Pediatric Obesity & Health Behavior
A Pennington Biomedical Research Center Laboratory
A Pennington Biomedical Research Center Laboratory
Amanda E. Staiano, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Associate Professor, Population & Public Health Sciences
Director, Pediatric Obesity & Health Behavior Laboratory
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
6400 Perkins Road | Baton Rouge, LA 70808 USA
Telephone 225/763-2729 | Fax 225/763-2887
Video Overview of Implementation Science and Child Obesity
2007 | Louisiana State University | Bachelor of Science | Psychology
2009 | Georgetown University | McCourt School of Public Policy | Master of Public Policy
2010 | Georgetown University | Doctor of Philosophy | Developmental Psychology
2017 | Tulane University | Master of Science | Clinical Research
Dr. Amanda Staiano is a faculty member and Director of the Pediatric Obesity & Health Behavior Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She also holds an adjunct appointment in LSU's Department of Psychology. Dr. Staiano earned her PhD in developmental psychology and master of public policy at Georgetown University, followed by a master of science in clinical research at Tulane University. Her primary interest is developing and testing family-based healthy lifestyle interventions that utilize innovative technology to decrease pediatric obesity and its comorbidities. Her research has involved over 1500 children and adolescents, including randomized controlled trials and prospective cohorts, to examine the influence of physical activity and sedentary behavior on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors.
Due to Dr. Staiano's specific interest in using technology to promote physical activity and healthy behaviors, she was recently PI of the GameSquad study, a randomized controlled trial that tested the efficacy of a 6-month physical activity program for children’s weight management delivered via exergaming, wireless activity monitoring, and telehealth counseling, funded by the American Heart Association (AHA 15GRNT24480070). Her other current trials utilize technology for behavior change, including developing and testing a mobile app for parents of preschoolers to increase children’s physical activity and improve self-regulation skills (NIH R21HD095035) and the use of telehealth counseling in a primary care-based pragmatic trial of children with obesity (PCORI PCS-2017C2-7542 and CDC U18DP006425 Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration/ CORD 3.0).
Her previous studies include two large epidemiological studies of children’s physical activity: an NIMHD-funded study of 175 preschool-aged children in daycare centers (U54MD008602-P02UAB) and a USDA-funded study of 342 adolescents 10 to 16 years of age, including 41% ethnic minority and 50% with overweight or obesity (USDA 3092-51000-056-04A). Dr. Staiano's research studies employ a variety of innovative behavioral tools including exergaming, mobile apps, and telehealth counseling, coupled with study designs that utilize dietary recall, remote data collection and intervention delivery, physical activity assessment via accelerometry and heart rate monitors, observational behavioral analysis of activity, the development and implementation of age-specific exercise protocols, and other behavioral and psychological assessments.
Drawing from her public policy training, Dr. Staiano participates in scientific advocacy at the national, state, and local level.
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Alyssa Button, PHD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Telephone 225/763-2787
2015 | College at Brockport | Bachelor of Science | Psychology
2017 | College at Brockport | Master of Science | Psychology
2022 | University at Buffalo | PhD inCombined Counseling and School Psychology
Alyssa is a postdoctoral research fellow who joined the lab in Fall 2022. She received her bachelors and master’s degrees in psychology from the College at Brockport, State University of New York, and her PhD in combined counseling and school psychology from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Her research interests are primarily in the areas of child and family weight loss/healthy behavior interventions, psychosocial determinants of health behaviors in youth, as well as equitable and accessible behavioral health treatments. Alyssa has experience working as an FBT-Health Coach providing behavioral weight loss counseling on an NIH-funded multi-site RCT, as well as experience providing therapeutic services to treatment-seeking youth with obesity in a pediatric bariatric surgery and weight management clinic.
Natalie Malek
Lab Manager
Telephone 225/763-2899
Natalie is the Lab Manager and manages multiple clinical trials, including the design and implementation of operations, utilization of data entry systems, and financial tracking. Natalie supervises clinical team members to ensure participant safety and compliance with GCP and research study protocols. She also serves as the central hub for trial communications within the team and the study sponsor, investigators, and collaborators.
