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hosted and sponsored by:

All researchers interested in promoting healthy aging are encouraged to attend this campus-wide research interest group forum. The event will offer researchers the opportunity to make a brief (two-minute) presentation outlining their research interests and needs.

Attendees will receive a directory that includes research information Attendees will receive a directory that includes research information from each presenter.

Presentations4:00 p.m.Two-minute, single-slide presentations from researchers with expertise and interest in healthy aging. Presenters are strongly encouraged to participate in the poster sessionin the poster session.

Poster Session and Reception5:00 p.m.Networking during the poster session.

Wednesday December 9, 2015University Club Mezzanine(11th floor, Rudder Tower)

For more information, visithttp://vpr.tamu.edu/healthy-agingor contact Shannon Prescott or Christina Papke Research Development Services Division of Research.

Networking ConvenersGerianne AlexanderProfessor and Associate Dean for Research ProgramsDepartment of PsychologyCollege of Liberal Arts

George B. CunninghamGeorge B. CunninghamProfessor and Associate DeanDepartment of Health and KinesiologyCollege of Education & Human Development

Marcia G. OryAssociate Dean of ResearchRegents and Distinguished ProfessorHealth PHealth Promotion and Community Health ServicesTexas A&M School of Public Health

Healthy Aging

Research Interest Group

Register byDec. 8, 10:00 a.m.

http://vpr.tamu.edu/healthy-aging


mailto:[email protected]






Healthy Aging Research Interest Group

Networking Event

December 9, 2015 – 4:00-6:00 p.m. University Club Mezzanine, 11th Floor of Rudder Tower

PROGRAM

4:00 p.m. Welcome Dr. J. Martin Scholtz Executive Associate Vice President for Research Convener Overviews on Healthy Aging Gerianne Alexander Professor and Associate Dean for Research Programs Department of Psychology College of Liberal Arts George B. Cunningham Professor and Associate Dean Department of Health and Kinesiology College of Education & Human Development Marcia G. Ory Associate Dean of Research, Regents and Distinguished Professor Health Promotion and Community Health Services Texas A&M School of Public Health 4:15 – 5:30 p.m. Presentations Two-minute, single-slide presentations outlining research expertise and interest in healthy aging. 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Networking and Poster Session 6:00 p.m. Conclusion


Networking Event


REGISTERED PRESENTERS (in presentation order)

Kalyan M. Annamalai, Mechanical Engineering

Steve Balsis, Psychology

Jessica A. Bernard, Psychology

Susan A. Bloomfield, Office of Graduate & Professional Studies; Bone Biology Laboratory; Health & Kinesiology

Lisa D. Geraci, Psychology

William H. Griffith, Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics

Ricardo Gutierrez‐Osuna, Computer Science

Idethia Shevon Harvey, Health and Kinesiology

Laura L. Higgins, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Center for Transportation Safety

Y. Alicia A. Hong, Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences

Pilwon Hur, Mechanical Engineering

Charles D. Johnson, Public Policy Research Institute

Chanam Lee, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning

J. Timothy Lightfoot, Health and Kinesiology

Zhipeng Lu, Center for Health Systems & Design

Michael L. Madigan, Biomedical Engineering

Ranjana K. Mehta, Environmental and Occupational Health

Adam W. Pickens, Environmental and Occupational Health

Ipek N. Sener, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Austin, TX

Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo, Visualization

Duane A. Steward, Biomedical Informatics Core

Sam D. Towne, Health Promotion & Community Health Sciences

Emily Wilson, Medical Physiology

Steven Woltering, Educational Psychology

Chris R. Woodman, Health and Kinesiology

Xuemei Zhu, Architecture

Nicolaas E. Deutz, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity; Health and Kinesiology

Cindy K. J. Lieben, Health and Kinesiology

Susan D. Rodiek, Architecture

Eric K. Bardenhagen, Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning

Naomi A. Sachs, Architecture


Networking Event


REGISTERED POSTERS

Steve Balsis, Psychology

Nicolaas E. Deutz, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity; Health and Kinesiology

