Dr. Corbett’s research activities focus on strategies to improve health outcomes for adults with chronic conditions. Her research involves both self-management and health system interventions. She is currently collecting preliminary data about the feasibility of using virtual home assistants to promote older adults’ abilities to manage chronic conditions and to age in place.
Dr. Dawson’s research focuses on communication processes in vulnerable and underserved populations, and how those processes may contribute to health disparities. Her research interests include rural health, childhood asthma, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and healthcare for individuals with limited English proficiency.
Dr. Lorie Donelle is the Emily Myrtle Smith Endowed Professor of Nursing within the college. Her research addresses health promotion specific to issues of health & digital health literacy(s), social justice, and digital health. Dr. Donelle's research investigates technology enabled models of homecare and the relationships between health information technologies and client/clinician health practices.
Dr. Donevant’s research includes mobile health apps for patients with chronic health conditions. She is currently an investigator on two funded research projects: Development and Usability Testing of STORY + App to Improve Treatment Adherence to Endocrine Therapy, and Healthcare Professionals’ Perception of mHealth Features that Promote Positive Patient Outcomes.
Dr. Kazemi’s research program focuses on the development and use of innovative digital mheath interventions for the assessment, treatment and prevention of addictive behaviors among vulnerable populations such as adolescents, young adults, college students, military personnel, and underserved ethnic minority populations. She has led multiple funded interdisciplinary research projects to develop and test digital intervention modalities to address and prevent substance use disorders (SUD) among underserved populations.
Dr. Gayenell Magwood’s research focus includes community based participatory research and community engagement, cardiometabolic risk and prevention, cancer control and prevention, as well as health equity, health disparities, and biobehavioral research.
Dr. May’s research focuses on advancing health for LGBTQ+ older adults. Her research interests include health disparities, social determinants of health, health and data equity, and health policy.
Dr. Mulkey’s research program focuses on strategies to improve cognitive outcomes for older adults who experience critical illness. Her research involves developing objective measures for early detection using EEG and strategies that prevent and minimize ICU associated cognitive impairment illness in older adults. Dr. Mulkey has presented her foundation and industry supported work nationally and internationally.
Dr. Raynor is an early career public health nurse scientist focusing on research, prevention, public advocacy, and health promotion initiatives for families affected by substance use disorders (SUD). Dr. Raynor is currently working on using smart phone technology to improve parenting skills as well as substance use treatment outcomes in parents with opioid and alcohol addiction who have young children.
Dr. Sue-Ling’s research addresses cardiac risk predictors influencing early rehospitalization for management of acute heart failure among older adults with an emphasis on older women after an index heart failure hospitalization. Her ongoing research will focus on a derived model that identified relationships between patients’ hemodynamic, clinical, and social factors and early heart failure rehospitalization.
Dr Abbas Tavakoli currently work as Professor with college of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. He has worked with office of research College of Nursing since 1992. He has taught Statistics courses for undergraduate and graduate programs since 2004. He has served as a data manager, biostatistician, and research team member for seven previous NIH-funded R01 grants and many smaller grants that have required data management, display and analysis plans. He has assisted principal investigators to collect, manage, analyze, and present high quality data.
Dr. Vick is a Clinical Assistant Professor. Her research interests are related to improving self-management and health outcomes for patients with chronic conditions. She participated in the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) Georgia Cancer Center - Augusta University, and received a PRIDE-NHLBI Certificate in July 2018. Dr. Vick is specifically interested in promoting medication adherence among people with Sickle Cell Disease.
Dr. Kristen Weaver-Toedtman is an Assistant Professor. Her research investigates biopsychosocial influences on the brain-gut connection in individuals with chronic abdominal pain and other chronic conditions. She is interested in how the intersection of these factors influence health outcomes, and incorporates omics and other discovery methodologies in these research endeavors.
Dr. Wright’s program of research involves therapeutic management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinopathy among women. Her foci are behavioral health change, specifically for physical activity, and the biochemical effects of exercise among women with PCOS. Dr. Wright advocates for incorporating fitness assessment, physical activity as a vital sign, and physical activity prescriptions in clinical practice.
Owens’ research interests are health and cancer communications with diverse populations, technology for health promotion and informed decision making in aging adults, and smart and connected health. Owens serves as Co-PI on a Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation project which is testing the efficacy of a computer-based decision aid to promote shared lung cancer screening decisions. In addition, Owens is co-investigator on a Department of Defense funded study to explore the effects of prostate cancer treatment on long-term work ability.
Dr. Kubas has previous teaching experience with the Department of the Army in Critical Care Nursing.
Dr. Kimberly Taylor is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing. She served almost 30 years as a Registered Nurse advancing from staff nurse to Chief Nursing Officer in the United States Navy prior to joining the faculty at USC. Her research interests include patient and provider communication, patient experience and safety, emotional intelligence, and strategic communication.
Dr. Dezhi Wu is an associate professor at the Department of Integrated Information Technology. Her primary research interest focuses on human-computer interaction that applies to artificial intelligence, health IT/health informatics, cybersecurity, and cyberlearning domains. Her research explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of novel user interfaces and applications for transformative user experiences to bridge the gaps between users and today’s evolving smart technologies.
Dr. Sudha Xirasagar is a professor at the department of Health Services Policy and Management in the Arnold School of Public Health. Her research and teaching interests include: colorectal cancer screening and cancer prevention outcomes, colorectal cancer screening and treatment; stroke care and outcomes, racial disparities in care and outcomes, global health services research on health systems strengthening, costs, provider behavior, and clinical outcomes.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Combs is a third-year doctoral candidate with the Counselor Education and Supervision program at the University of South Carolina. She serves as a project coordinator for the ACORN Center and assists in several research projects across many of the ACORN Center faculty. Her research interests include substance use, substance use treatment outcomes and modalities, as well as LGBTQ+ health equity. Lizzy has an M.A. from Western Carolina University in Clinical Psychology and a B.A. in Experimental Psychology and a minor in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina.
