Cleveland, OH
I am a behavioral scientist with a strong background in health behavior and research methodology where I design and implement interventions to improve the quality of primary care. Much of my work focuses on diagnosis and management of chronic illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. I spent almost 4 years as a postdoctoral researcher for the United States Department of Agriculture. During that time, I was a Co-Principal Investigator on 6 research projects in the Healthy Body Weight Research Unit, all related to exercise behavior both in adults and children ages 8-12, diet behavior, and/or sedentary behavior. I am currently a research scientist at Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, under the mentorship of Dr. Goutham Rao, a leading expert for both adults and children on conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Many of my recent projects explore the use of novel technology for patients across the lifespan. These include virtual peer support groups for diabetes management, active video games to increase active play in children, and a survey to examine older primary care patients experience with and barriers to using telemedicine. I am the recipient of a pilot award to implement and evaluate peer support groups for patients with diabetes and obesity. I also received a highly competitive 2021-2022 fellowship from the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine to examine recognition rates and diagnostic pathways associated with unintentional weight loss, a common, yet frequently underdiagnosed marker of cancer.
