Students

PhD Faculty Mentors

Edson PhD Program Faculty Mentors

 

Every PhD student is supported and mentored by our diverse team of faculty who are well-prepared to help guide your projects and provide ongoing feedback and advice on your research. Explore our team of faculty experts and their areas of research below.

Every PhD student is supported and mentored by our diverse team of faculty who are well-prepared to help guide your projects and provide ongoing feedback and advice on your research. Explore our team of faculty experts and their areas of research below.

Mentor PictureResearch InterestsExpertise Area
profile picture for Angel Algarin

Angel Algarin

Angel.Algarin@asu.edu

Impact of social stigma on health disparities (e.g. substance use, mental health, HIV prevention and care) among marginalized communities (e.g. sexual and gender minorities, Latinos, people who use drugs); impact of coping, resistance, and resilience mechanisms to buffer the effects of stigma on health.

Stigma
HIV
LGBT Health
Latino Health
Global Health
Quantitative Research Methods
profile picture for Ross AndelRoss Andel
randel1@asu.edu
Risk factors for cognitive decline, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia; work, retirement and cognitive aging; disaster preparedness and quality of long-term care.
Aging
Epidemiology
Alzheimer's
Long-term Care
Dementia
Healthy Aging
profile picture for Zachary BakerZachary Baker
zachbaker@asu.edu
My aim is to better understand, develop, evaluate, and disseminate technological tools and psychosocial resources that help caregivers and persons with dementia to thrive during and after the dementia caregiving process. This is accomplished through the use of advanced methods (e.g., interventions, longitudinal studies, event momentary assessment, dyadic data collection), statistics (e.g., multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, response surface analysis), and psychological theory/perspectives (e.g., self-determination theory, attachment theory, positive psychology). I also consider collaborating with my community partners an essential part of the work I do and convene the Supporting Dementia Caregivers After Death Community Advisory Board.
Healthy Aging
Alzheimer's
Dementia
Caregivers
Public and Community Health
Social Health
Social Psychology
profile picture for DeAnnah Byrd
DeAnnah Byrd
DeAnnah.Byrd@asu.edu
Risk and protective factors for cognitive decline and dementia in older adults, particularly African American; biological mechanisms (e.g., cardiometabolic risk factors, HPA axis dysregulation, inflammation, and other stress-sensitive biomarkers) of healthy cognitive aging.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Health Disparities
Mobile Health
Resilience/Wellness
Women’s Health
profile picture for Fiorella Carlos Chavez
Fiorella Carlos Chavez
Fiorella.Carlos.Chavez@asu.edu
Application of qualitative and mixed-methodologies to understand the implications of culture, family and work-life related stressors on Latino migrant farmworker adolescents’ well-being; the effects of stress and household food insecurity on Latino/a/x families' and essential workers’ mental health.
Mixed Methods
Resilience/Wellness
profile picture for Felipe Castro
Felipe Castro
Felipe.Castro@asu.edu
602-496-1720
Resilient coping with stressful life events: Promoting post-traumatic growth. Psychosocial factors in diabetes prevention and management in Latino/Hispanic populations. Application of mixed Methods research designs in the cultural adaptation of prevention and treatment interventions.
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Mixed Methods
Resilience/Wellness
profile picture for David Coon
David Coon
David.W.Coon@asu.edu
602-496-0763
Design, evaluation, and translation of effective psychosocial interventions for midlife & older adults facing chronic illness (e.g., dementia, chronic depression, HIV/AIDS, cancer) and their family caregivers.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Caregiving
profile picture for Joseph Daniels
Joseph Daniels
Joseph.A.Daniels@asu.edu
Development of interventions to improve HIV, TB and cancer treatment outcomes for sexual and gender minorities and men globally; implementation science, global health, mHealth, and qualitative and community-based participatory research methods.
Cancer
Global Health
Implementation Science
LGBTQ Health
Men's Health
Mobile Health
HIV
TB
profile picture for Kelly Davis
Kelly Davis
Kelly.Cue.Davis@asu.edu
602-496-3217
Gender-based violence including sexual violence and intimate partner violence; sexual and reproductive health; sexual risk behavior; substance use and addictions; trauma. Current research focuses on theory development and expansion, mixed methods approaches, and intervention development and implementation.
Gender-based Violence
Mixed Methods
Sexual Health
Substance Use/Abuse
Trauma
Women’s Health
profile picture for Hanne Dolan
Hanne Dolan
Hanne.Dolan@asu.edu
602-496-3766