Angelle Graham Ullmer, RDN
Manager - Pediatric Nutrition
Telephone 504/533-4485
Angelle is the Master Health Coach for the Louisiana clinics participating in the PCORI Pediatric Obesity Project called TEAM UP. She is certified in Family Based Behavioral Treatment for the treatment of child obesity. After graduating Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, Angelle began working in the outpatient clinic at Pennington Biomedical as a study coordinator. She went back to school to become a Registered Dietitian and completed a Master in Science Health and Human Performance at McNeese. She returned to PBRC as a health coach for the PROPEL Study in New Orleans and currently works with the TEAM UP study.
Lauren Himel, MS, CHES
Project Manager
Telephone 225/763-3179
2018 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Bachelor of Science | Kinesiology and Health Education and Promotion
2021 | Southeastern Louisiana University| Master of Health and Kinesiology
Lauren Himel is a research specialist II for the PCORI-funded Pediatric Obesity Project called TEAM UP. She received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Education and Promotion from Southeastern Louisiana University. She worked as a health coach for a year before going back to school to receive her Master of Science in Health and Kinesiology with a concentration in Health Studies. During graduate school, Lauren worked with professors who research related to health promotion and education for various population groups. She also did an internship with the health center on campus to provide health education to the student body on campus. Lauren is currently a Certified Health Education Specialist and Chair-Elect on the New Professional Council with the Southern Tier of the National Academy of Health and Physical Literacy. As a research specialist for the TEAM UP study, Lauren will assist with recruitment and retention efforts of the study.
Dorian J. Stewart
Education Specialist
Telephone 225/763-2627
Dorian J. Stewart is a career Educator and Instructional Leader with over a decade of service in the public schools systems of North Carolina and Louisiana. She lives by the Horace Mann and William H. Turner quote “Education, beyond all devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men. It not only robs the poor of their hostility towards the rich but it prevents them from being poor.” Therefore after graduating from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Southern University and A&M College, she moved to North Carolina where she began her teaching career with Cumberland County Public Schools. Since that time some of her professional accomplishments include being named Teacher of the Month, Teacher of the Year, Mentor Teacher, Louisiana Department of Education Teacher Leader Advisor, Content Leader, and Teacher Advisory Council Member. She has honed her skills while working with both regular education and special education student populations and their families, teachers, administrators, and school district leaders. Outside of work, Dorian enjoys giving back as an active member of her community through involvement in hosting social bicycle rides, awareness events, and volunteering with her beloved sorority Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Affiliated Team Members
Ricky Brock, RN
Telephone 225/763-2592
Ricky is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, following with an RN Diploma from the Baton Rouge General School of Nursing. He trained in Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care working at a large, local medical center, and then as a travel nurse in hospitals across the U.S. for a couple of years. From his start at Pennington Biomedical as a Nurse Coordinator, he has moved into several diverse roles helping set up and manage the Inpatient Metabolic Unit at Pennington and managing the Clinical Trials Outpatient Unit for over 8 years. Also, during this time he managed several larger, multi-center trials helping to establish a Coordinating Center at Pennington Biomedical along with a network of physicians and clinical sites across Louisiana, and helped create a private company to expand the Coordinating Center capabilities for Pennington. After working as a Senior Research Associate with a group of research consultants based in New Orleans for a few years, he returned to Pennington Biomedical in 2011 as Director of Medical Services, working as the Project Director for Heads Up, a large, multicenter behavioral and bariatric surgery program for state employees. He is managing the Data Coordinating Center and clinical operations for the TEAM UP study.
Phillip Nauta, MBA
Program Manager, Intervention Resources
Telephone 225/763-2921
Phillip Nauta began his education at LSU and earned a Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2017. In 2020, he attended LSUS and received his Master of Business Administration.
After joining PBRC as a student worker during his time at LSU, he gained a full-time position as a Research Specialist. He then moved into an Exercise Specialist role and was responsible for the exercise intervention components of the trials at PBRC. His current role is Program Manager in the Interventional Resources Department at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. His research experience has involved assessment of motor skills in children, exergaming with both traditional and autism spectrum disorder populations, adult pharmaceutical interventions, Department of Defense exercise trials, nutrition based app studies, and other multi-center RCTs. He works with the POHB Lab as the Project Manager on the SUNRISE, GamerFit ASD, and GamerFit R21 studies. On a personal note, Phillip is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys spending time with his friends, family, and two dogs hunting, fishing, boating, and cheering on the LSU Tigers!
