Faculty and research scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and from other universities or health care organizations in the State of Texas whose research fits the mission of St. David’s CHPR can become Affiliates of the Center. St. David’s CHPR affiliates will receive communications about the Center’s activities, including invitations to meetings and events. The Affiliates list is a way to find potential collaborators who are focused on health promotion and underserved populations. If the affiliate is a member of The University of Texas at Austin, they are eligible to apply for a St. David’s CHPR pilot grant.
Individuals who are interested in becoming a St. David’s CHPR Affiliate are asked to submit:
- A current CV or resume.
- Complete and submit the affiliate application form (PDF).
List of Affiliates with Area & Research Interest
| Name & Title | Area | Research Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Acton, Gayle Associate Professor & Assistant Dean | School of Nursing | Health promotion & self-care in older adults |
| Angel, Jacqueline Professor | LBJ School of Public Affairs & Sociology | Research methods, gender roles, culturally sensitive research methods & instruments |
| Angel, Ronald Professor | Sociology | Health issues of Hispanic populations, particularly elderly |
| Bartholomew, John Professor & Department Chair | Kinesiology & Health Education | Exercise in older Mexican-American women |
| Becker, Heather Research Scientist | School of Nursing | Research methodology, program evaluations, & health promotion for people with disabilities. |
| Brown, Richard A. Research Professor | School of Nursing | Treatment of tobacco dependence and substance use disorders in adults and adolescents, comorbid psychiatric disorders, technology and social media interventions, exercise interventions, distress tolerance, motivational interviewing |
| Brown, Carolyn Professor & St. David’s CHPR Advisory Committee member | Pharmacy | Religiosity, time orientation, decision-making & their relationship to medication adherence in ethnically diverse samples. Hypertension & African Americans |
| Brown, Sharon Professor Emerita | School of Nursing | Health promotion / disease prevention in diabetic Mexican Americans |
| Busch-Armendariz, Noel Professor | School of Social Work | Violence against women & children; social & public policy; social justice; international social work education, training & practice; & adoption & child welfare issues |
| Choi, Namkee Professor | School of Social Work | Social Policy for older persons (Social Security & Supplemental Security Income); social gerontology (long-term care; service utilization; minority aging); program evaluation |
| Clark, Angela Emeritus Professor | School of Nursing | Health promotion/interventions for persons with heart failure |
| Coyle, Edward Professor | Kinesiology & Health Education | Exercise physiology. Metabolism. Nutrition. |
| Cubbin, Catherine Professor & Associate Dean for Research, & St. David’s CHPR Advisory Committee member | School of Social Work | Uses epidemiological methods to better understand socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequalities in health for the purpose of informing policy |
| Danesh, Valerie Assistant Professor | School of Nursing | Development and implementation of self-management interventions tailored to survivors of critical illness. |
| Freeland-Graves, Jeanne Professor | Nutritional Sciences | Nutritional needs of women from a biochemical perspective |
| Garcia, Alexandra Associate Professor | School of Nursing | Diabetes symptoms of Mexican Americans |
| Gordon, Edmund T. Associate Professor | Anthropology | African-American anthropology, economic anthropology, maritime anthropology, ethnicity & social stratification |
| Granillo, Teresa Lecturer | School of Social Work | Latina/o adolescents & young adult mental health issues including eating disorders, mental health literacy, & mental health service utilization |
| Guidry, Jeff Associate Professor, Texas A&M University | Health & Kinesiology | Researcher with expertise in preventive behaviors in rural & minority populations |
| Haley, Andreana Associate Professor | Psychology | Aging, cognition, cognitive impairment, metabolic syndrome, neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI, MRS) |
| Harrison, Tracie Professor | School of Nursing | Aging with disabilities; specifically the intersection between age related change & functional impairment & how that affects social role performance & subsequent health outcomes in women |
| Hawkins II, Ray Clinical Assistant Professor | Psychology | General area of psychotherapy treatment, outcome effectiveness evaluation, specifically the interactions between personality dimensions & cognitive-behavioral interventions; also the study of addictive behaviors & their relationship to family of origin & psychological variables |
| Haynes, Mike Recovery Coordinator, Seton Brain & Spine Institute, Executive Director, Lone Star Paralysis Association | Lone Star Paralysis Association | Adaptive fitness expert |
| Heinzelman, Susan Associate Professor & Director, Center for Women’s & Gender Studies | English | 18th century women’s novels; feminism, law, & literature |
| Hendrickson, Sherry Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing | School of Nursing | Underserved, Spanish-speaking populations, reducing childhood injury & improving parental home safety behaviors |
| Henneghan, Ashley M. Assistant Professor | School of Nursing | Dr. Henneghan’s research integrates multiple levels of scientific investigation including biobehavioral methods, cognitive science, and patient reported outcomes. Her research focuses on both understanding the underlying mechanisms of cancer-related cognitive impairment and evaluating targeted interventions to improve cognition following cancer treatment. This area of research is understudied, and there are currently no treatment guidelines for this late effect of cancer. |