My research is centered around nursing care of hospitalized older adults with a specific focus on fall prevention in rural and small community hospitals. I am exploring hospitalized older adults’ perceptions and experiences in relation to accidental falls and their balance management behaviors, as a foundation to develop systems-based inpatient fall prevention interventions. Methodological approaches include qualitative and quantitative methods, strongly grounded in nursing philosophy and theories of nursing, aging, and health beliefs.
Acute Care
Aging/Gerontology
Fall Prevention
Nursing
Nursing Education
Theory Development
Rural Health
profile picture for Julie Fleury
Julie Fleury
Julie.Fleury@asu.edu
602-496-0773
Motivational determinates of primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease; particular emphasis on community building for prevention in vulnerable populations; theory testing; model generation.
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
profile picture for Hannah Giasson
Hannah Giasson
Hannah.Giasson@asu.edu
Study of the complex interplay between views of aging and individuals’ health and well-being; study of factors that shape attitudes, biases, and beliefs about aging at the individual, interpersonal, and societal levels; the role of views of aging in people's decisions, behaviors, and health and well-being; interventions for improving views of aging across the life span.
Aging 
Developmental Psychology
Emotion
Health and Well-Being
Healthy Aging
Lifelong Learning
Social and Emotional Development 
profile picture for Aaron Guest
Aaron Guest
Aaron.Guest@asu.edu
602-496-0782
Social and structural determinants of person-environment fit; influence of spatial and social networks on health; development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions to improve health outcomes among underrepresented communities (i.e., rural, sexual and gender minorities); intersection of aging and public health and environmental/planetary health.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Health Disparities
Health Promotion & Communication
Mixed Methods
profile picture for Rachel Gur-Arie,Rachel Gur-Arie
rgurarie@asu.edu
Gur-Arie is a public health ethicist trained in health systems management, whose research lies at the intersection of bioethics, global health, and decision-making. Her research primarily focuses on the ethics of vaccines, trust in public health, and health equity.
Health Law and Policy
Public Health
Global Health
Health Equity
Vaccine hesitancy
Ethical Decision Making
profile picture for Debra Hagler
Debra Hagler
DEBRA.HAGLER@asu.edu
602-496-0802
Clinical research interests include assessment of health professionals’ continuing competence, situational/workplace learning, and clinical discourse/decision making. Educational research interests include investigating effective teaching strategies and integrating technologies such as human patient simulation into academic programs
Nursing & Interprofessional Education
profile picture for Julia Hammett
Julia Hammett
Julia.Hammett@asu.edu
Examining predictors of intimate partner aggression and violence among couples from low-income communities, with a particular focus on socioeconomic factors and alcohol use. Adapting and developing interventions for couples experiencing intimate partner aggression and violence.
Intimate partner violence;
Alcohol use
Health equity
Dyadic methods
profile picture for Rodney Joseph
Rodney Joseph
Rodney.Joseph@asu.edu
602-496-0772
Development, implementation, and evaluation of theory-based, culturally relevant behavioral interventions to promote physical activity and reduce cardiometabolic disease risk among racial/ethnic minority women, with a particular focus on the use of innovative technologies (i.e. smartphone applications, text messaging, social media) to deliver these interventions.
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Health Disparities
Physical Activity/Exercise
Women’s Health
profile picture for Sunny Kim
Sunny Kim
Sunny.Kim@asu.edu
602-496-6789
Developing and testing the efficacy of narrative-based storytelling as a therapeutic communication/coping tool that can address deeper layers of psychosocial emotional challenges in cancer patients and caregivers. Investigating social and supportive care needs and quality of life & Heart Rate Variability (HRV) rhythms as an objective and neurophysiological assessment.
Cancer
Caregiving
Health Promotion & Communication
profile picture for Rachel Koffer
Rachel Koffer
Rachel.Koffer@asu.edu
Rachel uses innovative methodologies to link stress (e.g., everyday hassles, major life events) to health and well-being across adulthood and aging. Her doctoral training at Penn State included a National Science Foundation Big Data Social Science IGERT and an NIA Pathways to Successful Aging T32. Her postdoctoral work was supported by a NHLBI Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine T32 at the University of Pittsburgh.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Health Disparities
Health Innovation and Technology
Mobile Health
Women’s Health
profile picture for Shelby Langer
Shelby Langer
Shelby.Langer@asu.edu
602-496-0823
Dyadic communication, coping and emotion regulation in the context of chronic illness; cancer survivorship and caregiving; pediatric pain; and social determinants of obesity. Methodological approaches span subjective, objective and physiological assessments, and observational and experimental/ interventional designs.
