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. Harmon’s primary research interests include improving health systems, outcomes, and patient safety. Her current research foci are informatics and healthcare innovations such as AI, data science, and unintended consequences of healthcare technology. Dr. Harmon’s research foci frequently pairs technology or innovations with healthcare workforce initiatives such as cognitive load and well-being. Due to her unique viewpoint from earning both a PhD and a DNP, Dr. Harmon’s scholarship connects knowledge discovery, translational science, and evidence-based practice.
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. McCoy’s research focuses on health behavior change and cardiovascular outcomes, particularly among underrepresented populations. Her work investigates the effects of food insecurity, hypertension, and social determinants of health, using community-based participatory methods. She is especially interested in dietary interventions and the role of nutrition in managing chronic illness. Dr. McCoy has presented her work at national conferences such as the American Heart Association and the Association for Clinical and Translational Science. Her clinical experience includes 8 years as a registered nurse and over a decade as a nurse practitioner in internal medicine and college student health.
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. Newman’s research focuses on spinal cord injury rehabilitation, disability health equity, and community-based participatory research. She develops patient-centered interventions using peer support to improve self-management, health outcomes, and community participation for individuals with spinal cord injuries. A more recent area of focus is representation of people with disabilities in the nursing workforce as a strategy to improve health care access and quality for people with disabilities. She has received funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living & Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), the National Institutes of Health, the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Sigma Foundation for Global Nursing Research.
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. Tucker’s research centers on maternal health equity and the social determinants of health. Her work aims to reduce disparities in maternal outcomes through epidemiological research and public health strategies. She has presented at conferences such as the Society for Epidemiologic Research and Sigma Nursing. Dr. Tucker brings 10 years of nursing experience in labor and delivery and postpartum units to her academic role, where she also mentors students in research.
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.
Dr. Armstrong’s research explores women’s health, human trafficking, and trauma-informed approaches in healthcare and education. Her work includes developing educational programs for healthcare professionals to identify and care for trafficked individuals. She teaches courses in maternal-newborn nursing, ethics, and nursing policy. Dr. Armstrong is also active in global and interprofessional health initiatives, including HEAL Trafficking and the Global Association of Human Trafficking Research Scholars.
Dr. Bernheisel’s research interests include health innovation; virtual reality, augmented reality and AI use in healthcare and teaching; population health; emerging technology in healthcare; and the use of technology to support healthcare in underserved areas. She has clinical experience working as a Nurse Practitioner with vulnerable patients, including work with homeless and migrant populations both in clinic and shelter settings. She also has clinical experience in Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine.
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.
Dr. Kim is a biomedical engineer with the specialty of neuroengineering and cognitive neuroscience. His research focuses on the identification of electrophysiological features of cognitive declines such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment by studying the brain’s network-level behaviors. This approach models the brain as a complex and yet highly efficient network whose multiple regions interact with one another to give rise to an intended function. Dr. Kim works with an interinstitutional research team to develop an automated ICU delirium monitoring platform to minimize the likelihood of post-ICU dementia.
Dr. Yang’s research focuses on applying artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. His interdisciplinary work aims to improve the accuracy and fairness of AI-driven healthcare solutions, ensuring equitable health outcomes across diverse populations. His expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and big data positions him at the forefront of technological advancements in health care.
Dr. Olson is a nursing scientist with expertise in neurocritical care and neurological outcome measurement. His work involves identifying biomarkers of neurological recovery, improving neurological monitoring, and integrating critical care technology into patient care practices. Dr. Olson is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing and collaborates on national efforts to advance neurocritical care education and research.
Yagateela is a project coordinator at the ACORN Center.