Social & Behavior Research
Healthy Living
IHA Healthy Living research promotes health and reduces chronic disease. It engages community members in intervention programs to spur positive lifestyle changes. The programs improve behavioral health and overall wellness within communities and populations. They aim to reduce health disparities.
Through the Healthy Living program, IHA translates its discoveries in responsive agriculture and precision nutrition to community settings.
Custom-tailored community intervention
Healthy Living programs engage people of all ages: young children and their families, adolescents, and older adults. Although the programs pay particular attention to rural and underserved groups, they benefit urban and rural communities alike.
IHA scientists tailor these programs to fit various contexts: personal, cultural, community, and environmental. Scientists design the programs to be cost effective, easy to sustain, and scalable.
Before launch, programs undergo evaluation to ensure that they are relevant and appropriate to the communities they will serve.
Project highlight
Strong hearts, healthy communities
Finding new ways to fight cardiovascular disease
Older women in rural communities are at particular risk of cardiovascular disease, the #1 cause of death in the U.S.
To help this population achieve better health, IHA researchers launched Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities 2.0. This intervention program significantly improved fitness among women over 40 who had sedentary lifestyles.
The program provided skill-based nutrition education. It made it easy for subjects to become physically active.
Women in the program didn’t just get fit—they stayed fit. That’s a sign of the program’s success. Maintaining healthful behaviors is key to achieving clinical improvements and public health impact.
Progress reports & future plans
Project snapshot
There are currently 14 active Healthy Living projects operating in community-based settings.
- 64 urban and rural counties are engaged
- There are more than 4,000 active study participants
Scholarly achievements
In 2023, the Healthy Living team achieved the following:
- 24 new publications in high-impact journals
- 22 national and international presentations
- Funding from USDA, NIH and the American Heart Association
Future plans
Additional community-focused projects will actively involve local voices and collaborate with residents, ensuring the research is both meaningful and responsive to the community’s unique challenges.
Partnerships
The Healthy Living program has established more than 50 partnerships. Among them are the following:
- AgriLife Extension
- Academic groups
- Faith-based organizations
- Health centers, clinics, and hospital groups
- Public school systems
- Civic and community organizations
- Farmers and farmers’ market associations
- Assisted living facilities
To all of our partners:
Thank you for your collaboration and insights. Your involvement is making a positive difference in the health of your community.
Team members
Healthy Living faculty scientists
-
Alexandra MacMillan Uribe
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Alisha George
Research Associate
-
Allyson Schaefers
Senior Research Associate
-
Andrew McNeely
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Angel Christou
Program Aide
-
Ankita Mishra
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Arin Reeder
Assistant Director for Operations
-
Ashlee Woolard
Grants Administration
-
Beth Racine
Dr.P.H., R.D.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso Center Director and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Associate Department Head for Nutrition Extension
-
Bhimu Patil
Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center
-
Bruce McCarl
Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor and Leader of Research
-
Byunggul “BG” Lim
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Cathy Ross
Ph.D.
Maternal/Child Cohort Study Scientific Project Director
-
Chad Rethorst
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Nutrition
-
Charlie Hall
Ph.D.
Professor & Ellison Chair, Horticultural Sciences
-
Courtney Charanza
Administrator I
-
Cristina Arenaz
M.S.
Research Specialist II
-
Deven Pandeya
Ph.D.
Research Specialist III, IHA Core Lab
-
Deyaun Jafari
Ph.D.
Research Specialist
-
Dmitry Kurouski
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering
-
Emma Lewis
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Erica Bender
M.S.N., C.N.M., NP.-Ob./Gyn.
Maternal/Child Cohort Study Clinical Program Director
-
Erika Largacha Cevallos
Senior Research Associate
-
Farid Islam
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
G. Cliff Lamb
Ph.D.
Interim Director of the IHA
-
Gabi De Mello
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Galen Eldridge
Research Specialist
-
Gangarao Davuluri
Ph.D.
Research Physiologist
-
Heidi Vanden Brink
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Hyunjung “Grace” Lee
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Jacob Szeszulski
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Jamie Garcia
Business Coordinator II
-
Jeff Tomberlin
Ph.D.
Professor, AgriLife Research Fellow, Presidential Impact Fellow and Director, National Science Foundation Center for Environmental Sustainability Through Insect Farming
-
Jennifer Ormond
Events and Conferences
-
Kartik Shankar
Ph.D.
Research Leader
-
Katie Lewis
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Soil Fertility & Chemistry
-
Kelly Fisher
D.C.N., R.D., L.D., F.N.A.P.
Scientific Chief of Staff
-
Kendra Marstall
Research Associate
-
Kristy Baty
Business Coordinator
-
Lily Benner
Research Specialist
Healthy Living research staff
-
Alexandra MacMillan Uribe
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Alisha George
Research Associate
-
Allyson Schaefers
Senior Research Associate
-
Andrew McNeely
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Angel Christou
Program Aide
-
Ankita Mishra
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Arin Reeder
Assistant Director for Operations
-
Ashlee Woolard
Grants Administration
-
Beth Racine
Dr.P.H., R.D.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso Center Director and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Associate Department Head for Nutrition Extension
-
Bhimu Patil
Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center
-
Bruce McCarl
Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor and Leader of Research
-
Byunggul “BG” Lim
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Cathy Ross
Ph.D.
Maternal/Child Cohort Study Scientific Project Director
-
Chad Rethorst
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Nutrition
-
Charlie Hall
Ph.D.
Professor & Ellison Chair, Horticultural Sciences
-
Courtney Charanza
Administrator I
-
Cristina Arenaz
M.S.
Research Specialist II
-
Deven Pandeya
Ph.D.
Research Specialist III, IHA Core Lab
-
Deyaun Jafari
Ph.D.
Research Specialist
-
Dmitry Kurouski
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering
-
Emma Lewis
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Erica Bender
M.S.N., C.N.M., NP.-Ob./Gyn.
Maternal/Child Cohort Study Clinical Program Director
-
Erika Largacha Cevallos
Senior Research Associate
-
Farid Islam
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
G. Cliff Lamb
Ph.D.
Interim Director of the IHA
-
Gabi De Mello
Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
-
Galen Eldridge
Research Specialist
-
Gangarao Davuluri
Ph.D.
Research Physiologist
-
Heidi Vanden Brink
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Hyunjung “Grace” Lee
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Jacob Szeszulski
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
-
Jamie Garcia
Business Coordinator II
-
Jeff Tomberlin
Ph.D.
Professor, AgriLife Research Fellow, Presidential Impact Fellow and Director, National Science Foundation Center for Environmental Sustainability Through Insect Farming
-
Jennifer Ormond
Events and Conferences
-
Kartik Shankar
Ph.D.
Research Leader
-
Katie Lewis
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Soil Fertility & Chemistry
-
Kelly Fisher
D.C.N., R.D., L.D., F.N.A.P.
Scientific Chief of Staff
-
Kendra Marstall
Research Associate
-
Kristy Baty
Business Coordinator
-
Lily Benner
Research Specialist
Get involved
Participant signup
Healthy Living studies frequently recruit participants. As a research participant, you may learn ways to improve your health. You may also support the discovery of information that helps others live healthier lives.
Provide feedback
The IHA develops new ways to combat chronic disease through positive lifestyle changes. We welcome your ideas, comments, and suggestions.
Join our mailing list
We’ll keep you up to date on new findings pertaining to diet-related chronic disease.
