the biotechnological application of protein molecular platforms and ultra-structures.
- Molecular mechanisms that control cellular processes essential to life from a biochemical and biophysics perspective
- Regulation of inflammation & programmed cell death
- Autoimmune disorders, cancer, neurological and cardiovascular diseases
- Molecular bases of Inflammation and programmed cell death NMR Spectroscopy
Bioengineering
Areas of expertise:
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
- Protein Engineering and Design
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
- Electron Microscopy
- Inflammation
- Programmed Cell Death
Graduate Student Research:
- Application of biophysical techniques to the study of bio-macromolecular assemblies
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Biochemistry for Bioengineers Graduate Courses: Potentially: Macromolecular Assemblies in Biology; Advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance SpectroscopyCurrent Graduate Students: 0
Community Affiliation:
- Red Cross
- Member of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Funding for research on the structure, function and biotechnological applications of biomacromolecular assemblies
Recent Success:
- Watch this Space
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
- B.A.: Cornell
- MPH.: UC Berkeley
- PhD: UC Berkeley
Post Doc: UNC / Duke
Joined UC Merced: 2014
Current Research Focus:
The majority of work focuses on understanding how the social environment can affect risk for psychological problems like depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior – and, in turn, how those psychological problems affect our risk for other kinds of poor health outcomes. Current research examines the causes and long-term health consequences of suicidal behavior.
Past Research Topics:- Social factors as causes of psychological disorder
- Effects of psychological disorder on physical health and economic outcomes
Mental Health / Epidemiology
Areas of expertise:
- Suicide epidemiology
- Depression & anxiety
- Links between mental and physical health problems, including violence
- Economy & mental health
Graduate Student Research:
- Access to and quality of behavioral health care in rural California.
- Use of technological innovations in improving elders’ health and quality of life.
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Intro to Epidemiology; Research Seminar: Analysis of Epidemiologic Data. Graduate Courses: Epidemiology; Research MethodsCurrent Graduate Students: 2
Community Affiliation:
- Involved in Fresno County Suicide Prevention Collaborative.
- Serves as Director of HSRI Biostatistics & Data Support Core.
- Memeber of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Research funding for graduate students
- Staff funding for HSRI Biostatistics & Data Support Core to better support medical research being conducted by healthcare providers within the San Joaquin Valley
Recent Success:
- Awarded $750,000 NIH grant in 2017 to evaluate health outcomes of suicidal behavior in CA
Hometown: Novi, MI
- B.A: Vanderbilt University
- PhD: University of Chicago
Post Doc: UC Santa Barbara
Joined UC Merced: 2012
Current Research Focus:
Translating mathematical and computational understanding of biological systems to predict strategies for controlling or optimizing processes such as transport within cells, metastasizing tumors, division & growth in bacteria to aid development of therapeutic interventions.
Past Research Topics:- Actin based Motility
- Polymer transport
- Elasticity of thin sheets
- Colloidal dynamics
Theoretical and Computational Biological Physics
Areas of expertise:
- Intracellular Transport
- Bacterial cell growth, division and shape maintenance
- Protein Biopolymer Structure and Dynamics
- Collective dynamics of flocks and swarms
Graduate Student Research:
- Cargo transport in complex intracellular environments
- Foraging in networks and in groups
- Disordered proteins transport
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Biophysics, Physics for Biological Sciences Graduate Courses: Statistical MechanicsCurrent Graduate Students: 5
Community Affiliation:
- Member of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Graduate student funding for research: Collective motility in cellular clusters, flocks and swarms
- Graduate student funding for research: Mechanisms of bacterial growth, division and shape
Recent Success:
- Director, NSF-CREST Center for Cellular and Bimolecular Machines
- James S. McDonnell Foundation. Grant awarded for research on complex systems that "breaks new ground or challenges common assumptions".