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Caregiving
profile picture for Linda Larkey
Linda Larkey
Linda.Larkey@asu.edu
602-496-0740
Testing theory-based methods of communicating health promotion messages (including the emotional impact of Storytelling) to underserved/low-income populations, community-based participatory research practices, and examining mind-body methods (tai Chi, Qigong, Heart-focused Meditation) of alleviating emotional distress and symptoms in cancer patients and survivors.
Cancer
Health Promotion & Communication
profile picture for Rebecca Lee
Rebecca Lee
Rebecca.E.Lee@asu.edu
Implementing and disseminating innovative interventions to increase physical activity and improve dietary habits and related outcomes in Hispanic women and children in the US and Mexico using mobile and digital health strategies. Using community-based participatory research approaches and mixed methodologies (quantitative and qualitative) to guide research, policy implementation and state-of-the science best practices.
Health Disparities
Health Policy
Hispanic Health
Mixed Methods
Mobile Health
Nutrition
Physical Activity/Exercise
Sexual Health
Women’s Health
profile picture for Derek Manis
Derek Manis
Derek.Manis@asu.edu
Home and Long-Term Care; Health Services Research; Primary Care; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Administrative Data
Administrative Data
Epidemiology
Health Economics
Home and Long-Term Care
Primary Care
Dementia
profile picture for Molly Maxfield
Molly Maxfield
Molly.Maxfield@asu.edu
602-496-2311
Dementia-related anxiety among middle-aged and older adults, differences between subjective and objective memory functioning, and long-term effects of childhood maltreatment among older adults.
Aging/Cognitive Science
profile picture for Barret Michalec
Barret Michalec
Barret.Michalec@asu.edu
Health Occupations Education; Interactions in the Healthcare Setting; Disparities in Health and Healthcare; Experiences of Health and Illness; Empathy; Processes of Prosocial Behavior; Emotions
Health Disparities
Nursing & Interprofessional Education
profile picture for Abigail Gomez Morales
Abigail Gomez Morales
agomezm1@asu.edu
602-543-6672
Her research focuses on skill-building interventions for caregivers of people with dementia with the support of virtual reality and to better understand the role of caregivers and their families. Also, research activities focus on environmental concerns and how to implement greener solutions when delivering care to our community.
Aging
Caregiving
Alzheimer's disease
Virtual Reality
Gerontechnology
Geen economy and sustainable development
Nursing
profile picture for Chung Jung Mun
Chung Jung Mun
ChungJung.Mun@asu.edu
602-496-0809
Investigating biopsychosocial individual differences and momentary dynamics of pain processing and coping; the role of sleep/circadian disturbances and cannabis/cannabinoid intake in pain and opioid use; and technology-based intervention programs for chronic pain and addiction. He directs the Biobehavioral Pain, Addiction, Sleep, and Momentary Experience (Bi-PAS ME) Research Laboratory.
Mobile Health
Sleep and Circadian Science
Substance Use/Abuse
profile picture for Janet O'Brien
Janet O'Brien
jeobrien@asu.edu
602-496-1415
Research and educational interests include simulation-based learning and assessment; competency-based assessment of health care professionals; simulation design and implementation utilizing standardized patients, manikins, and hybrid modalities; curriculum development; measurement; and quantitative analysis.
Simulation-based education
profile picture for Eyitayo OwolabiEyitayo Owolabi
Eyitayo.Owolabi@asu.edu
602-543-8078
Understanding multilevel drivers of type 2 diabetes (T2D) disparities (i.e., disparities in access to care, management, and outcomes) and designing interventions to address such drivers. Leveraging digital health technologies to facilitate engagement in diabetes self-management behaviors (e.g., healthy diets, physical activity, coping and stress reduction, problem-solving, medication adherence, glucose monitoring) among underserved populations (e.g., low-income, racial/ethnic minorities groups). I adopt qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs and conduct research in the US and Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda).
Diabetes
Cardiometabolic diseases
Global Health
Digital Health
Health disparities
Community-based participatory research
profile picture for Thomas ParsonsThomas Parsons
Thomas.Parsons@asu.edu
Integration of computational social science, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, and simulation technologies for novel assessment, modeling, and training of neurocognitive, affective, and social processes; interactions among virtual humans, actual humans, and social networks; use of novel technologies (e.g., virtual reality) and novel computational approaches (e.g., machine learning) to assess neuropsychological functioning, social cognition, and everyday functional capacities.
Neuropsychology
Educational Technologies
Virtual Reality
Gerontechnology
Ehealth
Mhealth
profile picture for Alexandra Peckham
Alexandra Peckham
Allie.Peckham@asu.edu
