The College of Health Professions and Social Work strives to develop new strategies and interventions that will have direct and rapid impact on the health and welfare of its local and global communities. Our research is multidisciplinary and spans both discovery and translation: from modifying the functional abilities of an individual to examining and enhancing the capability of individuals to lead healthy lives within their family and societal environments.

(Please check the faculty research page for specific research projects)

Community and Behavior Research

Center for Intervention and Practice Research (Larry Icard, Director)

Develops, scientifically tests, and disseminates solutions to health and social problems to improve the lives for vulnerable and at- risk populations.

Center for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) (Gary Foster, Director)

A university-wide group dedicated to excellence in obesity research. Facilitates interdisciplinary research on etiology, consequences, treatment, and prevention of obesity with a focus on causes, treatment, and prevention of obesity among minorities of lower socioeconomic status.

Center for Preparedness Research, Education, and Practice (C-PREP) (Alice Hausman, Director)

Interdisciplinary research center created to establish nationally relevant policies, programs, and practices that will enhance emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.

Health Behavior and Research Clinic (Brad Collins, Director)

For treatment and prevention of behavioral health problems that contribute to physical and mental illness. Improving effectiveness and facilitating access to treatment among underservedand vulnerable groups with unique health risks.

Laboratory on GIS Analytics in Rehabilitation Research (Mark Salzer, Director)

Studies of geographic and environmental influences on community participation of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. 

       National Program Office for Public Health Law Research (Jennifer Ibrahim, Assoc. Director)

A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® program and national initiative to promote effective regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. Dedicated to building the evidence base for laws that improve public health. We work by funding research, improving research methods, and making evidence accessible to policy-makers, the media, and the public.

        Risk Communication Laboratory (Tom Gordon and Sarah Bauerle Bass, Directors)

Advance public health through the design and testing of effective health communication messages and public health campaigns.

Social and Behavioral Health Interventions Laboratory (Steve Lepore, Director)

Studies how people adjust to traumatic or chronic stressors in their lives, including cancer diagnosis and treatments, bereavement, and exposure to community violence in order to reduce social disparities in health.

Sport Concussion and Athletic Neurotrauma Center (Ryan Tierney, Director)

Concussion management and evaluation.  Purposes of the center include concussion clinical care, education, and research.

TU Collaborative on Community Inclusion for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities (Mark Salzer, Director)

A National Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (NIDRR) to broaden understanding about community integration and to improve opportunities for individuals with psychiatric disabilities to participate more fully in community life.

The Health and Justice Group  (Jeff Draine, Director)

Develops knowledge relating to the intersection of public health with justice. Current focus on the restoration of people to communities after incarceration, especially when they are also coping with mental illnesses, substance abuse, HIV

Health Disparities Research

Bilingual Language Laboratory (Aquiles Iglesias, Director)

Research on various areas of bilingual language acquisition.

Cardiovascular Genomics (Joon Park, Director)

Elucidation of molecular genetic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular adaptation to physiological stimulations by conducting translational research and provide preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Center for Asian Health (Grace Ma, Director)

Dedicated to reducing cancer and other health disparities among Asian Americans by raising the physical, mental, and social health of Asian Americans through community-based participatory outreachand health education, research, training, dissemination, and facilitating the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate comprehensive health services. 

Hypertension, Molecular and Applied Physiology Lab (Michael Brown, Director)

Elucidation of mechanisms of the pathogenesis of hypertension and vascular dysfunction, and the role of exercise in the modulation of vascular dysfunction and blood pressure, with the goal of developing individualized treatments with a particular focus on minority populations.

Language and Literacy Development in Diverse Contexts (Carol Hammer, Director)

Influences on young children’s language and literacy development and on promoting preschoolers’ school readiness, with an emphasis on bilingual populations.

Maternal and Child Wellness Laboratory (Deb Nelson, Director)

Promote the health and well-being of urban women and their children with a focus on the relationship between maternal health and wellness and infant/early childhood health and well-being in vulnerable populations.

Movement Mechanics and Control Research

Athletic Training Laboratory (Ryan Tierney, Director)

             Injury prevention, care, and rehabilitation in a physically active population.

Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory (Gerry Stefanatos, Director)

Studies of the efficacy of behavioral and psychopharmacologic treatments in disorders of language, spatial cognition, and attention.

Ergonomics and Work Physiology Laboratory (Judith Gold, Director)

Through characterization of physiological measures, study of the pathophysiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Laboratory for Aphasia Research and Treatment (Nadine Martin, Director)

Investigations of the relationships among language, short-term memory, and learning changes that typically result from stroke and progressive neurological disorders.

Motion Analysis and Perception (MAP) Laboratory (W. Geoffrey Wright, Director)

Research focuses on sensorimotor and perceptual influences on human movement control, which include: neuromuscular processes, postural control, and CNS disease models.

Motor Performance and Assessment Laboratory (Richard Lauer and Carole Tucker, Directors)

Development of novel assessments and interventions that address the neuromuscular basis of balance and movement, with a focus on the pediatric population.

Skeletal Adaptation and Development (Vanessa Yingling, Director)

Role of endocrine status, nutrition, and exercise on the development of peak bone strength during growth and adolescence and their effect on reproductive and somatic growth, bone structure, and strength.

Virtual Environment and Postural Orientation Lab (Emily Keshner, Director)

Employs virtual reality technology for studies of cross modal processing in postural control to maintain and improve balance. Current emphasis is on the control of balance in elderly adults and individuals with neurological disorders.