| Holahan, Carole K. Professor Emerita | Department of Kinesiology and Health Education | Adult development and aging; psychosocial predictors of health behavior; successful aging; and women’s health |
| Holahan, Charles J. Professor | Psychology | Stress & coping process. Recent research has examined adaptive strategies for coping with cardiovascular illness (with Carole K. Holahan), & adaptive coping strategies among caregivers of medically ill children |
| Holleran, Lori Professor & Associate Dean | School of Social Work | Substance abuse prevention. Culturally grounded social work practice (especially ethnic identity of Mexican American youth). Social work with groups. |
| Horner, Sharon Professor, Associate Dean for Research & St. David’s Advisory Committee member | School of Nursing | Self-management of chronic conditions in childhood |
| Ivy, John Professor Emeritus | Kinesiology & Health Education | Interested in the regulation of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle & the mechanisms by which exercise training prevents & alleviates insulin resistance & type II diabetes. Acute & chronic effects of exercise on muscle metabolism |
| Jang, Yuri Associate Professor & St. David’s CHPR Pilot Principal Investigator | School of Social Work | Gerontology; health disparities; minority aging; mental health and service utilization |
| Jensen, Jody Professor | Kinesiology & Health Education, Psychology | Biomechanical & neurophysiological factors that influence skill acquisition in infants & children & motor performance declines in older adults. Current projects include the development of muscle force regulation abilities in children as an underlying mechanism supporting the development of motor skills, & age-related changes in the postural control of aging adults |
| Johnson, Karen Associate Professor & Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar | School of Nursing | Adolescent health and social disparities, public health surveillance in alternative schools, promoting resilience and positive youth development (particularly through sport and physical activity) among vulnerable adolescents |
| Jones, Barbara L. Professor & Associate Dean for Health Affairs | School of Social Work | Pediatric palliative & end of life care, grief & loss, childhood cancer survivors, hope & resiliency, spirituality & international social work |
| Jones, Joni L. Professor Emerita | College of Fine Arts | Performance scholarship that focuses on identity, ethnography, Yoruba-based performance aesthetics, Black Feminisms & Theatre for Social Change |
| Kim, Miyong Professor & Associate VP for Community Engagement | School of Nursing | Community partnered health intervention, minority health – instrumentation, comparative epidemiology, and program evaluation |
| Kim, Su Yeong Professor | Development & Family Science | Health disparities in Chinese & Mexican immigrant families, with a focus on acculturation & parenting |
| Kwak, Jung Associate Professor | School of Nursing | Long-term care policy, dementia care, end-of-life decision-making, surrogate decision-making among dementia caregivers in both urban and rural areas, decision-aid and coaching interventions for family caregivers, and non-pharmacological interventions for persons with dementia in nursing homes. |
| Lewis, Carol Associate Director, Center for Social Work Research | School of Social Work | Women’s Health, services to victims of violence, program evaluation, & cultural diversity |
| Loukas, Alexandra Professor & Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies | Kinesiology & Health Education | Socioemotional development of children & adolescents, particularly the development of aggression & substance use/abuse |
| Mackert, Michael Associate Professor & Director, Center for Health Communication, & St. David’s CHPR Advisory Committee member | Advertising | Telemedicine, telecommunication technology, health communication, health literacy & online communities |
| Meininger, Janet Lee & Joseph D. Jamail Distinguished Professor, UT Health Science Center Houston | Nursing Systems | Researcher in adolescents & cardiovascular & minority health |
| Meston, Cynthia Professor | Psychology | Sexual psychophysiology, sexual dysfunction, relation between sexual abuse & sexual function, & the influence of acculturation on sexuality |
| Nosek, Margaret Professor, Executive Director, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities | Baylor College of Medicine | Women with disabilities |
| Nydegger, Liesl Assistant Professor | Kinesiology & Health Education | Reducing risk behaviors among underserved populations who experience health disparities. Specifically, focused on HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention, substance use, and violence (e.g., structural violence, community violence, intimate partner violence, and childhood sexual abuse) known as the SAVA syndemic. Using behavioral change theories with an understanding of structural causes (i.e., housing instability and poverty) of HIV/STDs, use of new biomedical interventions such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help prevent HIV and STDs among underserved populations such as high-risk, minority women. |
| Osier, Nico Assistant Professor | School of Nursing, School of Medicine | Identifying biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis and prognosis in pediatric TBI, a very understudied condition. Consideration of racial/ethnic differences in TBI recovery is also a focus. |