Ricardo Gutierrez‐Osuna, Computer Science

Charles D. Johnson, Public Policy Research Institute

Sungmin Lee, Urban and Regional Science Program, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning

Michael L. Madigan, Biomedical Engineering

Ranjana K. Mehta, Environmental and Occupational Health

Susan D. Rodiek, Architecture

Ipek N. Sener, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Austin, TX

Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo, Visualization

Duane A. Steward, Biomedical Informatics Core

Shuman Tan, Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Beth Uberseder, Public Policy Research Institute


1

Gerianne M. Alexander (Convener)

Title: Professor

Department: Psychology

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 240-9628

General Area of Research: Broadly defined, my field of research is the psychobiology of human sex differences. In other mammals, we know that hormones influence behaviors that differ between males and females, including the care of offspring, sexual behavior, cognitive abilities, pro-social and aggressive behavior. Therefore, my primary focus has been investigation of the hypothesis that hormones in pre- and postnatal life may contribute to sex differences in similar domains of human behavior across the lifespan. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Given the obvious ethical constraints associated with experimental manipulation of hormone levels in human, changes in hormone levels across reproductive development (e.g., the "mini-puberty" of infancy, sexual maturation, reproductive aging) are of particular interest to human hormone-behavior researchers.

Kalyan M. Annamalai (Registered Presenter)

Title: Paul Pepper Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Department: Mechanical Engineering


Phone: 845-2562

General Area of Research: Over the last 34 years at TAMU, KA has been involved with research on Combustion, Energy Conversion from Coal and biomass and pollution control. Recently he has been linking the field of combustion to metabolism and entropy generation within human body: i) organ stress, ii) aging and life span, iii) availability efficiency vs metabolic efficiency, iv)carbon kinetics vs MM kinetics in biology and v) oxygen deficient combustion vs oxygen deficiency in organs and relation to cancer. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Rubner's Rate of Living Theory (ROL) is based on the assumption that lifespan specific metabolism of the whole body is constant at 836 MJ/kg for most biological species (BS). Recently fixed lifetime entropy generation concept was proposed and CDC data was used for intake of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Lifetime entropy generation per kg body mass is limited to 11.5 MJ/kg K. The entropy concept was then extended to aging of vital organs and heart was found to have the highest stress.


2

Steve Balsis (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Associate Professor



Phone: 777-0955

General Area of Research: My research focuses on improving the assessment of healthy cognitive aging versus Alzheimer's disease. One goal of my work is to hasten the early detection of Alzheimer's, which is a critical step in preserving cognition and well-being. Another goal is to improve the measurement of change in clinical trials of Alzheimer's medications to determine the effectiveness of these treatments, ultimately to improve the lives of older adults and their families. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: My interest in healthy aging research centers on the important distinction between healthy cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease. In this regard, I'm specifically interested in these questions: What is healthy cognitive aging? What is diseased aging? What can people do to thrive cognitively and preserve their healthy cognitive function?

Deb Banerjee

Title: Professor

Department: Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering


Phone: 845-4500

General Area of Research: Nanotechnology Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Engineering applications in healthy aging research


3

Eric K. Bardenhagen (Registered Presenter)

Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning


Phone: 458-3414

General Area of Research: Dr. Bardenhagen's primary research areas are in healthy community design, design of childrens' play environments and design for the elderly. He has recently completed design projects for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and the Play for All Inclusive playground for the City of College Station, TX. Dr. Bardenhagen is also a registered landscape architect. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Bardenhagen's works to understand the ways in which known benefits of access to nature and physical activity can be translated into designed spaces that serve older adults. This includes a standardized audit tool that can be used for outdoor spaces in long-term-care settings either as means to inform future developments or to assess existing spaces. Fundamental to this is a focus on the affordance that the elements and features of a space with respect to the specific needs of older adults.

