Principal Investigator
Contact Information: [email protected]
Publications:
|
|
Graduate Research Assistants
Hannah LavoieHannah is a third-year Ph.D. Student in the Department of Health Education and Behavior. She graduated magna cum laude from Wheaton College in Norton, MA with a B.A. in Psychology and Studio Arts.
Her current research interests include underlying mechanisms of behavior change, physical activity promotion, behavioral weight management, digital health/technology-based interventions, physical activity and its application with mental health, as well as addressing the disparities in population-level PA. Hannah is currently working on several projects in the lab and is developing a project using the positive influence of social media to help college women increase their physical activity. Hannah is from Northern New Hampshire. In her free time, she likes biking, hiking, weightlifting, painting, drawing, taking care of her plants, and finding vegetarian food around Gainesville. Contact Information: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-lavoie-092018 |
Francesca WilkinsFrancesca is a first-year Ph.D. Student in the Department of Health Education and Behavior. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Health Education. She also graduated from the University of Florida with her M.S. in Health Education and Behavior and became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).
Francesca is from Dallas, Texas. In her free time, she likes reading, cooking vegan food and finding local vegan spots, watching and coaching gymnastics, and spending time with her boyfriend and cats. Her current research interests include promoting the use of plant-based diets to slow down the effects of climate change and promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption as well as physical activity for weight management. Contact Information: [email protected] |
|
|
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Mattison BurrissMattison is a second-year biology student on the pre-med track. She was born and raised in Tampa, FL.
Outside of research and academics, Mattison enjoys kayaking, fishing, and being outdoors. She stays fit through a combination of weight training and tennis. Her passion for health and fitness has inspired her to volunteer with organizations like Aces in Motion, Fun and Fit Wellness center, and project CONTINUITY. Mattison is also a First Generation Leadership mentor to two first-year students at UF. Contact information: [email protected] |
Mikey D' AlessandroMikey is a third-year Applied Physiology and Kinesiology major on the Pre-PA track. He was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. Some of his favorite things to do are spending time with friends, listening to good music, and eating sushi.
Mikey values exercise highly and spent most of his high school years training and playing both football and swimming. Since then, he’s found a passion for coaching kids in swimming and exploring the numerous health and fitness benefits of weightlifting and exercise. Mikey’s research interests surround the relationship between exercise and physical/mental health and making fitness more readily available and attainable to everyone. He is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging friends to do the same. He loves working out, playing pickleball, and sharing good food with good friends. Contact Information: [email protected] |
Angela JiangAngela is a second-year Pre-professional Biology major on the Pre-Medical track at the University of Florida Honors Program. She is from Tampa, FL. Her favorite fruits are passion fruit and dragon fruit.
Angela's research interests encompass health interventions based upon physical activity, having played tennis extensively from a very young age, as well as the intersection between physical activity and modern digital technology. Additionally, she is passionate about the relationships between healthy eating and digital technology. She is especially interested in engaging with family health and contributing to lasting community well-being. Outside of her academics and research, Angela enjoys playing tennis, playing the violin, painting, and drawing. Her passion for community involvement has motivated her to volunteer with UF Health Shands through the Arts in Medicine program as a violinist, as well as in the Child Life program. Angela is also actively involved in UF's Chinese American Student Association, serving as the current Vice President of Communications. Contact information: [email protected] |
Zainab LokhandwalaZainab is a second-year Nutritional Sciences major on the Pre-Medical track. She was born and raised in Tampa, FL. As a physician, she aspires to channel her passion for nutrition into advocating for a healthy lifestyle among her patients.
Her research interests include healthy nutrition and physical activity in children. She is particularly intrigued by studies that explore how lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise, impact the well-being of children. Through this research, Zainab hopes to contribute to the prevention and management of weight-related chronic diseases. Outside of academics and research, Zainab enjoys photography, calligraphy, and traveling. In her free time, she loves to create content for her studygram and immerse herself in a good book. Contact information: [email protected] |
Ha NguyenHa is a fourth-year Dietetics student with minors in Chinese and education studies. She was born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam. Ha is passionate to work with caretakers and their children to improve the families' overall health status in clinical and nonprofit community health settings. In the future, she aspires to become a health educator who assesses needs and assets for health education in a population to plan family intervention program. Ha is involved in research and volunteer related to her career interests. Outside of her academics and research, Ha enjoys reading, writing, running, cooking, and teaching. She is always down to try new things and meet new people. Ha is also is involved in UF’s Korean Undergraduate Student Association as a dancer. In the future, it is her dearest wish to work and travel. Contact Information: [email protected] |
Krisha Parikh
Krisha is a second-year biology major on the pre-med track. She was born in West Palm Beach but raised in Fort Myers, Florida. Some of her favorite fruits are strawberries and watermelon.
Krisha loves to exercise, hike, and spend time at the beach with her friends. She has played tennis for most of her life and loves it. She loves to volunteer for local organizations such as Habitats for Humanity. Krisha’s research interests surrounds the effect of physical activity on people. She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging others to do the same. She loves working out and doing yoga with her friends. Contact information: [email protected] |
Leah Richard
Leah is a fourth-year Biology major on the pre-med track. She is an out-of-stater Gator from Medfield, Massachusetts.
In her free time, Leah enjoys running outside, going to the gym, cooking, and relaxing with friends. She loves trying new foods and finding new hobbies. She is passionate about research topics involving nutrition and mental/physical health, along with the accessibility of health interventions. Contact information: leahrichard@ufl.edu |
Rhyse SampangRhyse is a second-year Applied Physiology and Kinesiology major on the Pre-Medical track. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Fairfax, Virginia and Tampa, Florida. She aspires to channel her passion in helping children and their families.
Her research interests include the prevention and treatment of cancer and obesity along with advocating for healthy nutrition and physical activity in children. She is particularly interested in technological advancements that will positively impact the health and well-being of children. Outside of her academics and research, Rhyse enjoys journaling, photography, thrifting, and traveling. In her free time, she loves to go to the gym, watch movies, and try new restaurants with her family and friends. Contact information: [email protected] |
Chrishann Walcott
Chrishann is a third-year student at the University of Florida majoring in Nursing with a certificate in Medical Anthropology. She is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her favorite fruits are pineapples and peaches. Her research interests revolve around the relationship between physical activity and health disparities, as well as the ways that we can promote health literacy and wellness in minority communities. Outside of her academics, Chrishann enjoys learning new recipes, spending time with friends, and reading novels. Contact Information: [email protected] |
EXHALE ALUMNI
Graduate Alumni |
Jackie Ayers
Patricia Gil
Danielle Guess
Devon Reynolds
Patricia Gil
Danielle Guess
Devon Reynolds
Undergraduate Alumni
Ashley Abraham
Nathalie Arana
Gaby Balerdi
Lauren Higgins
Alyssa Pace
Rachel Presti
Angeles Ramirez
Angelique Ramirez
Manny Rea
Leanne Rosenbusch
Riane Songalia
Melissa Tempest
Noah Towbin
Nathalie Arana
Gaby Balerdi
Lauren Higgins
Alyssa Pace
Rachel Presti
Angeles Ramirez
Angelique Ramirez
Manny Rea
Leanne Rosenbusch
Riane Songalia
Melissa Tempest
Noah Towbin