ADRC Staff

Dr. Huang’s research focuses on uncovering the cellular mechanisms that drive brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, as well as processes involved in neuroregeneration. He engineers innovative human brain tissue–chip platforms that model complex neural systems in a controlled laboratory setting. By combining bioengineering and neuroscience, his work aims to advance disease modeling and accelerate the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Aaron Hunt is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Utah State University whose research focuses on substance use, mental health, and maternal and child health. He works to address opioid use disorder in rural communities by expanding prevention, treatment, and recovery services. His work also emphasizes training community health workers and improving access to care, with the goal of reducing stigma and strengthening support for underserved populations.

Dr. Jordan’s research investigates which cognitive abilities remain intact during typical aging and how these patterns differ in individuals with dementia. She focuses on skills such as numerical estimation and other core cognitive processes to better understand resilience in the aging brain. By identifying abilities that are preserved, her work aims to improve assessment methods and inform strategies that support cognitive functioning in older adults.

Heather is a researcher at Utah State University's Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice. Her research centers on improving mental health and quality of life. Current projects include testing the feasibility and acceptability of an online single session intervention for individuals with a recent dementia diagnosis.

Dr. Kleinstaeuber’s research and clinical work concentrates on individuals suffering from persistent somatic symptoms (e.g., chronic pain) and symptom-related emotional distress. Her research endeavors cover the evaluation of interventions to help individuals with chronic symptos managing their distress as well as on psychosocial mechanisms of symptom distress.

Michael Levin, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. His research focuses on developing, evaluating, and disseminating acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) programs in an online, self-guided format for a wide range of mental health concerns. He co-directs the USU ACT Research Group (https://www.utahact.com/) and oversees the suite of ACT Guide self-help programs available to the public through USU (https://ACTGuide.usu.edu).

Dr. Yin Liu’s research examines the chronic stress experienced by family caregivers of individuals living with dementia. She studies salivary biomarkers to better understand how prolonged stress affects physical health and overall well-being. Her work also develops and evaluates interventions and health behavior strategies designed to reduce stress exposure and improve caregiver health outcomes.

Dr. Amy Odum is a Professor of Psychology whose research examines fundamental behavioral processes, including response persistence, sensitivity to delayed outcomes, conditional discriminations, and environmental influences on drug effects. Her work, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health, advances understanding of how behavioral principles relate to substance use and mental health. Through basic and translational research, she aims to clarify the mechanisms that shape behavior and inform evidence-based interventions.

Fazilat Soukhakian is an Iranian American artist, photographer, and scholar whose work explores social and political issues through visual storytelling. Drawing on her early career as one of Iran’s few female photojournalists and her lived experiences amid social change, she centers the voices of individuals marginalized by society. Through her photography and scholarship, she aims to document resilience, inspire dialogue, and promote social justice.

Professor Stawski’s research examines the social, psychological, and biological factors that shape mental, physical, and cognitive health across adult development and aging. He specializes in innovative methods—such as daily diary, ecological momentary, and ambulatory assessments—to study individuals within their everyday environments. His work aims to better understand daily influences on health and improve early detection of risks to well-being.

Dr. Studenka studies motor abilities and is looking at how motor planning develops over the course of the lifespan, concentrating on specific aspects of motor planning and one’s ability to change a motor plan with cognitive decline.

JoAnn Tschanz, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and a clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their clinical expression after onset. She has also studied cognitive decline in late life, and is the USU director of the Cache County Study on Memory in Aging.

Dr. Vargis studies beta-amyloid, which is present in the brains of people Alzheimer's disease.  She evaluates the effect of beta-amyloid buildup on cardiac muscle and retinal cell health.

Dr. Warren’s research examines the role of norepinephrine in regulating reactive balance and stability. He investigates how the effectiveness of this neurotransmitter changes with aging and in age-related disorders. His work aims to better understand the neural mechanisms underlying balance impairments and inform strategies to reduce fall risk and improve mobility in older adults.

Dr. Emily Weichart’s research explores how aging affects the brain’s ability to manage competing information during memory retrieval and decision-making. Using computational modeling, she examines the underlying attentional control processes that drive age-related changes in cognition. Her work aims to distinguish healthy cognitive aging from pathological decline by identifying measurable markers of change.

Dr. Anhong Zhou is a Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at Utah State University. His ADRC project aims to develop non-invasive, nanotechnology-based imaging probes to detect cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) distribution and real time monitoring of CB receptors-ligand interaction using an in vitro model of Alzheimer's Disease.

This research focuses on social interaction as a modifiable risk factor for dementia. Because social engagement is often impaired early in Alzheimer’s disease—contributing to increased isolation and withdrawal—the study examines the anatomical and molecular mechanisms underlying these changes. By identifying the biological drivers of social withdrawal, this work aims to clarify its role in Alzheimer’s disease progression and inform potential therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Heys’ lab investigates the synaptic, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms that support the formation and recall of episodic memory. The team also examines how these processes are disrupted in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. To accomplish this, they develop and apply advanced optical techniques in awake, behaving animal models to record and manipulate neural activity, ranging from individual synapses to large populations of neurons.

