Mentors

Robert L. Newton Jr., PhD

Program Director, LAUNCHED

Professor
Physical Activity & Ethnic Minority Health
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Physical activity intervention, and community-based health promotion in African Americans across the lifespan as it relates to health disparities.

Associate Executive Director of Population and Public Health Sciences
Physical Activity & Ethnic Minority Health
Marie Edana Corcoran Endowed Chair in Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes
Professor Physical Activity and Obesity Epidemiology
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Physical activity and obesity, with an emphasis on pediatrics and ethnic health disparities.

Vivian Fonseca, MD

Asst. Dean for Clinical Research
Chief, Endocrinology, Professor, Tullis-Tulane
Alumni Chair- Diabetes
Tulane University

Research Area:

The prevention and treatment of diabetic complications and risk factor reduction in cardiovascular disease. Specifically on the role of inflammation and other novel risk factors.

Marie “Tonette” Krousel-Wood, MD

Professor Associate Provost for Health Sciences
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Associate Dean for Public Health and Medical Education
Tulane University

Research Area:

Medication adherence to prescribed therapies, management of hypertension, sex differences and health disparities research among women and men with chronic cardiometabolic diseases worldwide.

Corby Martin, PhD

Director, LAUNCHED Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program

Director, Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management & Health Promotion Laboratory
Professor
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Weight management interventions by use of extensive human phenotyping and technology applications.

Christopher Morrison, PhD

Associate Executive Director of Basic Science
John S. Mcllhenny Endowed Professor
Nutritional Neuroscience
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Physical activity intervention, and community-based health promotion in African Americans across the lifespan as it relates to health disparities.

Heike Muenzberg-Gruening, PhD

Professor
Central Leptin Signaling
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Central leptin signaling and the role of leptin in the homeostatic regulation of energy expenditure and food intake.

Lu Qi, MD, PhD

HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and Professor
Director, Tulane University Obesity Research Center
Tulane University

Research Area:

Genetic, nutritional, and biochemical risk factors and gene-environment interactions in relation to obesity, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Leanne M Redman, MS, PhD

LPFA Endowed Fellowship
Associate Executive Director for Scientific Education
Professor
Reproductive Endocrinology & Women’s Health
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Translational research studies to understand the interrelationships between body weight, insulin resistance and optimal health in women across the lifespan with a focus on puberty, polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy, gestational diabetes, breast feeding, menopause and infant health and development.

Eric Ravussin, PhD

Director Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Douglas L. Gordon
Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism
Boyd Professor, Associate Executive Director for Clinical Science
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Translational research in obesity, type 2 diabetes, energy expenditure, carbohydrate metabolism and biomarkers of aging in health and disease states.

Augusto Ochoa, MD

Chair, Department of interdisciplinary Oncology
Deputy Director, LSU-LCMC Cancer Center
Professor of Pediatrics
Al Copeland, Cancer Crusaders Chair
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

Research Area:

T-cell function, cytokine production, macrophage T-cell interaction, immune regulation, immune dysfunction, and disease, as well as tumor immunology.

Jacqueline M. Stephens, PhD

Claude B. Pennington, Jr. Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research
Professor
Adipocyte Biology
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Activation and Function of STAT proteins in adipocytes.

Stephen Hennigar, PhD

Assistant Professor
Micronutrient Metabolism Lab
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Translational research on strategies to improve micronutrient status in vulnerable populations.

Amanda Staiano, PhD, MPP, MS

Associate Professor
Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior
Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Research Area:

Developing and testing family-based healthy lifestyle interventions that utilize innovative technology to decrease pediatric obesity and its comorbidities.