Dr. Diane Gilbert-Diamond
Dr. Gilbert-Diamond's research is focused on identifying genetic and environmental factors related to chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cancer. In addition to studying independent predictors with established statistical methods, she also applies novel bioinformatical methods to look for gene-gene and gene-environment interactions related to disease outcomes.
Dr. Jennifer Emond
Dr. Jennifer Emond’s research is focused dietary behaviors and dietary intake during early childhood; the preschool years are a formative stage when children develop dietary behaviors and preferences that may ultimately shape their lifetime risk of obesity. Her research includes experimental studies examining the impact of food marketing exposure, including exposure to child-directed TV advertising and promotional tie-ins, on preschool-age children’s dietary intake, and observational studies (cross-sectional and prospective) to examine how food marketing impacts children’s dietary intake and eating behaviors. She also examines how the family dynamic impacts children’s health behaviors and ultimately their obesity risk. Jenn is the recipient of a K01 mentored research scientist award (NIDDK) to examine how household chaos impacts media use, sleep and hedonic eating behaviors in preschool-age children. A unifying analytical theme across her research is the design, management and analysis of intensively-collected, repeated-measures longitudinal data at the individual level. Additionally, she is dedicated to the training of students in research methodology at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Reina Kato Lansigan
Research Project Manager
Reina received her MSSW from Columbia University School of Social Work and BA in Psychology with a minor in Music from New York University. Over the years, she has investigated the influence of stereotypes on information search patterns, Head Start policy and child outcome, and efficacy of housing programs for homeless individuals with dual diagnosis. She is particularly interested in the intersection of behavioral health, mindfulness and social justice. Outside of academia, she formerly practiced as a psychotherapist and a clinical consultant to Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families, and is also a professional dancer.
John Brand
PhD in Experimental and Applied Psychology, Concordia University
My research studies the interface between the attention system of the human brain and childhood and adolescent health. I am particularly interested in the use of cognitive paradigms to isolate and understand the role that attention may play in public health issues, such as childhood obesity and youth tobacco use. During my PhD, I trained in theoretical cognitive psychology and the development of cognitive paradigms of attention including eye-tracking methodology. I am currently working under the supervision of Dr. Diane Gilbert-Diamond to create eye-tracking protocols to investigate the role of attention and media multi-tasking on food cue reactivity in children, an important predictor of childhood obesity. Additionally, Dr. Gilbert-Diamond and I are working with Dr. James Sargent to use eye-tracking methodology to investigate the association betweenexposure to electronic-cigarette ads and adolescent smoking initiation, an association that may have important policy implications for the FDA.
Jennifer Meijer
PhD, Dietitian, Identifying how Nutrition can Impact Food Cue Reactivity
Dr. LaBarre's research uses metabolomics to identify risk of metabolic disease, such as type 2 diabetes, in children and adolescents. Using nutrient challenges such as oral glucose tolerance test and high-fat mixed macronutrient tolerance test, Dr. LaBarre profiles the response of the metabolome to identify characteristics influencing the ability to adapt to a nutrient load. Additionally, she works as a Registered Dietitian in the Weight and Wellness Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, presenting the opportunity to translate research into the clinic.
Dabin Yeum
PhD Student, Quantitative Biomedical Sciences
Dabin received her BS in Microbiology and Immunology from University of Wisconsin-Madison. During her undergraduate career, she worked as a research assistant in breast cancer and melanoma research lab. At one of the melanoma conferences, she was fascinated by the relationship between bench science and population health and its impact on translational research, so she pursued a graduate degree in MSPH at University of Utah. During her graduate studies, she worked as a research analyst on the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) project. She joined the QBS PhD program at Dartmouth in 2019, and she is particularly interested in identifying environmental factors and child health. Outside of lab, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, cooking/eating, and (sometimes) hiking.
