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Community Health

Examine public health issues. Create innovative solutions. Build stronger communities. Learn about health and rehabilitation services, and become an agent of change.

Faculty: Health Promotion and Behavioral Intervention

  • Chung-Yi Chiu
    Chung-Yi Chiu
    Associate Professor

    chiucy@illinois.edu

     

    “I conduct theory/model-driven studies of three main research themes—health promotion, psychosocial adjustment to disability and chronic illness, and social participation. These research studies are important to understand how people with disability and chronic illness live healthy, meaningful, and productive lives.”

    Website:Health Promotion & Rehabilitation Lab

  • Kristen DiFilippo
    Kristen DiFilippo
    Teaching Assistant Professor

    kdifilip@illinois.edu

     

    “My research focuses on the use of apps to support nutrition education and health behavior change. My work centers on providing nutrition and health educators with tools and strategies to support behavior change for preventing and managing chronic diseases.”

  • Robyn Gobin
    Robyn Gobin
    Associate Professor

    rgobin@illinois.edu

     

    “I study the impact of sexual, emotional, and physical harm on mental health. I am especially interested in learning what methods help hurt people heal and what factors slow down the healing process.”

  • Timothy Hale
    Timothy Hale
    Teaching Associate Professor

    timhale@illinois.edu

     

    “My research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of health technologies that enable people to live healthy and active lives. I pay special attention to digital inequalities and study how differences in technology adoption and use contribute to social and health disparities. My goals are to ensure that new health technologies are equitable and contribute to reducing health disparities.”

  • Shannon Mejía
    Shannon Mejía
    Assistant Professor

    stmejia@illinois.edu

     

    “To truly support health and independence, health technologies must be sensitive to the context and complexity of life as it is lived. Thus, my research examines the processes by which older adults understand their health and use health technologies in daily life, with the goal of informing the development and implementation of technologies that are responsive to older adults’ dynamic needs, goals, and abilities.”

  • Laura Rice
    Laura Rice
    Associate Professor

    ricela@illinois.edu

     

    “My research primarily focuses on management of secondary impairments associated with physical disabilities. As healthcare improves, individuals with disabilities are living longer but face new impairments, such as pain, mobility limitations and poor quality of life. I investigate interventions to keep people with disabilities active and healthy through their lifespan.”

    Website: Disability Participation & Quality of Life Research Laboratory

  • Wendy Rogers
    Wendy Rogers
    Khan Professor of Applied Health Sciences

    wendyr@illinois.edu

     

    “My research supports successful aging through the design of technology. Older adults are involved in projects that focus on: personal, social, and telepresence robots; digital home assistants and other smart devices; applications to support medication adherence; and understanding the needs of people who are aging with sensory or mobility impairments.”

    Websites:

    Human Factors & Aging

    Collaborations in Health, Aging, Research and Technology

    Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement

  • Andiara Schwingel
    Andiara Schwingel
    Associate Professor

    andiara@illinois.edu

     

    “I study ways to improve the health of underserved populations (e.g,. U.S. Latino immigrants, older adults, and rural dwellers) through community health programs that are both culturallysensitive and sustainable. My research informs public health policy and practice that can lead to healthier communities.”

    Website: Aging and Diversity Lab

  • David Strauser
    David Strauser
    Professor

    strauser@illinois.edu

     

    “My work focuses on increasing health and well-being of people with chronic health conditions by improving access and engagement in employment related activities.”