Jan M. Eberth, Ph.D.
Director, Rural and Minority Health Research Center Research Interests: Spatial Epidemiology, Social Determinants of Health, Cancer Screening and Treatment, Access to Care, Health Care Quality
Center Faculty & Staff
Elizabeth Crouch, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Rural and Minority Health Research Center Research Interests: Health Policy, Health Economics, Access to Care in Rural and Underserved Populations
Janice C. Probst, Ph.D.
Director Emerita, Rural and Minority Health Research Center Research Interests: Rural Health Care Delivery, Health Disparities, Potentially Preventable Hospitalization
Demetrius Abshire, PhD, RN
Investigator/ Research Interests: Obesity Prevention and Treatment, Men’s Health, Rural Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health
Swann Arp Adams, Ph.D., MS
Investigator/ Research Interests: Disparities in Cancer from Prevention/Screening to Diagnosis to Long-term Survivorship
Kevin J. Bennett, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Care Delivery for Vulnerable Populations, Quality Improvement Research
Heather M. Brandt, Ph.D., CHES
Investigator/ Research Interests: Cancer Prevention and Control, specifically HPV Vaccination, Cervical Cancer Screening, and Colorectal Cancer Screening.
Jennifer Browder, LMSW
Maternal and Child Health Projects Coordinator/ Research Interests: Maternal and Child Health, Community Health, and Mental Health
Monique J. Brown-Smith, Ph.D., MPH
Investigator/ Research Interests: HIV intervention and prevention; childhood trauma; social, behavioral and mental health; and aging. She is interested in these as separate and intersecting areas of study.
Elijah Christian, MPH
Research Associate/ Research Interests: Minority Health, Health Disparities/Equity and Obesity Prevention
Pam Gillam
Director, Core for Applied Research and Evaluation, Office of Research
Saundra Glover, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emerita/ Research Interests: Health Disparities, Education and Training to Increase Minorities in the Health Professions
Janie Godbold
Program Manager/ Expertise: Pre- and Post-Award Management
James Hardin, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Diet, Nutrition, Cognitive Psychology, HIV, Sexual Behavior, Cancer, Health Services
Pei-Yin Hung, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Health Disparity, Health Care Quality, Maternal and Child Health, Access to Care, Consumer Choice
Andrew T. Kaczynski, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, Obesity Prevention
Angela D. Liese, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Childhood and Adult Diabetes Mellitus, Dietary Patterns, Spacial Food Access and Food Security
Selina (Tena) Hunt McKinney, Ph.D., APRN, PMHNP-BC
Investigator/ Research Interests: Mental Health Care Access in Rural Areas
Alexander C. McLain, Ph.D.
Investigator/ Research Interests: Problems that Arise in Biomedical Studies with Longitudinal Biomarkers
Melinda Merrell, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor/ Research Interests: Rural Health Care Delivery, Rural Hospital Closures, Emergency Medicine, Community Health Development, Social Determinants of Health.
Bankole Olatosi, Ph.D.
Investigator
Susan Outen, MN, RN
Survey Coordinator/ Research Interests: Nursing Education
Myriam E. Torres, Ph.D., MSPH
Investigator/ Research Interests: Hispanic/Latino Health, International Health, HIV/AIDS
Lauren Workman, Ph.D., MPH
Investigator/ Research Interests: Community Health Development, Maternal and Child Health, Access to Healthcare, Qualitative Methods
Whitney Zahnd, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow/ Research Interests: Rural Health, Cancer Disparities, Access to Care, Spatial Epidemiology, Social Epidemiology
Graduate Research Assistants
Songyuan Deng MD, MBA
Research Interests: Health Disparities, Health Services Research, Health Outcome Measurement, Quality Improvements
Eboni Edmonson Haynes,MSPH, MBA
Research Interests: Health Policy, Food Insecurity, Rural Health Disparities, Built Environment, Religion and Health, Maternal and Child Health
Victor Kirksey, MPH
Research Interests: Access and Utilization of Quality Health Care Services for Minority Sociocultural Groups, Men's Health, Health Disparities and Health Equity
Anja Zgodic, Sc.M.
Research Interests: Statistical Methods for Longitudinal Data and Joint Modeling, Bayesian Statistics, Machine Learning, Health and Social Disparities