Our lab consists of a team of passionate and talented clinical and public health workers with diverse research expertise and experiences. Our work has been well-published in research on aging, health behaviors, obesity and obesogenic behaviors, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal health, epidemiology and prevention of falls and fall injuries, health services, physical activity and nutrition in older age, and evaluation of local public health laws. Our work has informed public health practice and policy decisions at both the state and local levels. 

Our lab has substantial expertise in: 1) design and analysis of large scale clinical registries, cohort studies on healthy aging, and randomized clinical trials; 2) analyzing personal and community-level influences on important health outcomes and behaviors, such as tobacco use, obesity, physical activity, dietary intake, physical disabilities, fall injuries and health care utilizations and costs using existing and prospectively collected data from large observational cohort studies and governmental health-related databases; 3) developing instruments and conducting field data collection for objectively assessing community walking and nutrition environment, including the Older Pedestrian Environment Survey (OPES) and Community Nutrition Environment Evaluation Data Systems (C-NEEDS); 4) deriving community-level socioeconomic and built environment data from U.S. Census and other publically available databases; 5) generating and disseminating community-level health statistics using small area estimation models to assist public health agencies prioritize public health preventions; 6) applications of GIS and spatial analysis in public health research; and 7) statistical evaluation of local and statewide public health laws and regulations (e.g., childhood obesity control in public schools, tobacco control through local public health laws and regulations, impact of health care reform on trauma patients and outcomes), and statewide worksite wellness programs.

Members of our lab are creative and committed public health researchers who care deeply about the communities we serve. We welcome new opportunities for generating actionable information to inform public health practice and policies, and contributing to the improvement in community health in Massachusetts and beyond.