Jessica A. Bernard (Registered Presenter)




General Area of Research: I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Area. I use neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to investigate motor and cognitive function. I am particularly interested in the cerebellum and its role in both motor and non-motor processing. My current work is investigating learning and internal model formation in young and older adults and includes longitudinal work in older adults. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: A large part of my work is focused on investigating the brain, motor, and cognitive changes seen in healthy aging. I am particularly interested in cerebellar contributions to these age-related changes. I use a variety of behavioral and questionnaire measures in conjunction with neuroimaging to better understand the associations between brain and behavioral changes in advanced age. Currently, I am starting a longitudinal study across adulthood to investigate trajectories of change in aging.


4

Susan A. Bloomfield (Registered Presenter) Title: Assistant Provost, Graduate & Professional Studies; Professor and Director, Bone Biology Laboratory

Department: Health and Kinesiology


Phone: 845-2871

General Area of Research: Bone health and impact of exercise/disuse/microgravity; we use an integrative physiology approach, testing how other stressors such as caloric restriction or radiation exposure modify bone’s response to exercise or lack of exercise, as well as how changes in blood flow, hormonal patterns and muscle function impact on bone. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Preventing loss of bone strength and increased risk of bone fracture in aging individuals; too often what we interpret as “aging” is truly a “detraining” response, the physiological adaptations we see with a lack of regular physical activity.

Robert S. Chapkin

Title: Distinguished Professor

Department: Nutrition and Food Science


Phone: 845-0419

General Area of Research: We have made highly significant contributions to inflammation biology and cancer chemoprevention: (i) membrane biology and nutritional modulation of epithelia/immune cell membrane structure and function, (ii) establishment of models for chronic inflammation and cancer prevention studies, (iii) elucidation of signal transduction processes in intestinal stem cells, and (iv) novel noninvasive Systems Biology-based methodologies. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: The impact of diet and aging on cancer stem cell biology.


5

Stephen F. Crouse (Registered Presenter)

Title: Professor



Phone: 845-3999

General Area of Research: To generate new knowledge for the enhancement of human health, physical fitness, and quality of life over the lifespan through physical activity and healthy nutrition. Aims are targeted toward the study of exercise- and diet-mediated effects on lipid metabolism, blood pressure, obesity, and muscle adaptations to training. We quantify exercise benefits accruing from aerobic, aquatic and resistance exercise in tandem with nutritional intervention. Profile elite athletes for health and performance. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Most of the research of my career has been targeted toward what I have termed productive longevity. My goal is to provide evidence for the most effective life-long exercise and healthy living habits, including good nutrition, that will delay the inevitable disease process, to push out the limits of good health so that men and women can enjoy more disease-free years of living. Then after a disease assault, find the best way to recover physical working capacity through rehabilitation.

George B. Cunningham (Convener)

Title: Professor and Associate Dean



Phone: 458-8006

General Area of Research: As the director of the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport (www.diversityinsport.com), we study diversity and inclusion in the sport and physical activity context. Specifically, we examine and seek to understand how diversity and inclusion impact team and organizational performance, as well as people's affect and behaviors. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Our work in aging spans across two areas. In the first, we examine opportunities and barriers for people to be active as they age. In the second, we examine the benefits of physical activity for aging populations, particularly their social, physical, and psychological well-being.


6

Nicolaas E. Deutz (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Director, Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity



Phone: 220-2910

General Area of Research: The Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity is engaged in ongoing translational research in humans on nutrition, exercise, and metabolism in relation to aging and the common diseases of our aging population. These diseases include, cancer, heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Interest in Healthy Aging Research: We are interested in the reasons for muscle loss during chronic diseases in older adults and how to improve muscle mass and function.

Donnalee L. Dox

Title: Associate Professor and Department Head

Department: Performance Studies


Phone: 458-1870

General Area of Research: Agency in medical care, dissemination of knowledge about self-care. Alternative medicine. Nutrition/exercise lifestyle. Mind-body practices that yield heightened awareness of internal conditions. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Replacing paradigm of dealing with inevitable decline with paradigm in which growth is uni-directional. Paradigm shift. Specificity of "health" -- homeostasis? resisting symptoms associated with aging? internal vitality? Arthritis prevention -- treatment and reversal.