Peyton Murray, MA
Data Manager
2015 | Louisiana Tech University | Bachelor of Science | Family and Child Studies
2017 | Louisiana Tech University | Master of Arts | Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Peyton Murray is the data manager for the lab working on the RYSE and GamerFit studies. She has been working in research since 2014 starting out as an undergraduate Research Assistant at Louisiana Tech University. Her experience in research includes project management, regulatory coordination, and data management. While her research focus has been pediatric obesity, she’s also worked on projects focusing on breast cancer, COVID-19, early literacy, & classroom management.
Lacie Michel Bogen, PhD
1999 | Loyola University New Orleans | Bachelor of Arts | Psychology
2001 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Master of Arts | Psychology
2009 | Louisiana State University | Doctor of Philosophy | Sociology
Lacie is an Assistant Professor, WAE in Population and Public Health at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, where she joined the team in January 2023. She also holds an adjunct teaching appointment at Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Loyola University New Orleans in 1999 and a Master of Arts degree in psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2001. After completing her Master's degree, she worked at Pennington Biomedical (2002-2004) in the Division of Scientific Education. Following her graduation with a Doctorate in Sociology from LSU and her appointment as Assistant Professor of Sociology at Louisiana Tech University, Dr. Bogen chose to pause her professional employment track and focus on her role as caretaker within the sandwich generation. Demographically speaking, the sandwich generation is the cohort responsible for raising their own children while also caring for their aging parents. That experience has provided a significant framework for her future research endeavors.
As a researcher and educator trained in the social and behavioral sciences, she has a comprehensive set of academic, clinical, and professional experiences, including grant writing, program management, data analysis, survey methodology, questionnaire construction, facilitating engaging presentations and advising undergraduate students. While her primary research interests include social networks, health behaviors, and community engagement, she has worked on various projects, ranging from prosocial responses and evacuation behaviors during natural disasters to weight loss maintenance, to content analyses and memory and cognition recall processes. She is excited to be a part of the Pennington Biomedical team and eager to share her knowledge, skills, and abilities with the Greaux Healthy Initiative.
Lauren Pitre, MS
2018 | Louisiana State University | Bachelor of Science | Dietetics
2020 | Oregon Health & Science University | Master of Science | Human Nutrition
Lauren is a research dietitian in the Pediatric Obesity & Health Behavior Laboratory, and she joined the lab in April 2023. Lauren is currently a collaborator on the LA Health outreach curriculum, which will be implemented in Louisiana elementary and middle schools for the prevention of childhood obesity. Lauren obtained her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics at Louisiana State University, and then went on to obtain her Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Oregon Health & Science University. Lauren is credentialed as a Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer and has a Certificate of Training in Obesity for Pediatrics and Adults. Lauren's passion is the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Prior to her work in this lab, she conducted research in Oregon assessing muscle retention and metabolic adaptation in patients undergoing bariatric surgery, and she now concurrently works as a clinical dietitian specializing in bariatric surgery nutrition
Students
Ethan Abbenante
Undergraduate Student Worker, 2022-present
2024 | Louisiana State Univeristy | Bachelor of Science
Ethan Abbenante is a research intern in the Pediatric Obesity Health and Behavior Lab. He joined the team in 2022 and currently assists on the TEAM UP and Greaux Healthy research studies. He is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology at LSU and intends to apply to medical school once he finishes his undergraduate curriculum.
Postdoctoral Fellows Alumni
Chelsea Kracht, PhD
Postdoc Fellow, 2018-2021 including NIDDK T32 fellowship
Currently a Postdoc Fellow with Dr. Leanne Redman, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Maura Kepper, PhD
Postdoc Fellow (Dr. Staiano was Co-Mentor), 2016-2019
Currently Research Assistant Professor, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis
Staff Alumni
Lindsay Hall, MA
Data Manager, 2018-2023; previously in Dr. Martin's lab, 2010-2018
Sydney Vidrine, MPH
Research Specialist II, 2021-2023
Ken Singletary, MHS, CCRA, CCRC
TEAM UP Regulatory Research Specialist, 2018-21
Jill Hancock, MPH
TEAM UP Research Specialist, 2020-21
Megan Herold
TEAM UP Research Specialist, 2018-21
Megan Lee
TEAM UP Research Specialist, 2020-21
Arwen Marker, Ph.D.