| Ossai, Uchenna Assistant Professor | Dell Medical School, Department of Women’s Health | Exploring the impact of gender, sexual, and racial discrimination on sexual function, pelvic floor disorders, and healthcare seeking behavior among persons of color who identify as women or as part of the LGBTQIA communities. |
| Padilla, Yolanda Professor | Social Work | Social inequality; Latin American & gay & lesbian populations |
| Pomeroy, Elizabeth Professor | School of Social Work | AIDS. The effectiveness of psychosocial group interventions for PLWHs. Psychosocial research of childhood cancer survivors & their families. Mental health interventions for persons with chronic illnesses |
| Pounders, Kathrynn (Kate) Assistant Professor | Moody College of Communication | Consumer psychology, specifically focusing on how facets of motivation - identity, emotions, and the goal-striving process - interact to influence consumer responses to health communication. |
| Rew, Lynn Professor & St. David’s CHPR Advisory Committee member | School of Nursing | Vulnerability & help seeking behaviors of homeless Hispanic adolescents |
| Rountree, Michele Associate Professor | School of Social Work | Core research focus is in the area of health disparities in relation to socio-political, cultural & structural factors. Specific, narrowed inquiry is in the investigation of mental health & health associated with the intersection between intimate partner abuse (IPA) & the heightened risk for HIV/AIDS, in addition to the examination of development & evaluation of evidence-based HIV/AIDS interventions & prevention strategies tailored to women & communities of color |
| Spence, Richard Research Professor | School of Social Work | Substance abuse; performance management; treatment services; technology transfer |
| Spirduso, Waneen Professor Emeritus | Kinesiology & Health Education | Relationship of physical activity to cognitive ability & aging |
| Staiger, Janet Professor Emeritus | Radio, Television & Film | Poststructural & postfeminist approaches to authorial studies, historiographical practices in media studies, slasher films, & emotions & genres, as well as continuing interests in reception studies, gender & sexuality studies |
| Steinhardt, Mary A. Ombudsperson (Faculty), Distinguished Teaching Professor | Kinesiology & Health Education | Mind-body health reflecting a person-centered approach to wellness & resiliency; & the relationship of individual behavioral dispositions to job-related characteristics & work-related outcomes. |
| Stout, Patricia John P. McGovern Regents Professor in Health & Medical Science Communication | Advertising | Research focuses on viewer response to persuasive messages & advertising, with particular attention to individuals' emotional response to advertising & health-promotion messages; the role of social marketing & the effectiveness of health communication; media & mental illness stigma; trust & credibility relevant to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription medicines & the role of media in ameliorating mental illness stigma |
| Stuifbergen, Alexa Dean, Professor & Ex-Officio member of St. David’s CHPR Advisory Committee | School of Nursing | Health promotion & quality of life in chronic illness & in women with multiple sclerosis |
| Tanaka, Hirofumi Professor | Kinesiology & Health Education | Influence of age & lifestyle modifications (particularly physical activity) on cardiovascular function & disease risk, masters athletes & athletic performance, physiology of swimming |
| Timmerman, Gayle Associate Professor & Associate Dean for Academic Affairs | School of Nursing | Dieting & binge eating in women & research methodology |
| Umberson, Debra Professor | Sociology | Sociology of mental health, social relationships, medical sociology, gender, aging & the life course, & death & dying |
| Velasquez, Mary Professor | School of Social Work | Development & implementation of interventions using the Transtheoretical Model of Change & Motivational Interviewing, health behavior interventions including HIV prevention, prenatal health, alcohol & other substance abuse, smoking cessation, & prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder |
| Walker, Lorraine Luci B. Johnson Centennial Professor in Nursing, St. David’s CHPR & Advisory Committee member | School of Nursing | Health promotion of childbearing-aged women, psychosocial dimensions of parenting & health in the childbearing years |
| Wilcox, Richard Professor Emeritus | Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology | Structure-activity relationships for drugs to treat psychiatric & neurological disease & the craving to psychostimulants & ethanol. Cellular & molecular consequences of short-term agonist treatment. Develop improved models for testing pharmacological theory & to provide translation of neurobiological research to public. |
| Wright, Michelle Assistant Professor | School of Nursing | Focus on maternal health during pregnancy, with primary interest on the vaginal microbiome and downstream effects on birth outcomes; evaluating -omic measures related to: preterm birth, preeclampsia, vitamin D status, GBS colonization, developmental programming in offspring, cardiovascular disease, and health disparities in underserved populations, to develop new approaches to prevent disparities. |
| Xie, Bo Associate Professor & St. David’s CHPR Pilot Principal Investigator | School of Nursing | Health informatics; e-health literacy; lifelong learning |
| Zuñiga, Julie Assistant Professor | School of Nursing | Self-management of multi-morbidities with a focus on persons with a dual diagnosis of HIV and diabetes, interdisciplinary approaches to improve the health of underserved people. |
