Membership
Joining the Health and Wellness Research Community at Kennesaw State University offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow researchers
possessing complementary expertise, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration
essential for tackling complex health challenges. As a member, you'll have access
to a diverse network of internal and external partners, facilitating team-building
efforts and enhancing the scope and impact of your research projects.
Additionally, the cluster provides a supportive environment for peer-to-peer mentoring,
enabling knowledge exchange and professional development. By being part of the cluster,
you'll stay informed about internal and external funding opportunities, receive guidance
and support for grant writing, and benefit from thorough proposal reviews, increasing
the likelihood of securing resources to advance your research goals.
Join us to amplify your research efforts, forge meaningful collaborations, and make
a tangible difference in promoting health, well-being, and equity in our society.
Click this link to join
What we expect from members
Microgoals
- Engage in regular meetings
- Form or join working group(s)
- Set annual goals of the group and track progress
- Submit IRB
- Publications
- Internal Grant submission/funding
Macrogoals
- External grant submission/funding
- Patent submission
- Community programs
Current Members
The Health and Wellness Research Community comprises a dynamic group of researchers from diverse disciplines united by a common
goal: advancing health research to improve societal well-being. Our current members
bring a wealth of expertise in fields ranging from biology and public health to sociology
and engineering, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration at its finest. With a shared
commitment to excellence, innovation, and equity, our members actively engage in cutting-edge
research, community outreach, and collaborative initiatives. Together, we are a vibrant
community driving impactful change in health research and promoting healthier futures
for all.
MdAbdullah Al Hafiz Khan
Title: Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Affiliation: College of Computing and Software Engineering
Research focus areas: mHealth, IoT and Devices for Healthcare, AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare,
Brain-computing Interfaces, Mental Health, VR and XR.
Leah Benedict
Title: Associate Professor of English
Affiliation: Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Research focus areas: Medical Narrative, Relationships between language, metaphor, and bodily experience.
Bob Buresh
Title: Director of Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics Labs and Professor of Exercise Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Diabetes Interventions, Sport Performance, Body Composition, Metabolism, Cardiovascular.
Brandon Carpenter
Title: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology
Affiliation: College of Science and Math
Research focus areas: Molecular Biology, Genomics, and Epigenetics.
Daphney Carter
Title: Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Medical Imaging, Diabetes Interventions, Cardiovascular.
Sumit Chakravarty
Title: Assistant Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Associate
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Affiliation: Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Research focus areas: IoT and Devices for Healthcare, AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare, Medical Imaging,
Brain-computing Interfaces, Healthcare Informatics.
Craig Chin
Title: Assistant Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Associate
Professor of Electrical Engineering Technology
Affiliation: Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Research focus areas: Biomechanics, Infant Biomechanics, Cardiovascular, Maternal Health.
Chris Cornelison
Title: Interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization, Director of
Intellectual Property Development and Associate Professor of Microbiology
Affiliation: College of Science and Mathematics
Research focus areas: AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare, Infectious disease, therapeutics, diagnostics,
conservation biology.
Tracey Couse
Title: Lecturer of Nursing
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Neuroscience, Cardiovascular.
Brian Culp
Title: Professor of Health and Physical Education
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Youth, Health disparities, Health Policy.
Awatef Ergai
Title: Associate Professor of Systems and Industrial Engineering
Affiliation: Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, mHealth, Hospital care outcomes, Optimization research for
healthcare.
Allison Garefino
Title: Research Scholar, Social, Behavioral & Health Sciences
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: mHealth, VR and XR, AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare, Sport Performance, Prosthetics,
Biomechanics.
Maureen Garringer
Title: Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: mHealth.
Michael Hales
Title: Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Physical Education
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: mHealth, VR and XR, AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare, Sport Performance, Prosthetics,
Biomechanics.
Garrett Hester
Title: Associate Professor of Exercise Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Health disparities, Body Composition, Aging.
Chanler Hilley
Title: Assistant Professor of Psychology
Affiliation: Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Research focus areas: Health disparities, Mental Health, behavioral health & related disparities, program
evaluation, prevention science.
Katherine Ingram
Title: Associate Professor of Exercise Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, mHealth, IoT and Devices for Healthcare, Medical Imaging,
Diabetes Interventions, Maternal Health, Nutrition, Body Composition, Metabolism.