Pediatric Psychology Intern, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus Ohio, 2020
Project Manager, 2012-15
B.A., 2012, Psychology, Emory University
PhD, Clinical Psychology, 2020, University of Kansas
Erika Rodriguez-Guzman
Clinical Research Coordinator II, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2020
TEAM UP Research Specialist, 2018
Graduate Alumni
Gabrielle Gonzales, MPH, BS
Graduate Student Intern, 2020-2021
M.P.H., 2021, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences
B.S., 2019, Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
PhD canidate in Community Health Sciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences
Caroline Barbaree, MBA, BS
Policy Intern, 2016-17
M.B.A., 2017, Flores MBA Program, Louisiana State University
B.S., 2015, Business, E. J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University
Client Associate at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Lanell Craig, BS
Research Trainee, 2019
PhD Nursing candidate, Southern University
Nicole Dominique, BS, BA
Medical Student Trainee, 2018
B.S., 2017, Microbiology, Louisiana State University
B.A., 2017, English Literature, Louisiana State University
Pursuing concurrent M.D. and MPH degrees, 2021, Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center- New Orleans
Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Recipient
Won 2nd place at annual LSUHSC Medical Student Research Day for Project Power
Neelima Gonugunta, MBBS
Research Trainee, 2014
Noelle Hadley, BS
Research Trainee, 2015
MPH candidate in Biostatistics, Tulane University
Amber Jarrell, BS
Medical Student Trainee, 2016-17
B.S., 2012, Biology, Southern University and A&M College
M.D., 2019, LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
Won 3rd place at the annual LSUHSC Medical Student Research Day for Our Lifestyles Our Lives
Co-authored manuscript (Staiano et al., Childhood Obesity 2017;13:4)
Now pediatric resident at Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health
Erica Joseph, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, NP-C
Research Trainee, 2018
DNP, 2015, Southern University & A&M College
Post-Masters, 2012, Southeastern Louisiana University
MSN, 2008, Southern University & A&M College
BSN, 1999, Southern University & A&M College
PhD Candidate, 2019, Southern University
Michelle Liu, BS, BA
Research Assistant, 2015
B.S., 2013, Neuroscience, Tulane University
B.A., 2013, Anthropology, Tulane University
Currently an MD candidate (2018), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Madeline Morrell, MPH, BS
Graduate Trainee, 2015
MPH, 2015, Epidemiology, Tulane University
Formerly a Data Management Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Currently a Health Informatics Epidemiologist with the State of Tennessee Department of Health's Outbreak and Chronic Disease Division
Jessica Seay, BS
Graduate Trainee, 2019
MD/MPH (Candidate), 2021, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Amanda Weathers-Meyer, MS
Graduate Trainee, 2017-19
Currently pursuing a PhD in Kinesiology and M.Ed. in Counseling, Louisiana State University
Undergraduate Alumni
Hannah Abney, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2014
B.S., 2017, Pre-Dental and Biology, Minor in Psychology, Louisiana State University
Maggie Bain Brill, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2014
B.S., 2016, Kinesiology, Louisiana State University
Currently Director of Homework Cafe in Houston, TX
James Burns Jr., BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2017
B.S. Candidate (2017), Kinesiology / Fitness Studies, Louisiana State University
Gabriella “Gabbi” Chauvin
Undergraduate Trainee, 2017
B.S. Candidate (2021), Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette
Alexandra DeWitt, BS
Graduate Trainee 2017
Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate (2020), University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy
B.S., 2016, Biology, Louisiana State University
Beatriz Fernando-Coelho
Undergraduate Trainee, 2018-19
Pursuing B.S., 2021 (Candidate), Kinesiology, Louisiana State University
Johannah Frelier, BS
Research Assistant, 2014-2015
B.S., 2014, Psychology, Louisiana State University