Hometown: Agra, India
- B.Tech.: IIT-Varanasi, India
- M.S.: University of Michigan
- PhD: University of Michigan
Joined UC Merced: 2012
Current Research Focus:
The Biomechanics and Mechano-biology program focuses on research in core areas of Mechanics, Dynamics or Controls with applications to Biology and Medicine:
- Deformations of Biological Filaments
- Constitutive Modeling from Atomistic Details
- Understanding Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) from Controls Theory
- Early Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease
- Effect of Deep-Brain Stimulation on PD
- Management of Motor Symptoms of PD from the Perspective of Human Biomechanics
Biomechanics
Areas of expertise:
- Dynamics and Controls
- Mechanics of Biological Filaments
- Human Biomechanics
Graduate Student Research:
- Inverse Methods for Mapping Constitutive Law of Biological Filaments
- Dynamics of Active Filaments
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Strength of Materials, Introduction to Multi-body Dynamics Graduate Courses: Introduction of Multi-body Dynamics, Continuum MechanicsCurrent Graduate Students: 3
Community Affiliation:
- Member of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Graduate student, post-doc research
- Collaborative research on Parkinson’s disease
Recent Success:
- ILTI grant for development of Online course on Strength of Materials
Past Research Topics:
Areas of expertise:
Graduate Student Research:
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Graduate Courses:Community Affiliation:
Current Funding Needs:
Recent Success:
Past Research Topics:
Areas of expertise:
Graduate Student Research:
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Graduate Courses:Community Affiliation:
Current Funding Needs:
Recent Success:
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
- B.S.: Macquarie University
- M.S.: Victoria University
- PhD.: University of Adelaide
Post Doc: Yale University
Joined UC Merced: 2015
Current Research Focus:
Understanding the evolutionary processes which drive the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens and develop new strategies to combat them:
- Examining how microbes evolve over time and space using a broad range of organismal systems, with a focus on microbiome studies, multi-drug resistant bacteria and RNA viruses. Utilizing high throughput genetic sequencing to provide genomic scale data, which is then analyzed to test developed hypotheses.
- Molecular ecology
- Phylogenetics
- Comparative genomics of trypanosomes
Bioinformatics and Genomics
Areas of expertise:
- Genomics
- Comparative genomics
- High throughput sequencing
- Evolutionary biology
- Antibiotic resistance
- Microbiomes
Graduate Student Research:
- Microbial symbioses and venom production
- Antibiotic resistance evolution and transfer
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Genetics, Evolutionary Medicine Graduate Courses: Evolutionary DynamicsCurrent Graduate Students: 2
Community Affiliation:
- Society for the Study of Evolution
- Society of Systematic Biologists
- Memeber of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Funding to support research staff and generate sequence data for antimicrobial resistance studies.
Recent Success:
- 2017 Hellman Fellowship
- 2017 Mexus Award
- 2016 JGI CSP Grant
- 2016 UC Merced Faculty Research Award
- 2016 JGI Director’s Grant
Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI
- B.A.: University of Michigan
- M.A.: UC Davis
- PhD: UC Davis
Post Doc: UCSF
Joined UC Merced: 2008
Current Research Focus:
Understanding processes and developing the means to inform individuals, from teens to policy makers, to make better decisions that impact their health. Current research focuses specifically on:
- Adolescent and Young Adult Risk Behaviors
- Health Disparities in Health Behavior
- Personailty Profiling
Health Psychology; Psychological Epidemiology
Areas of expertise:
- Tobacco Use
- E-Cigarettes
- Poly-Substance Abuse
- UnHealthy Eating Patterns
- Beliefs on Risks, Benefits, and Consequences Associated with Behaviors
- Cultural Factors Affecting Health DIsparities
Graduate Student Research:
- Smoking risk perceptions in adolescents and young adults
- Eating and exercise behaviors
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Health Disparities and Personality Psychology Graduate Courses: Health Disparities and Health Risk BehaviorsCurrent Graduate Students: 2
Community Affiliation:
- American Public Health Association
- HSRI's Translational Research Group
- Memeber of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Funding to support research staff to facilitate participant recruitment and data collection
Recent Success:
- Co-Primary Investigator on $3 Million grant NCI Grant Examining the Effect of Tobacco Advocacy at the State Level
- Author for the last Surgeon General’s report on adolescent tobacco use (2012)
Hometown: Beatrice,NE
- B.A.: Bethel College, Newton, KS
- MPH: University of Alabama
- PhD: University of Alabama
Joined UC Merced: 2013
Current Research Focus:
Health and illness occur in the context of daily family life; by understanding these processes, we have the potential to promote better health, better illness management, and better family relationships.
- Parent-child relationships and diabetes management
- Ethnic disparities in diabetes management
- Managing diabetes during adolescence
- Executive functions and illness management; Depression and diabetes.
- Family interventions to promote HPV vaccine uptake in pediatric care
- Stress, coping and health
- Couples coping with prostate cancer
Health Psychology; Pediatric Psychology
Areas of expertise:
- Clinical Psychology
- Pediatric Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Emerging Adulthood
Graduate Student Research:
- Socioeconomic and ethnic disparities in pediatric disease management
- Resilience, stress, and health
- Social support and diabetes management
Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate Courses: Health Psychology; Clinical Psychology Graduate Courses: Relationships and Health; Teaching PracticumCurrent Graduate Students: 3
Community Affiliation:
- UCM Alliance for Child & Family Health and Development
- Member of HSRI Executive Committee
Current Funding Needs:
- Funding to support research staff to facilitate participant recruitment and data collection in health clinics and hospital settings
Recent Success:
- Scholarly lead on a special issue of the American Psychologist to inform a wide audience (patients, providers, researchers, clinicians) about the central role of psychology in diabetes.