7

Kelly Eblen

Title: Promotions Coordinator

Department: Health Promotion & Community Health Sciences


Phone: 436-9369

General Area of Research: Health Communication Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Fall Prevention

Jim D. Fluckey

Title: Professor



Phone: 458-2061

General Area of Research: My laboratory focuses on alterations of skeletal muscle anabolic function under a variety of different conditions from cell culture to human models. Our focus on skeletal muscle anabolism is related to specific signaling molecules that govern muscle protein turnover, as well as the expression of specific proteins involved in the anabolic process. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: My laboratory focuses on two questions with regard to advancing age. How does aging and/or disuse affect skeletal muscle mass and function on a cellular/molecular level? And, what are effective countermeasures to offset losses of muscle mass with advancing age?


8

Lisa D. Geraci (Registered Presenter)




Phone: 845-2585

General Area of Research: Our work examines which forms of memory are spared in healthy aging. We also work on developing methods to counter older adults' negative performance expectations and improve memory. Finally, we are examining the relationship between older adults' self-perceptions, including their subjective age (or how old they feel), and their cognition and well-being. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: We are interested in understanding which functions are preserved in healthy aging and in enhancing cognition and well-being in older adults.

William H. Griffith (Registered Presenter)

Title: Professor and Chair

Department: Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics


Phone: 436-0315

General Area of Research: My lab studies the neurobiology of aging as it relates to neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. We utilize rodent models of aging coupled with a variety of techniques including, patch-clamp electrophysiology, measurements of intracellular calcium concentration, confocal fluorescent microscopy, optogenectics and behavior. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: In our rodent models, we have shown that basal forebrain neurons modify their physiological properties during aging, and specific mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis are changed to compensatory for age-related cognitive impairment. The elucidation of these compensatory mechanisms may be an important step in identifying avenues to exploit for healthy aging.


9

Ricardo Gutierrez-Osuna (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Professor

Department: Computer Science


Phone: 845-2942

General Area of Research: My research interests are in the use of wearable sensors, speech and signal processing, and machine learning for health applications. I develop game-like interventions to help individuals manage stress. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: See above.

Idethia Shevon Harvey (Registered Presenter)




General Area of Research: My current research agenda is the culmination of my 10 years of experience working to understand the social determinants of chronic disease. My research program is divided into two defined areas: social determinants of diabetes and obesity, and self-management of chronic conditions. Grounded in the Social-Ecological Approach, the research foci are health behavior changes through social contextual factors such as family, community, cultural beliefs and traditions, and religion and spirituality. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: There continue to be a growing need to focus on the development of integrated social-behavioral approaches in minority aging research. I have engaged in scholarly endeavors that contribute to the knowledge about self-management and health disparities among middle age and older African Americans. I wish to expand my research experience to include complex systems dynamics in aging research. My expanded research interest will focus on interventions that integrate attributes of aging research.


10

Jinmoo Heo


Department: Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences


General Area of Research: My teaching and research have remained focused on event management. I have been involved in the Bryan-College Station community to organize and implement non-profit events such as Brazos Valley Senior Games, RPTS Pickleball Invitational, and RPTS Kite Festival. I am particularly interested in investigating how the participation of older adults in sporting events impacts their quality of life. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I am looking forward to working with colleagues across the campus who have interest in healthy aging research. I believe the participants in the events that I am involved in typify healthy aging group, and I hope to utilize this opportunity with other researchers.

Laura L. Higgins (Registered Presenter)

Title: Associate Research Scientist

Department: Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Center for Transportation Safety


Phone: 845-8109

General Area of Research: I conduct driver safety research and have a background in human factors engineering. My research topic areas have included road sign visibility and comprehension, driver decision making, and driver workload and performance. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Michael Manser (also TTI) and I are developing and testing an older driver in-vehicle feedback system, and looking at its potential for assessing driver performance. We also have an interest, but no currently active research, in older drivers' interaction with vehicle technologies.


11

Y. Alicia A. Hong (Registered Presenter)


Department: Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences


Phone: 436-9343

General Area of Research: Application of mHealth tools in behavioral intervention for under-served communities. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: 1) Digital divide and health disparities in older adults. 2) Applying low-cost easy-to-access telemedine and mHealth tools for chronic disease management in older adults.