MPH, 2017, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Research Assistant at Harvard School of Public Health with Dr. Sara Bleich
Currently Louisiana Farm to School Manager at LSU AgCenter
Alexandra Gillio, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2014
B.S., 2015, Kinesiology, Louisiana State University
Caroline Goodner, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2016
B.S., University of Texas
Currently MD Candidate at Texas A&M
Hayden Guidry
Undergraduate Trainee, 2017
B.S., 2020, Biology, Louisiana State University
Currently second year MD/MPH student at LSUHSC New Orleans
Hannah Haddad
Undergraduate Trainee, 2016-
B.S., 2018, Pre-Medical, Nutrition and Food Sciences Minors in Health Sciences and Sociology, Louisiana State University
Ogden Honors College
Ellery Hayden
Research Assistant, 2015
B.S. candidate (2018), Rhodes College
LSUHSC Medical School student, 2018-22
Alex Henderson
Undergraduate Trainee, 2017
B.S. Candidate (2018), Microbiology, Louisiana State University
Cullen Hodges, BS
Student Worker, 2014-2015
B.S., 2017, Pre-Med, Biology, Louisiana State University
Elizabeth Joseph, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2017-19
Ogden Honors College Graduate
Recipient of the LSU Undergraduate Distinguished Researcher Medal
First authored manuscript (Joseph et al., Global Pediatric Health 2019)
Co-authored manuscript (Kracht, Joseph, & Staiano, Current Obesity Reports, 2020;9(1))
Presented at the Society of Behavioral Medicine conference, 2018 (Ann Beh Med 2018;25(Suppl 1):S304)
Currently pursuing a PhD in psychology at Texas Christian University
Amelie Kramer, BS
Undergraduate Student Worker, 2016-19
Currently pursuing a masters in higher education at Louisiana State University
Molly Mallory, MHA
Undergraduate Trainee, 2016
B.S., 2017, Psychology, Minor in Kinesiology, Louisiana State University
M.H.A., 2021, Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Currently Strategic Planning Analyst at Children's Hospital New Orleans
Annie McLemore, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2016
B.S., 2016, Nutrition & Food Sciences: Dietetics, Louisiana State University
Currently a radiobiologist at Baylor College of Medicine Houston
Paige Menier, B.S.
Undergraduate Student Worker, 2017
B.S., 2013, Business Management, Louisiana State University
B.S., 2017, Dietetics, Louisiana State University
Clinical Research Coordinator at Ochsner Heath Center - Summa
Currently Site Director at Meridian Clinical Research
Sai Pochana
Student Worker, 2018-2021
B.S., 2021, Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
LSUHSC Medical Student, 2022-26
Abigail Randolph
Undergraduate Trainee, 2021-2022
B.S., 2022, Biological Science and Psychology, Louisiana State University
Currently pursuing a PhD in neuroscience at Florida State University to examine how early life adversity influences neural circuit adaptations and the physiological processes that mediate these behaviors
Claire Tate
Undergraduate Trainee, 2021
Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University and plans to attend medical school
Ansleigh Thibodeaux
Undergraduate Trainee, 2016
B.S. Candidate (2019), Psychology, Minors in Health Sciences and Sociology, Louisiana State University
Currently a secretary at Lisa Jordan Dale - Attorney at Law
Aimee Troxclair, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2015
B.S., 2015, Kinesiology, Southeastern University
Jordan "Gracie" Wilburn
Student Worker, 2019-2021
B.S., 2021, Psychology, Sociology, Louisiana State University
Currently pursuing M.S., 2023, Northwestern State University
Zoe Wilhelm
Louisiana Service and Leadership (LASAL) Trainee, 2017
B.S. Candidate (2018), Pre-Medical, Nutrition and Food Sciences, Minor in Music, Louisiana State University
Ogden Honors College
Currently Clinical Research Coordinator II at Baylor College of Medicine
Courtney Wright, BS
Undergraduate Trainee, 2014
Robert Noyce Research Scholar, Summer 2014
B.S., 2016, Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
Student teacher at Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School (2016-)
Andrew Sellers
Student Worker, 2022-2023
B.S. Candidate (2025), Psychology, Louisiana State University