People Group Archives: Healthy Aging Lab

Sergi Garcia-Retortillo is an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida’s College of Nursing and serves as a member of the Complex Systems in Sport Research Group at the University of Barcelona in Spain. His research program focuses on the emerging field of network physiology. He investigates the basic laws of interactions and principles […]

Marissa “Mari” Mackiewicz is an assistant professor at UCF’s College of Nursing and a nurse scientist whose work focuses on ensuring all older adults have access to healthcare. Her research interests include substance use disorders and unmet oral health needs in older adult populations. Prior to joining UCF, Mackiewicz held post-doctoral positions at the University […]

Chitra “Chippy” Banarjee serves as a graduate research assistant in the Healthy Aging Lab at UCF’s College of Nursing while pursuing a joint MD/PhD degree at the College of Medicine. She has a broad background in biochemical and biobehavioral research, with specific training and interest in using computational techniques to process and analyze big data, […]

PhD candidate Eunice Ojo, DNP, RN, CV-BC, PCCN, researches technology-based fall risk assessment, fall prevention and health disparities among older adults as a graduate research assistant in the Healthy Aging Lab at UCF’s College of Nursing. Through her work, she has contributed significantly to improving the recruitment of older adults for research, the experiences of […]

Kworweinski Lafontant is an NSCA-certified strength coach and an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist and personal trainer from Orlando, Florida. As a master’s student at the University of South Florida, he served as research coordinator for the Physique & Performance Enhancement Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Bill Campbell. Lafontant is currently completing his PhD in Kinesiology […]

Jethro Raphael Suarez is a Biomedical Engineering PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. As a Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Nursing, he manages all physical activity measurement devices in the Healthy Aging Lab, overseeing their continuous operation and maintenance. Suarez’s research […]

Dr. Dahee Kim is a postdoctoral scholar working with Professor Ladda Thiamwong. Her research interests include diversity and intersectionality in aging and older families; community-based prevention/intervention programs, stress-coping strategies, resilience, health literacy, emotional wellbeing, measurement development and the life course perspective. Education Selected Awards & Honors Selected Professional Activities

Nurse, researcher, and educator Michael Joseph “MJ” Dino specializes in health informatics, gerotechnology, educational technologies, robotics, human-computer interaction (HCI), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and academic integrity. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) and the first Asian to win the Nurse in the Limelight Innovator Award given by Connecting-Nurses in partnership with the […]

Carla Leinbach is a first-year PhD student in the College of Nursing. As Director of Community Partnerships and Participant Relations for the Healthy Aging Lab, she connects with participants and develops partnerships across Florida. Leinbach’s research interests include motivation, cognitive reframing, and how neural-net-based artificial intelligence adoption impacts intrinsic motivation. Education

Janet Lopez is a nurse scientist who is dedicated to addressing health inequities through a comprehensive approach. She focuses on developing innovative strategies to improve health outcomes for underserved communities. After completing her post-doctoral fellowship at the Veterans Rural Health Resource Center (VRHRC) in Gainesville, Florida, she concentrated on promoting health equity among rural Veterans […]