Janelle AllenJanelle Allen is from Cincinnati and holds a Bachelor's degree from Miami University in Zoology and a Master's Degree from Miami University in Physiology & Neuroscience. Over the past nine years, Janelle has completed research in developmental biology, neurophysiology/behavior, analytical/quality product review, molecular cardiovascular medicine, and infectious diseases. She has also worked in community and youth development within Butler County, and is a Visiting Faculty member within the Department of Zoology at Miami University. Janelle is very excited about the opportunity to continue to work in a research oriented position. She hopes that the lab's work in pediatric migraine headaches, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and obesity will lead to practical solutions for the families and children who deal with these problems. Her goal is to help discover a happier, healthier lifestyle and quality of life for children with these conditions.
Contact Janelle Allen . |
Richard E. Boles, PhDDr. Boles is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology. His funding is from a T32 training grant in Child Behavior and Nutrition. Dr. Boles obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1998 and his doctoral degree from the University of Kansas in 2006. Dr. Boles completed his clinical internship as an O'Grady resident at CCHMC in 2006. Dr. Boles' main areas of interests are on the prevention and treatment of pediatric overweight with preschool children. He is specifically interested in examining parenting behaviors of overweight preschool populations, possible mediating child characteristics, and home nutritional and activity environment characteristics. Dr. Boles is currently working with Dr. Scott Powers examining parental feeding practices in families of African American preschool children. Dr. Boles is also currently working with Dr. Lori Stark on the LAUNCH Project, in which they are developing an intervention for families of overweight preschool children. Additionally, he is working with Dr. Meg Zeller identifying pediatric overweight risk factors, including child temperament, parenting behaviors and feeding practices, and home nutritional environment.
Contact Richard E. Boles, PhD. |
Leigh Ann Chamberlin, RD, MEdLeigh Ann Chamberlin is a Registered Dietitian. She is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Chamberlin is currently overseeing several research studies related to cystic fibrosis, diabetes, obesity in young children. Her expertise combines over 6 years of public health experience in the Kentucky WIC Program with over 8 years of work as a research coordinator working with multisite studies. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics from Morehead State University and a Masters Degree in Health Promotion with an emphasis in Community Health from the University of Cincinnati. Her career reflects a long-term commitment to the public health and chronic issues affecting children. Contact LeighAnn Chamberlin. |
Megan Crawford, BAMegan Crawford is a 2006 graduate of Miami University, where she received a BA in Psychology. She is currently working as a Research Assistant with the Pediatric Pain Research Program and the FUN project. While a large portion of her undergraduate work involved Spatial Cognitive Psychology, Megan is excited to work on research projects in Behavioral Medicine. Contact Megan Crawford. |
Deborah Kruglak Gilman, PhDDeborah Kruglak Gilman, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology. Dr. Gilman obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2000 and her doctoral degree from Tulane University in 2006. Dr. Gilman moved to Ohio from Baltimore, Maryland, where she completed her pediatric psychology internship at Johns Hopkins Medical School/The Kennedy Krieger Institute. She began working with Dr. Powers in September 2005 on The Families Understanding Nutrition project (The FUN Study), a multi-site clinical trial examining the effectiveness of behavioral and nutritional interventions to help young children with CF reach their dietary energy needs. Dr. Gilman's research interests focus broadly on adjustment and coping of children and their families at risk for maladjustment due to the presence of chronic stressors in their lives. Her approach applies behavioral science knowledge and methods to the assessment and treatment of behavior and psychosocial problems associated with diagnosis, treatment, and adaptation to pediatric medical problems in an effort to mitigate difficult-to-manage behavioral, psychological, social and environmental influences that typically affect the ability of children and their families to cooperate with diagnosis and treatment strategies. |
Samantha MorganSamantha Morgan is a research assistant on the multi-site clinical trial entitled "Behavioral and Nutrition Treatment to Help Preschoolers with Cystic Fibrosis Grow." She also works on the HOME Study, for the Children's Environmental Health Center, and is involved in evaluating lead and injury hazards in the home. She enjoys working closely with the families involved in both studies and hopes her efforts lead to improving the lives of all children. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Biological Sciences. Contact Samantha Morgan . |