Pilwon Hur (Registered Presenter)


Department: Mechanical Engineering


Phone: 862-4461

General Area of Research: Rehabilitation Robotics, Rehabilitation for Stroke, Prosthetics, Exoskeleton, Sensory Augmentation, Virtual/Tele Rehabilitation, Neuromechanics, Biomechanics, Motor Control, Gait/Balance Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Balance and Gait Rehabilitation for the Elderly


12

Roozbeh Jafari


Department: Biomedical Engineering


Phone: 845-5532

General Area of Research: We primarily focus on design and development of wearable computers with various sensors capable of monitoring motor functions and several physiological parameters. Our research spans from sensor design to circuits and signal processing algorithm development. For more information, please visit: http://jafari.tamu.edu/research/. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Wearable computers can enable important applications for the healthy aging including monitoring, prevention and rehabilitation paradigms.

Charles D. Johnson (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Regents Professor and Director

Department: Public Policy Research Institute


Phone: 845-8800

General Area of Research: The Public Policy Research Institute was created in 1983 by the Texas legislature to provide a convenient portal to university policy expertise. The PPRI conducts approximately 30 grants per year for $5-6 million annually, totaling $140 million in extramural funds since 1986. Our principal research capabilities are (1) surveys: phone 100,000, internet/mail 400,000, in-person 10,000 annually. In addition, (2) we have strong database development and statistical analysis capabilities. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: As Director I will focus on three illustrative projects. 1)We are currently conducting an annual set of legislatively mandated surveys for the Department on Aging and Disability on the 1.3 million people they serve in Texas. 2)Aging Texas Well was a partnering effort with Texas Cooperative Extension in developing a comprehensive plan for serving the needs of aging baby boomers,utilizing Cornell Univ's concept mapping software. 3)AARP evaluation survey conducted in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Arizona.


13

Chanam Lee (Registered Presenter)

Title: Professor

Department: Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning


General Area of Research: Dr. Chanam Lee is a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, and fellow at the Center for Health Systems and Design; and

directs an interdisciplinary research group, Design Research for Active Living, at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Dr. Lee is an expert in 'active living research and design' which deal with environmental and policy approaches toward promoting physical activities and public health. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: My interest in healthy aging research is in examining built, natural, and social environmental factors associated with older adults' health outcomes. I am also interested in relevant policies and measurement methods to objectively asssess the environmental factors through GIS, GPS, and audits.

Cindy K. J. Lieben (Registered Presenter)

Title: Research Assistant Professor



Phone: 324-5428

General Area of Research: Field of research area includes nutritional neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychology with an expertise in conducting translational research investigating the relationship between nutrition, metabolic processes, and neuropsychological functions in aging and chronic diseases. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: My main research aims are 1) to elucidate the mechanism by which the metabolism of amino acids such as tryptophan is involved in neuropsychological functions in older adults or people with a chronic disease or condition such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, obesity. 2) to develop an efficient nutritional intervention for preventing or attenuating affective disturbances and cognitive decline in at-risk individuals.


14

J. Timothy Lightfoot (Registered Presenter)

Title: Omar Smith Professor of Kinesiology; Director of Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance



General Area of Research: Our focus is determining the genetic and biological mechanisms that regulate daily physical activity. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Whereas physical activity is one of the important keys in healthy aging, we are interested in applying our work to determine why activity decreases with aging.

Steve Liu

Title: Professor

Department: Computer Science


Phone: 845-8739

General Area of Research: Dr. Liu work is primarily in real-time distributed systems research. Dr. Liu has a wide-ranging multidisciplinary background of interdisciplinary research. The common threads in Dr. Liu's research are signal analysis, pattern modeling, and algorithm development. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Liu is working toward predictive model development based on the assessment of multiple physical metrics for the reduction of risk of falls.


