First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
Stephanie,Kirkland,Dr.,,Instructional Assistant Professor,Health Policy and Management,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n43c6b386
Sherecce,Fields,Professor,"My research focuses on the trans-disease processes of cognitive and emotional dysregulation and how these factors affect health-risk behaviors in adolescents. Identifying trans-disease processes that contribute to the development or maintenance of multiple diagnostic categories -- that underlie both substance use and obesity -- can enhance the development of interventions that target the underlying process rather than specific symptoms of a single disorder. This not only provides a more efficient approach to treatment, it is particularly relevant to health disparities. I am especially interested in how these trans-disease processes interact with family, social, and psychological factors to increase engagement in health-related risk behaviors, and the development of appropriate prevention and intervention tools that can be used to improve health outcomes in youth. I conceptualize these processes in the context of physical and mental health disparities as they relate to stress, minority status (race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender) and socioeconomic factors (food insecurity).",Faculty Fellow||Professor||Associate Department Head||Faculty Affiliate||Associate Professor,Center for Health Systems and Design||Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9f216306
Laura,Smith,Assistant Professor,"I am interested in the molecular and circuit mechanisms of complex behavior and how alterations in synaptic connectivity between neurons lead to the maladaptive features of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Impairments in synaptic pruning are observed in autism spectrum disorders and may contribute to symptoms such as sensory hypersensitivity and social overstimulation. Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse also alters synapses in brain reward regions, and addiction-related synaptic and behavioral changes, similar to learning and memory, require the synthesis, or translation, of proteins in their local vicinity. Together these findings suggest that addiction is promoted and sustained through the coercion of normal plasticity mechanisms. Thus, investigating the function of developmental proteins in the adult brain, with regard to psychiatric and substance-related disorders, may reveal novel therapeutic and preventative strategies.",Assistant Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na60823cc
Linnae,Hutchison,Director of Research,,Director of Research,School of Nursing,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb9528db6
Shawn,Chiang,Assistant Professor,"Dr. Shawn Chiang is a social behavioral scientist focusing on reducing health disparity in cancer control related health behaviors through translational digital health & communication science. Dr. Chiang utilizes both quantitative and qualitative research designs, and employs a variety of analysis methods to answer research questions. He views the digital media environment as a social determinant of health and engage with community members to understand their barriers, and design culturally responsive behavioral and communication interventions so they can attain the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
To date, the primary aims of his research are 1) to enhance the understanding of the individual, interpersonal, and social determinants of health that can contribute to behavioral change, particularly related to cancer prevention, 2) to understand opportunities and challenges for using new communication technologies for health behaviors, and 3) to develop and evaluate novel, theoretically-grounded methods and products that make use of communication technologies.",Assistant Professor,Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndae83d99
Megan,Patterson,Assistant Professor,"Dr. Patterson's research focuses on using network analysis to measure how social and spatial networks impact the overall wellbeing of individuals and communities. Her training in research methods and network analysis provides ample opportunities to design, conduct, and collaborate on a variety of studies within behavioral science. Most recently, this has involved using a network perspective to study compulsive exercise and body satisfaction among sorority members, interpersonal violence on college campuses, addiction recovery communities, adolescent physical activity, and inner-city risk networks for long-haul truck drivers, among others.",Assistant Professor,Kinesiology and Sport Management,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/neb51158c