Delaina Carlson
Research Assistant
Delaina studied Developmental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh with an interest in early childhood behavior and family systems. Professionally, she has worked as a teacher at Toddler’s Morning Out, Early Interventionist at The Family Place, nanny and professional photographer. Outside of the lab, she loves being outdoors, whether it’s hiking, gardening, camping or rock climbing. Contact: delaina.carlson@dartmouth.edu
Grace Ballarino
Research Assistant
Grace graduated from Syracuse University in 2021 with a B.S in Mathematics and a focus on pre-med. Grace is a registered EMT and during her undergraduate career she worked as an EMT with Syracuse University Ambulance and also in her hometown with Brewster Ambulance in Brockton, MA. She is passionate about Neuroscience and hopes to further her education in the field. In the spring of 2020 Grace studied for a semester abroad in Florence, Italy where she began studying the Italian language. She is an avid music fan and in her free time Grace enjoys hiking, swimming and attending movies and concerts. Contact: Grace.a.ballarino@dartmouth.edu
Zhuoya Zhang
PhD Student
Zhuoya received her MPH from Brown University and BA in Public Health and Economics from Brandeis University. For her master’s thesis, she researched how adolescents’ eating behaviors are related to their risk for cardiometabolic disease. She is curious about how lifestyle factors (e.g., sleep, diet, and mindfulness) impact children’s health. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running and exploring bookstores.
MHBLD Alumni
Afsha Tabasum, Dartmouth College (2022)
Alessandra Ledoux, Dartmouth College (2017)
Alec Escholz, Dartmouth College (2019)
Allyssa McCutcheon, University of Vermont (2019)
Amanda Zieselman, Dartmouth College (2015)
Anahita T. Kodali, Dartmouth College (2023)
Anna Byrd, Dartmouth College (2023)
Anna Petty, Dartmouth College (2020)
Archana Ramanujam, Dartmouth College (2014)
Ashlynn Enriquez, Dartmouth College (2019)
Brendin Beaulieu-Jones, Dartmouth College (2013)
Caterina Florissi, Dartmouth College (2018)
Catherine Pollack, Dartmouth College (2022)
Claire Pfister, Dartmouth College (2016)
Courtney Hargreaves, Dartmouth College (2016)
Danica Wuelfing, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College QBS (2021)
Elizabeth M. Khusid, Dartmouth College (2020)
Emily Chang, Dartmouth College (2025)
George Price, Dartmouth College (2021)
Jessica Kobsa, Dartmouth College (2020)
Emily Berk, Wheaton College (2017)
Emily Chen, Dartmouth College (2021)
Hannah Utter, Dartmouth College (2021)
Horacio Romero, Dartmouth College (2014)
Jason Kim, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College QBS (2020)
Kate Miller, Dartmouth College (2022)
Katherine Dwyer, Dartmouth College (2014)
Kniya De, Dartmouth College (2020)
Kristina Ali, Geisel School of Medicine (2023)
Lucy K. Tantum, Dartmouth College (2019)
Maia Salholz-Hillel, Dartmouth College (2015)
Marietta Smith, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College (2017)
Mary Decker, Dartmouth College (2015)
Maya Srinivasa, Dartmouth College (2018)
Meghan Frisard, University of Maine (2019)
Naman Chaudhary, Dartmouth College (2022)
Nikita Bakhru, Dartmouth College (2017)
Nikita Rama, Dartmouth College (2016)
Namrata Ramakrishna, Dartmouth College (2020)
Natalie Thomas, Bates College (2018)
Odalis Hernandez Medrano, Dartmouth College (2021)
Olivia Brody-Bizar, Dartmouth College (2021)
Peter Green, Dartmouth College (2021)
Pulkit Nagpal, Dartmouth College (2023)
Rachel Bornstein, Dartmouth College (2014)
Rachel Matsumoto, Dartmouth College (2019)
Ryan Collins, Dartmouth College (2014)
Suman Mathur, Dartmouth College (2015)
Travis Masterson, Penn State University
Tuong Vi Ngyuen Dartmouth College (2021)
Tyler Gooding, Keene State College (2018)