15

Zhipeng Lu (Registered Presenter)

Title: Associate Director

Department: Center for Health Systems & Design


Phone: 450-5495

General Area of Research: Dr. Lu's research interests include healthy community and healthy city, active living, housing for the elderly, healthcare facility design and planning, hospital design in China, design programming, and the application of Building Information Modeling on health facility design, construction and management. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Lu has conducted research on how the indoor and outdoor environments facilitate physical activities among long-term care residents. He is interested in creating activity-friendly environments and developing appropriate activity programs--together with facility administrators and researchers in other disciplines--for frail older people.

Michael L. Madigan (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Professor

Department: Biomedical Engineering


General Area of Research: Biomechanics and neuromuscular control of human movement, with specific interests in balance and fall prevention. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Understand underlying factors contributing to balance impairment, and in the development of interventions/strategies for fall prevention.


16

Ranjana K. Mehta (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)


Department: Environmental and Occupational Health


General Area of Research: Research in the NeuroErgonomics lab includes examining simultaneous brain and body imaging during motor and cognitive actions. Our research utilizes human factors principles to conduct experimental and field research addressing workplace safety and worker health and performance issues. Investigations involve examining multifactorial causes and injury mechanisms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, performance decrements, and testing interventions for older and obese individuals. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: My lab examines the impact of obesity and the aging brain on neuromuscular decline/adaptation, and promoting brain health for improving mobility outcomes with aging, obesity, and/or major depression. My long-term goal is to develop effective community-based strategies to promote and improve brain, and subsequent physical and mental health in the geriatric population.

Marcia G. Ory (Convener)

Title: Regents and Distinguished Professor; Associate Director of Research

Department: Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences


Phone: 436-9368

General Area of Research: My research focuses on the nexus of public health and healthy aging including the examination of risk factors for health and illness; coping with chronic diseases and disabilities, and evidence-based interventions for health promotion and disease prevention. Topics include: evidence-based prevention research, chronic disease management, injury prevention, doctor-patient interactions, health technology, women's health, minority health, and translational dissemination and implementation research.

Interest in Healthy Aging Research: As Director of the SPH Program on Healthy Aging, I have been involved in multiple local, state and federally funded grants to implement and evaluate evidence-based behavioral, social, and technological interventions for promoting healthy lifestyle changes and supportive environments across the life-course. My interest is in establishing a University-wide Center for Healthy Aging that expands current research, practice and educational activities germane to healthy aging.


17

Adam W. Pickens (Registered Presenter)


Department: Environmental and Occupational Health


Phone: 436-9331

General Area of Research: My research centers on analysis of movement and hearing in multiple populations. Colleagues and myself have developed software and hardware for independent in-situ evaluation of hearing and movement. We wish to combine these metrics into predictive models for potentials of falls and hearing loss. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I am interested in work with elderly populations to develop predictive models for quality of life based on the metrics of movement and hearing loss. My colleagues in the TAMU College of Engineering have developed software analysis tools for movement and hearing screening. We very much would like to work to combine these measurement tools for analysis of an elderly population.

Steven E. Riechman

Title: Associate Professor, Division Chair



Phone: 862-3213

General Area of Research: Nutrition and Exercise effects on prevention of loss of muscle mass and function with aging. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Skeletal muscle health is a critical yet under-appreciated driver of many of the chronic diseases of aging yet many of the "healthy" eating patterns recommended to seniors may have negative consequences on skeletal muscle health. We seek to challenge what constitutes healthy eating and establish skeletal muscle health as the first step to overall healthy aging.


18

Susan D. Rodiek (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)


Department: Architecture


Phone: 862-2234

General Area of Research: The value of access to nature for older adults, especially in residential care settings. Have used surveys/focus groups to assess preferences and salivary cortisol tests/anxiety scales to measure stress reduction after spending time outdoors. Focusing on how environmental features can encourage or discourage outdoor usage, have developed DVD-based design guidelines, and a validated environmental audit tool to be used by designers, care providers and researchers. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Interested in how contact with natural environments can promote healthy aging by improving mood and sleeping patterns, increasing levels of physical activity, and increasing calcium and Vitamin D absorption. Also interested in exploring how spending time outdoors influences the rate of falls, risk of falling, and severity of fall-related injuries in residential care settings.

