Current Postdoctoral Fellows
Joel G. Anderson, PhD, HTP, received his BS
degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
and spent five years managing research laboratories at the
Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Wake Forest University School of
Medicine, before obtaining his PhD in nutrition from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro. His dissertation research focused on the
impact of dietary metals on the etiology of neurodegenerative
diseases. Dr. Anderson's research focuses on the use
of non-pharmacological therapies for the prevention of
Alzheimer's disease and dementia, as well as the management of symptoms
of patients with dementia and the resiliency of their
caregivers. While in the CSCAT, Dr. Anderson has served as a
co-investigator on several intervention studies evaluating the use of
non-pharmacological therapies in the management of chronic diseases,
including fibromyalgia, cancer, epilepsy and dementia, broadening his
clinical research skills. Additionally, he has published the
results of several studies using secondary data analyses to
examine national trends and use of complementary therapies by
individuals with chronic disease, as well as systematic reviews of the
efficacy of mind-body therapies in clinical practice. Dr.
Anderson is a Healing Touch Practitioner through Healing Touch
International and serves as a member of the Research Committee for the
organization. He serves as single course faculty in the
Department of Acute and Specialty Care in the School of Nursing,
and provides guest lectures on mind-body therapies in graduate and
undergraduate courses at the School of Nursing and Piedmont
Virginia Community College.
Ekele Enyinnaya, DC, completed her BS in
Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh before obtaining her DC
from the University of Bridgeport in 2003. From 2003 to 2004, she
completed a clinical sciences fellowship at Southern California
University of Health Sciences. Dr. Enyinnaya spent several years
teaching and in private practice before becoming a research fellow in
the CSCAT. She has recently completed a Master of Science in Clinical
Research at UVA.
Neely Laurenzo Myers, PhD, is a medical
anthropologist working in the field of complementary and alternative
therapies for mental health and wellbeing. She received her
bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Virginia in
2001 and a PhD in comparative human development from the University of
Chicago in 2009. At the Center for the Study of Complementary and
Alternative Therapies, Dr. Myers is analyzing data on the effects of
massage therapy on heart rate variability for patients with cancer who
have undergone autologous stem cell transplant and for patients with
acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Myers plans to focus her own research
on therapies to reduce stress and sympathetic nervous system activity
in populations of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder, and major depression. Dr. Myers will partner with
clinicians and certified yoga instructors to conduct a pilot study
testing the ability of yoga therapy to reduce agitation, anxiety, and
depression and increase quality of life in psychiatric inpatient and
outpatient populations. She is also using her time at CSCAT to
learn new research techniques, such as the use of statistical methods
and biomarkers that will complement her qualitative skills and focus on
mental health.
Former Postdoctoral Fellows
Harini Bagavant
Cheryl Bourguignon, PhD, MSN, RN
Cynthia Brown, DNS, RN, is a consultant,
guest speaker, and workshop leader in the area of holistic health
promotion, complementary therapies, and self knowledge. Cynthia has a
master's degree in holistic nursing and a doctor of nursing science
from Florida Atlantic University. After completing a postdoctoral
fellowship in complementary and alternative therapies at the University
of Virginia, she continued at UVA as a research scientist, assisting in
studies focused on meditation and yoga and in developing a resiliency
program in the School of Nursing, before accepting a position as
Program Coordinator for Experiential Health and Healing at The Graduate
Institute in Connecticut. Her lifelong learning includes guided
imagery, hypnosis, energy therapies, spirituality, and end of life
care. She is certified in interactive guided imagery (sm) and a unit of
clinical pastoral education and is a Reiki master.
Norma G. Cuellar, DNS, MS, RN, is
currently Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the
use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in patients with
sleep problems, specifically Restless Legs Syndrome. Since RLS is not
correctly diagnosed until older age, Dr. Cuellar's focus is
on gerontological perspectives of both CAM and RLS.
Jason Sailesh Dave, NMD,
MS
Paula J. Davis, PhD,
MA
Karen D'Huyvetter, ND, MA, was
previously the interim Director of Research at the National College of
Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Dr. D'Huyvetter completed a
Master's degree in Health Evaluation Sciences, with a concentration in
clinical investigation and patient oriented research. As a fellow, her
research interests focused on oxidative stress and its role in health
and illness.
Daniel I. Galper, PhD, is the
Director of Practice Research and Policy Demonstration
Projects and Practice Directorate for the American Psychological
Association and a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized
training in health psychology, behavioral medicine, and applied
psychophysiology. Dan has broad research interests in mind-body
interactions in health and disease. He has particular interests in the
neurophysiology of hypnosis and relaxation, as well as the role of the
autonomic nervous system in CAM therapies.
Karen (Kim) E.
Innes, PhD, MSPH
Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, is an
associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School
of Nursing and the interim chair of the Department of Family
and Community Health Nursing. Dr. Lyon's current research
areas include symptom management in women with breast cancer and
complementary and alternative therapies for symptom management.
Patrick Miederhoff, Pharm D, PhD
Dilaawar
(Danny) Mistry, MD, MS, ATC, is an associate
professor in the departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
and Curry School of Education. He completed his residency
training at the University of Virginia Health System-in Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation and in Internal Medicine, with time spent
as a research fellow in cardiovascular physiology.
He received his doctor of medicine degree in 1986 from the
University of Madras in Madras, India, following which he
completed residency training at Breach Candy Hospital in Bombay,
India. Dr. Mistry also holds a master's degree in exercise
science from the University of Massachusetts and is a certified
athletic trainer and massage therapist.
From 1989 to 1994, Dr. Mistry served as an athletic trainer,
exercise physiologist, and science teacher at the Taft School in
Watertown, CT, while completing an ATC internship. Since 2001 he
has been a team physician, an athletic trainer, and a massage therapist
for numerous University of Virginia varsity teams. In addition, he has
traveled with various men's and women's U.S. national soccer teams
representing the U.S. Soccer Federation as an athletic trainer and
massage therapist.
Dr. Mistry is a member of the American College of Physicians,
American College of Sports Medicine and National Athletic Trainers
Association. His current research interests include the effects of
various bioelectromagnetic therapeutic modalities on tissue
healing.
Mara Okshteyn
Terry K. Selfe, PhD, DC
Heather K. Vincent, PhD, earned her
B.S. (zoology/exercise science) and M.S. (exercise physiology) from the
University of Massachusetts and her Ph.D. (health and human
performance/exercise physiology) from the University of Florida. Prior
to joining the CSCAT team, Dr. Vincent was an assistant professor at
Stetson University, where she taught advanced exercise physiology,
human anatomy and physiology, research methods, lab techniques and
exercise prescription for special populations. Her research focused on
the relationship between exercise responses, oxidative stress and
obesity using both animal and human models. Dr. Vincent's
research investigates the potential protective effects of dietary
antioxidants and complementary treatments such as resistance exercise
on oxidative stress and disease risk reduction and prevention in the
obese population.
Peggy Wright, PhD, holds a doctorate in
psychology and a master's in clinical nutrition, and is a Registered
Dietician. Her background includes 17 years as a clinical
nutritionist in integrative medical settings. She is a former
Associate Professor at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, where whe
mentored students in the area of complementary and alternative
therapies; and archetypal, thranspersonal, and somatic
psychologies. She also co-founded and co-directed The Center For
Body, Mind, and Spirituality at Lesley University. Her current
research interests include the effects of qigong on the immune system
and clinical outcomes in functional medicine, and interactive guided
imagery in palliative care.
