Center on Aging Research Cluster

allong@umich.edu | Michigan Research Experts | NIH

Research interests focus on examining relationships among commonly used clinical outcome measures of balance, gait/mobility, strength, fear of falling, and falls in older adults. Also explores the role of genetic factors and their interactions with variables such as lower extremity strength and fear of falling in relation to physical performance capabilities in older adults.

grodensh@umich.edu

Research explores different paths to decreasing isolation for older adults, specifically barriers to technology use. Current research includes exploring internet literacy among older adults in Genesee County, utilizing assistive technology and small group training to improve access, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for pain management and stress reduction in older adults.

dramini@umich.edu | NIH | ResearchGate

My research focuses on the determinants of health and their impact on health and health care/utilization. I seek to investigate the factors associated with health and health care/utilization and then translate the findings to help policymakers develop programs/policies to improve health outcomes both in the U.S. and Iran. I have examined the risk factors of repeated hospitalization among older adults, cognitive function in particular. Currently, collaborating with the Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy faculty and students, we investigate the risk factors of fall events among older adults. In the next project, I plan to link the results of this study to hospitalization.

Geriatric Clinical Specialist
jblackwo@umich.edu | Michigan Research Experts | Google Scholar

My research career has focused on aging research, primarily in the areas of falls and balance with special emphasis into the role that cognitive performance has in fall risk and functional mobility in those with mild deficits in cognitive function, including older cancer survivors. Currently working on projects that include intergenerational living and learning, involving both college students and older adults.

roshelen@umich.edu

I am a nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience. My specialty is adult gerontology acute care with experience in emergency room, trauma surgery (which includes trauma, general surgery, bariatric surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, burn ICU, neuro-trauma ICU, and pediatric ICU) and as a hospitalist. I studied undergraduate nursing at Madonna University, received my MSN from Wayne State University, and earned my postgraduate certificate and ENP from Madonna University as well. I am the lead faculty for the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner specialty track in the DNP program here at UM-Flint. I have done much gerontology research in regard to delirium in the emergency room and in the ICU, studied frailty in the geriatric trauma population, and worked on studies related to geriatrics in skilled nursing facilities. Most of my work impacts the geriatric population, and I strive to improve quality of care and quality of life.

casedon@umich.edu

My research interests focus on how individuals interact with technology across the life span. My current research includes exploring internet literacy among older adults in Genesee County and utilizing assistive technology and small group trainings to improve access in collaboration with Sheryl Groden from social work and Michelle Sahli from public health. I also am exploring the use of a motorized cart robot that uses AI to move within a home to allow older adults to become or maintain independence and meaningfulness in their desired home environment.

Neurologic Clinical Specialist Emeritus
mhhuang@umich.edu | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

I have broad clinical and research experiences in mobility, fall risk, and interventions to improve physical function and well-being in the oncology, geriatric, and neurologic populations. My research projects involve U.S. population-based large datasets, cancer survivors, older adults living in the community, and neurologic patients in rehabilitation settings. More recently my research centers on telehealth and home-based exercise programs to improve balance and strength in older adults in rural underserved areas, and to enhance respiratory muscle function in older persons with multiple sclerosis. Telehealth and home-based interventions have great potential for delivering cost-effective and patient-centered care. My research findings have demonstrated the effectiveness, feasibility, and prognostic factors of these interventions. I am developing further investigations on innovative interventions in rehabilitation across various populations and settings.

natmille@umich.edu

I am an associate professor of psychology at the University of Michigan-Flint. My research program focuses on understanding how people with Parkinson’s disease use technology and designing technology to help people with Parkinson’s disease. For example, I am collaborating with engineering and computer science faculty to (1) build a mobile app that tracks a range of Parkinson’s disease symptoms and (2) develop a user-centered design for self-driving cars that help transport people with Parkinson’s disease. I am also interested in studying interventions for Parkinson’s disease, such as understanding the effects of exercise on mitigating Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

jsucic@umich.edu

I am a molecular biologist engaged in two research projects of relevance to the Center on Aging Research Cluster. One of these projects is a collaborative effort with Allon Goldberg (Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint). We are examining the relationship between gene variants and physical performance abilities in elderly, community-dwelling adults. We are considering single nucleotide polymorphism and DNA sequence insertions/deletions present in a number of genes, including those encoding angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and actin 3, and examining if specific genotypes correlate with physical performance phenotypes. The second project involves examining the expression of genes that drive metastatic cell behavior in the development of malignant tumors. We are attempting to understand the regulation of a number of genes encoding both proteins and miRNAs that drive metastasis and how the expression of these genes is altered to promote metastatic cell behavior.

rsuzuki@umich.edu | Google Scholar

My long-term goal is to identify and intervene in the factors associated with health behavior and quality of life among adults and those aging with disabilities. As the PI on several grants, I laid the groundwork for the impacts of psycho- and social environments on health behaviors. I am currently examining (1) the environmental factors (e.g., built environment) related to access to care and physical activity and (2) the availability of resources and services to investigate quality of life.

tcharlot@umich.edu | Google Scholar | ResearchGate

My research interests broadly cover the areas of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), and Health Informatics. I am particularly interested in research that addresses the gaps in diversity, equity, and accessibility. My current ongoing research includes designing technology to facilitate LGBTQIA+ individuals’ health information and service seeking and their communication with healthcare providers, and collaborating with faculty of Psychology and Engineering to design, build, and evaluate a mobile application for Parkinson’s patients to monitor and track their symptoms, such as tremor, postural stability, and voice.

chadwt@umich.edu

I earned the PhD in Movement Science at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and completed a postdoc in Geriatrics at Wayne State University. My research focuses on multifactorial investigations into self-rated health (SRH), motor behavior, and falls in older adults. I have several ongoing aging-related projects in the areas of balance confidence assessment, SRH, gait variability, and physical activity. I also have expertise in pediatric research and would like to develop future health- and wellness-related projects involving both children and older adults.

nazhu@umich.edu | Google Scholar

I’m an associate professor of engineering at the University of Michigan-Flint. My research interest is in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), signal processing, and their bioengineering applications. One research project I am working on is the assessment of Parkinson’s disease symptoms and is a collaboration with Nathan Miller from Psychology and Charlotte Tang from Computer Science at UM-Flint. Our goal is to develop a mobile application to assess Parkinson’s disease tremor and other symptoms regularly with cellphone sensors and measuring algorithms, thus tracking disease progress and the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The other project is on the diagnosis of tinnitus-related neural activities in the auditory brain structures. This is a collaboration with Jinsheng Zhang and the Laboratory of Tinnitus and Auditory Neuroscience Research, School of Medicine, Wayne State University. We aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of tinnitus by analyzing neural activities in auditory brain structures and presenting the communication across various brain areas, as well as to explore auditory cortex electrical stimulation technology for tinnitus treatment.