JJaewhan Kim is a Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Utah and Co-Director of the Health Economics Core at the CTSI. As a health economist and statistician, he analyzes large healthcare datasets to study costs, utilization, and outcomes. His research focuses on metabolic and bariatric surgery, including its long-term impact on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in individuals with obesity.

Yongseop Kim, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah, is studying the feasibility of immersive virtual reality cognitive training for older adults with mild cognitive impairment. His research aims to develop enjoyable, non-drug methods to improve thinking skills, particularly spatial awareness, and help at-risk older adults maintain independence. The study also seeks to enhance quality of life for both participants and their families.

Dr. Koppelmans studies the causes and correlates of motor dysfunction in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). He applies structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify the neural underpinnings of such deficits. Using supervised machine learning, he determines and validates classification and prediction models for MCI and AD using a wide variety of behavioral and neural motor measures.

Nichole Link, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Utah, is researching how the gene ANKLE2 affects neuron aging and neurodegenerative disease later in life. The purpose of her study is to understand how loss of ANKLE2 worsens neuron function and Alzheimer’s-related Tau protein aggregation. Her team hopes this knowledge will lead to new strategies to reduce Tau aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Ma is an MRI physicist focused on developing advanced MRI techniques and validating their clinical applications. During his PhD, he created high-resolution diffusion methods using multi-shot EPI and spiral imaging, applying them to organs such as the spinal cord and pelvis. He now develops fast, reliable multi-contrast MRI tools for neurovascular diseases, aiming to translate these advances into improved clinical practice.

Dr. Maricq’s research investigates the molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic transmission and neuronal communication. Using an interdisciplinary approach, he studies synapse function in C. elegans, focusing on how Wnt-signaling pathways control nicotinic acetylcholine receptor localization. His work aims to understand the molecular machinery underlying synaptic function and neural circuit activity.

Joey Mattingly, PharmD, MBA, PhD, is Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah. His research focuses on drug pricing policy, health economics, and patient engagement, informing policymakers at local, state, and federal levels. He also leads pharmacy benefits strategy for the University of Utah Health plan and has advised CMS, testified before Congress, and contributed as a Research Fellow for the NAIC.

Neil Patel, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery within the Division of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Utah. He has a strong interest in the treatment of skull base tumors including vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma), glomus jugulare, and cochlear implantation. With nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications, he has a particular interest in hearing preservation and maximizing quality of life.

Dr. Haley V. Solomon, DO, is studying whether brain MRI patterns can distinguish bipolar disorder from behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration. Her research aims to identify imaging differences between these conditions, which often share overlapping mood and behavioral symptoms. The goal is to reduce diagnostic delays, improve treatment planning, and support better long-term patient outcomes.

Dr. Michelle Sorweid, DO, MPH, is studying whether brain MRI patterns can distinguish bipolar disorder from behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration. Her research focuses on identifying imaging differences between these conditions, which often share overlapping mood and behavioral symptoms that complicate diagnosis. The goal is to reduce diagnostic delays, improve treatment planning, and support better long-term patient outcomes.

Dr. Caroline Stephens, Ph.D., studies how family structure influences end-of-life care for nursing home residents with dementia. Using a unique Utah dataset linking residents to their families, she examines how family relationships shape care decisions. Her work aims to improve care quality, support family-centered approaches, and inform state policies for people with dementia.

Dr. Rebecca Utz, Ph.D., studies whether Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias contribute to divorce. Her research examines how dementia symptoms and medical financial strain affect marital stability. The goal is to inform support for couples, including relationship interventions and surrogate decision-making, and guide policies that reduce financial pressures leading to “medical divorce.”

The Hill Lab is interested in how genes are regulated during heart formation. The heart begins as a linear tube and then loops to form the ball-like shape of the adult heart. Our lab combines bioinformatics and bench biology to study how gene expression drives this process. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying heart development will help improve diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease.

Dr. Ridge’s laboratory studies the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease and develops computational methods to analyze complex genomic data. His research focuses on mitochondrial DNA, rare genetic risk factors, and the functional effects of mutations in Alzheimer’s genes, as well as creating algorithms to predict variant impacts and perform haplotype-based analyses. He is also co-director of a bio-specimen repository for the Natives Engaged in Alzheimer’s Research project, leading genetic analyses for a cohort of American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander participants.

The Jenkins Lab studies DNA methylation as a diagnostic tool for complex diseases, including infertility, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. The team analyzes cell-free DNA methylation patterns to detect rare cell types and identify disease presence early. Using epigenetics, Dr. Jenkins aims to improve early diagnosis and enhance infertility treatment outcomes for both pregnancy success and offspring health.