SUNY PRIDE Scholars
Cohort VI – 2017
Yendelela Cuffee, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Public Health Sciences
University: Penn State College of Medicine
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Research Interests: Exploring the psychosocial and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular disease disparities. Conducting community-engaged research to promote physical and emotional wellness in economically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
Vivian Dicks, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Clinical & Environmental Health Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences
University: Augusta University
Location: Augusta, Georgia
Research Interests: Concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure health disparities.
Portia Jackson Preston, DrPH
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Public Health, Ronxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services
University: California State University, Fullerton
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Research Interests: Self-care and stress coping behavior among professional women of color at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Amber Johnson, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Health Science
University: California State University
Location: Long Beach (CSULB)
Research Interests: Social epidemiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African Americans, community-based participatory research projects, CVD prevention and education on the campus of Historically Black College and Universities, and community health assessment and outreach.
Lenette Jones
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing
University: University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Research Interests: Eliminating the health disparities affecting African-American women with hypertension, focusing on uncovering the mechanisms – biological, psychological, social, and physical – of self-management interventions, using neuroimaging (fMRI) to explore the neuroprocesses associated with self-management behaviors (such as diet, exercise, and medication-taking), and how health information behavior (seeking, sharing, and use) can be enhanced to support blood pressure self-management.
Vanessa Marshall, PhD
Research Scientist
Department: Research & Development
University: Louis Stokes VA Cleveland Medical Center
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Research Interests: The effects of cardiovascular disease outcomes, co-morbidities and its association with modifiable risk factors such as alcohol use.
Mulubrhan Mogos, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Women, Children & Family Health Science, College of Nursing
University: University of Illinois - Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Research Interests: Short and long-term impacts of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on short and long-term maternal outcomes as well as healthcare cost.
Rosenda Murillo
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, College of Education
University: University of Houston
Location: Houston, TX
Research Interests Sociocultural and psychosocial factors that contribute to physical activity and cardiovascular health disparities in Latinos.
Arnita Norwood, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Medicine
University: University of Mississippi Medical Center
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Research Interests: Examining how social determinants of health influence chronic disease prevention and management.
Eric Rivas, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management
University: Texas Tech University
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Research Interests: Examination of how burn injury impairs cardiac function and places children with burn injury at an increased risk of heat-related injury.
Gabriel Tajeu, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Health Services Administration and Policy
University: Temple University
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Interests: Improving hypertension and CVD health outcomes, reduction of racial disparities in quality of care with the goal of improving outcomes, reduction of cost of care in the US.
Denise Vidot, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department: School of Nursing & Health Studies
University: University of Miami
Location: Miami, Florida
Research Interests: Evidence-based research on the prevention of overlapping fields of marijuana misuse and preventable health outcomes such as obesity, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and cardiovascular disease risk.