Naomi A. Sachs (Registered Presenter)

Title: Ph.D. Candidate



Phone: 845-1015

General Area of Research: The health benefits of nature contact, with an emphasis on access to nature (wild and designed, indoor and outdoor, real and virtual) in healthcare facilities. For my dissertation, I am developing a Healthcare Garden Evaluation Toolkit--a standardized kit of instruments for evaluating gardens in general acute care hospitals. I am the co-author of 'Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces.'

Interest in Healthy Aging Research: While everyone benefits from nature contact, research indicates that the more vulnerable a person or group is, the more they benefit. Passive ("being in nature") and active (gardening) nature exposure is valuable, yet as people age, they use the outdoors less. Since the elderly are one of the largest (and growing) vulnerable groups served in healthcare facilities, including in general acute care hospitals, designs to meet their needs will be sure to meet the needs of many other users as well.


19

Ipek N. Sener (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)

Title: Assistant Research Scientist

Department: Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Austin, TX


General Area of Research: Dr. Ipek Sener has more than 10 years of research experience in advancing the state-of-art and state-of-practice in the area of transportation modeling and activity-travel behavior analysis. Dr. Sener's main research focus, and expertise, is on the development of modeling frameworks, which are useful in understanding the factors influencing individuals' activity-travel behavior, and predicting how individuals would react to different transportation, land use, and public health policies. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Sener has an extensive experience in transportation-based health research, and has worked with multidisciplinary teams in exploring the inevitable link between health and transportation, promoting sustainable environments, and studying the health outcomes of transportation systems, the built and travel environment, and individuals' activity-travel behavior. As a transportation researcher, she aims to develop solutions to promote healthy transportation choices, and help people age healthier.

Jinsil Hwaryoung Seo (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)


Department: Visualization


Phone: 446-1702

General Area of Research: My current research and creative practice focus on augmenting physical experience with digital contents experimenting with soft/organic materials and tangible interaction techniques. The primary aim of my research is to engage diverse audiences who could get benefits from soft interaction through research and creative activities. Particularly I am interested in investigating how soft interaction improves the quality of experiences in the context of interactive art, education and well-being. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I am very interested in creating interactive projects using soft/organic materials that evoke gentle tangible interaction. From my preliminary studies, older adults in an assisted living home reported that interacting with interactive plants made them feel healthier and happier. Also I have run interactive art workshops with older adults to support older adults' cognitive engagement and sense of social connectedness. In the workshops, older adults felt empowered and healthier from making.


20

Duane A. Steward (Registered Presenter, Registered Poster)


Department: Biomedical Informatics Core


Phone: 436-0667

General Area of Research: Biomedical Informatics with active projects in: Model-based Simulation for Care Provider Process Improvement; Integration of Outcomes Captured Between Medical Encounters; Novel Remote Sensor Data Capture for Equine-assisted Therapies to Support Clinical Decisions; Patient Preference Models and Values Elicitation; Service and Software Solution for the Rigorous Design of Animal Studies; One Health at TAMU; Quality Measures in Dental Professional Education, Residency and Practice Interest in Healthy Aging Research: 1. Stakeholders canvased indicate an widespread interest in development of closed loop outcomes feedback to systematically inform encounters with results of previous intervention. I am interested in addressing the absence of such feedback in health care. 2. The patient voice is important for shared decision making, especially in hospice and palliative care. With rare exception, patient preference and precision medicine is absent this voice in the words of the patient. I'd like to see it change.

Shuman Tan (Registered Poster)

Title: Assistant Transportation Researcher

Department: Texas A&M Transportation Institute


Phone: 458-0233

General Area of Research: Application of GIS in Transit; Operating Analysis and Performance Measures; Paratransit Accessibility Research; Regional Mobility Management; Data Visualization in Transportation Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Public transit services are provided by urban and rural. The separated urban providers and rural providers sometimes result in poor connections and limited mobility options for transit-dependent riders. Aging population are an important component of transit-dependent riders. My research interests focus on how to facilitate regional coordination to maximize the utilization of resources of public transit agencies, private organizations, and local communities.