602-496-1333
Research aims to understand health system design, change, and impact on caregivers and other complex populations including those living with chronic conditions. Methodological approaches include qualitative and comparative health policy approaches.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Caregiving
Health Policy
profile picture for Megan Petrov
Megan Petrov
Megan.Petrov@asu.edu
602-496-2297
Sleep health inequities across various sociodemographic/economic/age groups. The role sleep plays in the etiology of chronic disease particularly cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic pain, cancer, and metabolic conditions. Adapting and developing sleep-related interventions that improve sleep, reduce health inequities, and prevent chronic disease. Mental health issues (mood and anxiety disorders, coping with chronic illness).
Aging/Cognitive Science
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Health Disparities
Maternal/Pediatric Health
Microbiologic and Omics approaches
Sleep and Circadian Science
profile picture for Janet Pohl
Janet Pohl
janet.pohl@asu.edu
602-496-0749
The health implications of family-caregiver and older adult social isolation. The role of technology use across generations of family-caregivers. The conceptual definition and measurement of the social isolation construct for research and clinical assessment – intervention development to decrease social isolation.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Caregiving
Nursing & Interprofessional Education
profile picture for Alyssa Robillard
Alyssa Robillard
Alyssa.Robillard@asu.edu
602-496-1498
Health education and promotion (and disease prevention) using community-engaged approaches. Health disparities/health equity in marginalized communities. Development, implementation, and evaluation of theoretically based interventions. Qualitative research. Areas of interest: HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment; narratives in public health, HIV workforce; incarceration and health.
Health Disparities
Health Promotion & Communication
Sexual Health
profile picture for Heather Ross
Heather Ross
heather.m.ross@asu.edu
Health equity and policy, with special interests in homelessness, dementia, mental health crisis, public safety, low literacy, digital equity, and information literacy in the developing world. Co-Director of SolarSPELL Health. Dr. Ross maintains an active clinical practice as an adult nurse practitioner in cardiac electrophysiology.
Health Policy
Science & Technology Policy
Public Safety
Implementation Science
Homelessness
Cardiology
profile picture for Joseph Saenz
Joseph Saenz
Joseph.L.Saenz@asu.edu
Understanding and explaining disparities in late-life cognitive outcomes using socioeconomic status, marriage, resilience, and environmental exposures throughout the life-course; health of the Mexican origin population on both sides of the United States Mexico border.
Health Disparities
Cognitive Aging
Marriage and Family
Resilience
Food Insecurity
Air Pollution
Latin America
Latino Aging
Quantitative Methods
Structural Equation Modeling
profile picture for Gabriel Shaibi
Gabriel Shaibi
Gabriel.Shaibi@asu.edu
602-496-0909
Cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in overweight populations; fitness and disease risk and the impact of exercise on the physiologic health status of overweight youth.
Cardiometabolic Diseases/Conditions
Maternal/Pediatric Health
Physical Activity/Exercise
profile picture for Michael Todd
Michael Todd
mike.todd@asu.edu
602-496-0917
Quantitative methods, especially as they apply to multilevel research questions, including intensive longitudinal designs (e.g., daily diary, ecological momentary assessment) and cluster randomized trials. Substantive interests include stress, affect, coping, substance use, physical activity, and health behavior models.
Biostatistics
profile picture for Johannah Uriri-Glover
Johannah Uriri-Glover
Johannah.Uriri-Glover@asu.edu
602-496-0769
Gerontology; nursing interventions which will address problems associated with activities of daily living in persons with dementia cared for by family members or nursing assistants.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Caregiving
profile picture for Shawn Youngstedt
Shawn Youngstedt
Shawn.Youngstedt@asu.edu
602-496-0242
Current research is funded by the DoD. We are examining ways to accelerate adjustment to simulated jet lag in the laboratory. We are also proposing to examine whether improvements in circadian synchronization and sleep can help cancer patients.
Sleep and Circadian Science
profile picture for Fang Yu
Fang Yu
Fang.Yu.2@asu.edu
602-496-0969
Fang Yu is a leading scientist in developing and testing exercise interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Her vision is to improve function and quality of life for older adults with dementia and their family caregivers. Since 2005, she has been testing the effects and mechanisms of aerobic exercise alone and in combination with other interventions such as iPad-based or computerized cognitive training on cognition, while using blood and imaging biomarkers to study mechanisms.
Aging/Cognitive Science
Caregiving
Physical Activity/Exercise