Shalonda Slater, Ph.DDr. Shalonda Slater is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology. Shalonda received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Florida A & M University in 2001. Shalonda pursued graduate study in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Pediatric/Child Clinical. She obtained her master's degree in 2003 and her doctorate in 2007 from the University of Florida. Her pre-doctoral internship was completed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Slater's current research interests include the psychological functioning of children with pain-related chronic illnesses and their families. Dr. Slater is currently working with Dr. Powers on a clinical trial involving children with chronic headaches. She also works with Dr. Susmita Kashikar-Zuck on a clinical trial involving children with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome. Dr. Slater's duties include conducting assessments and providing psychosocial treatment for children with chronic pain. She also provides clinical care for children and adolescents with chronic headaches seen in the Headache Center and children with chronic pain seen at the multidisciplinary Pain Clinic. Contact Shalonda Slater. |
Stephanie Spear, Ph.DStephanie Spear, Ph.D is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology. Dr. Spear is working with Dr. Scott Powers as a T32 fellow in the Center for Child Behavior and Nutrition. As a fellow she delivers a nutritional and behavioral intervention designed to improve the nutritional status and growth in preschoolers with cystic fibrosis. Dr. Spear is also working with Lori Stark, Ph.D. and Richard Boles, Ph.D. to develop and deliver a nutritional and behavioral family-based intervention to reduce overweight in young children. Dr. Spear's clinical and research interests focus on the evaluation and dissemination of behavioral interventions to address both normal developmental difficulties encountered during childhood, as well as those designed to improve physical and psychological functioning in children and adolescents with chronic illness. Her line of research examines how psychosocial factors (primarily parental variables) impact adherence with treatment regimens, as well as coping and adaptation to pediatric medical problems in general. She has conducted behaviorally-based research in the areas of enuresis and infant safety. Her doctoral dissertation examined parental factors that influence the management of asthma in young children. She has also conducted research in the area of adolescent sleep and overweight, in addition to worry in adults. Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in 1998 and her Ph.D. from the University of Nevada-Reno. She completed her predoctoral internship at Girls and Boys Town through the Nebraska Internship Consortium in Professional Psychology in 2006. Contact Stephanie Spear. |
Stephanie Sullivan, BAStephanie Sullivan graduated from Xavier University in May of 2005 with a BS in psychology. She is a research assistant on the multi-site clinical trial entitled "Behavioral and Nutrition Treatment to Help Preschoolers with Cystic Fibrosis Grow." She enjoys working closely with the children and families who live with cystic fibrosis. Stephanie also values her interactions with the psychologists, doctors, nurses, and dieticians involved in the care of children with cystic fibrosis. She is hopeful that her work on the study will eventually make a positive impact on the lives of chronically ill children. In the future, Stephanie plans to pursue a career in pediatric psychology. Contact Stephanie Sullivan. |
Laura Bimbo Williams, Ph.DDr. Williams is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology funded through a T32 training grant in Child Behavior and Nutrition. Dr. Williams received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001 and her doctoral degree from the University of Florida in 2007. Dr. Williams completed her clinical internship as an O'Grady resident at CCHMC in 2007. Dr. Williams' research interests focus on the influence of characteristics such as family functioning and mealtime interactions on adherence and disease management in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. She is also interested in examining variables, such as executive functioning, which may impact patients' adherence to more intensive diabetes treatment regimens. Dr. Williams is currently working with Dr. Scott Powers in collaboration with Dr. Susana Patton, from the University of Michigan to investigate the impact of mealtime interactions on blood glucose levels in young children with diabetes. She is also working with Dr. Peggy Crawford in the CCHMC Diabetes Center to provide psychological services to children with diabetes and their families. Contact Laura Bimbo Williams. |
Jessica ValenzuelaDr. Jessica Valenzuela is a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology. Her funding is from a T32 training grant in Child Behavior and Nutrition. Dr. Valenzuela obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Florida in 2001 and her doctoral degree from the University of Miami in 2007. She moved to Ohio after completing her clinical internship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Valenzuela's main areas of interest include understanding health disparities in minority and underserved populations, as well as culturally sensitive assessment, health promotion and intervention. She is specifically interested in research that examines the role of family, community, and healthcare systems in improving outcomes for children and adolescents. Before beginning her training at CCHMC, she completed a pre-doctoral individual training grant where predictors of regimen intensity were examined across multiple pediatric endocrinology clinics. She is currently working with Dr. Scott Powers and Dr. Richard Boles in a longitudinal study examining feeding practices in families of African American preschool children. She is also actively working with the INNOVATIONS program to understand public policy research and provide consultation to non-profit organizations and other community leaders regarding needs assessment, program evaluation, and program development aimed at improving community health outcomes and reducing health disparities. Contact Jessica Valenzuela. |