21

Helena Tapias Perdigon

Title: Clinical Professor

Department: Restorative Sciences


General Area of Research: “‘Oral Health Status of Older Adults in Texas’: The oral health status of elder population in the State of Texas is unknown. My goal with the research proposal is to measure and compare the oral health of elder population(65 years old and older) in Texas. Is urgent to identify differences among Rural and Urban population for be able to establish future efforts to decrease and prevent oral disease among this population. We cannot solve the problem if we don't know what is the problem…” Interest in Healthy Aging Research: With a big wave of baby boomers in the process of retiring, Healthy aging will be a near future area of concern in US...

Sam D. Towne (Registered Presenter)


Department: Health Promotion & Community Health Sciences


General Area of Research: Combining my health services, health policy, health promotion and community health training and interests, my current research area is the integration of health and place. My research focuses on the geographic analysis of access and utilization of health-related outcomes among vulnerable (e.g. aging, rural, minority) populations. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I have a US-based and emerging global interest in healthy aging and health disparities with an emphasis on health and place. I have served as a Visiting Scholar at Nanchang University's School of Public Health in Nanchang, China where I was able to join ongoing research focusing on equity in access to health care for older adults in rural China. I will continue to work towards improving the quality of life of the nation's and that of the global community's most vulnerable individuals.


22

Emily Wilson (Registered Presenter)

Title: Professor of Medical Physiology, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Department: Medical Physiology


Phone: 436-9142

General Area of Research: My research focuses on the role of mechanical forces in modulating vascular remodeling. Specifically we are interested in vascular stiffening. Vascular stiffening contributes to a number of diseases associated with aging including hypertension, stroke and heart failure. A better understanding of the process that contribute to vascular stiffening and how this contributes to pathologies. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I would like to look at factors that contribute to vascular aging and how these changes contribute to stroke and heart failure and in particular how gender contributes to these changes.

Steven Woltering (Registered Presenter)


Department: Educational Psychology


General Area of Research: Neural correlates of emotional and attention all regulation: changes with intervention. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Interested in setting up developmental study.


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Katie N. Womack

Title: Senior Research Scientist

Department: Texas A&M Transportation Institute


Phone: 845-5153

General Area of Research: I am the manager of the Behavioral Research Program in the Center for Transportation Safety at Texas A&M Transportation Institute. We study traffic safety behavior--occupant restraint use, distracted driving, attitudes and awareness of traffic safety issues, traffic safety culture, and other topics. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: I am interested in healthy aging as it relates to ability to maintain mobility and the effect of aging on traveling safely. This would include safety behavior of older drivers and passengers, as well as knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding traffic safety issues specific to the older population.

Chris R. Woodman (Registered Presenter)




Phone: 845-0515

General Area of Research: The Vascular Biology Laboratory (VBL) focuses on the interactive effects of aging and exercise training on skeletal muscle vascular beds. The lab's mission is to understand how the structure and function of arteries change with age and how these changes increase cardiovascular disease risk in the elderly. In addition, we are determining mechanisms by which exercise training attenuates, or reverses, the detrimental effects of aging on vascular function. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: We study mechanisms by which vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells adapt to aging resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, we study mechanisms by which exercise mitigates the effects of aging on vascular function. Functional studies are conducted using isolated arteries to determine cell signaling events that mediate vascular tone.


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Xuemei Zhu (Registered Presenter)




Phone: 845-3780

General Area of Research: Dr. Zhu's scholarship investigates the way we shape our buildings, communities and cities as related to pressing societal concerns of health, sustainability and equity. Specific areas include design and planning for improved physical activity and reduced automobile dependency, and evidence-based healthcare design for improved patient outcomes. She is currently leading a NIH-R01 project as one of the 3 PIs to examine the impacts of a walkable community on residents' physical activity and health. Interest in Healthy Aging Research: Dr. Zhu is interested in the potential of using built environments (i.e. buildings such as homes, long-terms care facilities, and healthcare facilities; communities; cities) to promote active living and healthy aging among the older population. She is also particularly interested in the challenge of aging in China, and how building design, community development and urban planning can help respond to this challenge.

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