Jeannie Newton-Riner
Title: Assistant Professor of Integrated Health Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Hospital care outcomes, Emergency Department, Health disparities, Health Policy.
Sungchul Jung
Title: Assistant Professor of Gaming
Affiliation: Computing and Software Engineering
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, VR and XR, Brain-computing Interfaces, Mental Health, AI
and Machine Learning for Healthcare.
Stacey Kessler
Title: Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior/Human Resources Management
Affiliation: Coles College of Business
Research focus areas: Health Policy, Hospital care outcomes, Emergency Department, Health disparities,
Hospital capacity planning, Optimization research for healthcare, Economic Evaluation.
Whitney Preisser
Title: Assistant Professor of Ecology and Organismal Biology
Affiliation: College of Science and Mathematics
Research focus areas: Wildlife disease.
Adriane Randolph
Title: Interim Associate Dean for Community and Faculty Affairs and Professor of Information
Systems
Affiliation: Coles College of Business
Research focus areas: IoT and Devices for Healthcare, Brain-computing Interfaces, Neuroscience.
Amanda Rose Pratt
Title: Assistant Professor of English
Affiliation: Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Research focus areas: Health Policy, Economic Evaluation, Health disparities, Public health.
Darius Rush
Title: Lecturer of Nursing
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: Health Policy, Health disparities.
Nazmus Sakib
Title: Assistant Professor of Information Technology
Affiliation: Computing and Software Engineering
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, mHealth, Health disparities, Medical and Healthcare Security,
Infant Biomechanics, Alzheimer's, Dementia.
Christina Scherrer
Title: Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Industrial Engineering
Affiliation: Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Research focus areas: Biomechanics, Infant Biomechanics, Cardiovascular, Maternal Health.
Philippe Sucosky
Title: Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Affiliation: Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Research focus areas: Biomechanics, Infant Biomechanics, Cardiovascular, Maternal Health.
Monica Swahn
Title: Dean of Wellstar College of Health and Human Services and Dr. Betty L. Siegel Distinguished
Chair of Health and Wellness and Professor of Health Promotion and Physical Education
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: mHealth, Health Policy, Health disparities, Mental Health, Cancer, global health.
Jared Taglialatela
Title: Associate Professor of Biology
Affiliation: College of Science and Mathematics
Research focus areas: Neuroscience, Genetic Mechanism, Developmental Biology.
Dominic Thomas
Title: Associate Professor of Information Systems
Affiliation: Coles College of Business
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, mHealth, IoT and Devices for Healthcare, AI and Machine Learning
for Healthcare, VR and XR, Health Policy, Mental Health.
Joanna Wardwell-Ozgo
Title: Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Affiliation: College of Science and Mathematics
Research focus areas: Nutrition, Cancer, Metabolism, basic science.
Pengcheng Xiao
Title: Associate Professor of Mathematics
Affiliation: College of Science and Mathematics
Research focus areas: Healthcare Informatics, AI and Machine Learning for Healthcare, Medical Imaging,
Computational Biology, Neuroscience, Economic Evaluation.
Sarah Young
Title: Director of Research for the KSU CARES Programs and Professor of Political Science
Affiliation: Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Research focus areas: Health Policy, Economic Evaluation, Health disparities, Public health.
Mitchell Zaplatosch
Title: Assistant Professor of Exercise Science
Affiliation: Wellstar College of Health and Human Services
Research focus areas: mHealth, Sport Performance, Nutrition, Body Composition, Metabolism.
Liang Zhao
Title: Assistant Professor of Information Technology
Affiliation: College of Computing and Software Engineering
Research focus areas: IoT and Devices for Healthcare, Medical and Healthcare Security, AI and Machine Learning
for Healthcare.
Chen Zhao
Title: Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Affiliation: College of Computing and Software Engineering
Research focus areas: Medical Imaging, Computational Biology, Cardiovascular, Alzheimer's, Body Composition,
AI, Machine Learning for Healthcare.
Research Teams
The Health and Wellness Research Community is home to a diverse array of research teams, each dedicated to addressing pressing
health challenges through innovative interdisciplinary collaboration. From investigating
the microbiome's role in human health to exploring the social determinants of well-being,
our teams encompass a wide range of expertise and perspectives. With projects spanning
fields such as biology, public health, sociology, engineering, and beyond, our teams
are at the forefront of cutting-edge research aimed at improving health outcomes and
promoting equity in our communities.
