Activity Laboratory
Our Research Laboratory
The primary objectives of HEAL, through our program of scientific research, are the following:
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Explore the relationship between eating, activity, and sedentary behaviors to better understand factors that impact on energy balance.
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Develop innovative and effective treatments for children and adults that lead to eating and activity habits that meet current recommendations.
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Improve the effect of state-of-the-art lifestyle interventions on weight gain prevention, weight loss, and weight loss maintenance in children and adults.
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Translate evidence-based lifestyle interventions into community and practice-based settings.
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Provide training to students interested in applied obesity research.
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Develop client-centered counseling skills.
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Implement behavior modification strategies to assist with changing energy balance behaviors.
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Refine dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors assessment skills.
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Acquire skills, such as the ability to manage and statistically analyze data, important for conducting evaluations.
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Understand how evidence-based guidelines are developed and implemented in practice-based settings.
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Improve writing skills for developing materials, and proposal/grant and manuscript submissions.
The Team
Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN
Executive Associate Dean of Research and Operations
Hollie Raynor is the Director of the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory. She has training in the fields of nutrition and clinical psychology. She received her master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo, and completed her pre-doctoral internship and her post-doctoral fellowship, both with an emphasis in obesity research, at Brown Medical School. Following her fellowship she was promoted to an assistant professor of research in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown Medical School and was based in the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center (http://www.weightresearch.org/) . She joined the Department of Nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as an assistant professor in 2007. She also has an adjunct appointment in the psychology department (http://psychology.utk.edu/) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is currently a full professor and the Executive Associate Dean of Research and Operations for the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation for her research. She served as a member of the National Committee for Clinical Guidelines for Obesity for the American Psychological Association and as a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Prediabetes and Adult Obesity Treatment Evidence Analysis Library Committee. She is currently a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Her research interests are on identifying best methods to implement behavioral dietary factors that improve outcomes in obesity treatment (i.e., limiting variety, reducing energy density, shifting distribution of energy intake earlier in the day), and translating lifestyle intervention into practice-based settings (i.e., integrated primary care).
Chelsi Cardoso, MS, RD, LDN
Lab Manager
Chelsi Cardoso is the research associate of the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory. She completed her bachelor’s of science in nutrition, as well as her master’s of science in Public Health Nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In addition, Chelsi is a registered dietitian and has extensive experience in implementing behaviorally-intensive nutrition counseling, for both weight and diabetes care. In the past, Chelsi has been an adjunct lecturer teaching Nutrition Counseling at the undergraduate level in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Currently, she is managing two National Institutes of Health grants, both of which are behaviorally-intensive treatment programs for overweight and obesity. Her research interests include weight loss, weight loss maintenance, and obesity prevention in both children and adults.
Emilie Holloway
Graduate Research Assistant
Emilie Holloway is a graduate research assistant in the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory. She received her bachelor's degree in human biology from North Carolina State University, her master's degree from Meredith College in human nutrition with a concentration in clinical dietetics, and completed her dietetic internship to become a registered dietitian. Emilie is currently pursuing a PhD in implementation science and community nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests are focused on nutrition interventions to improve early childhood nutrition (i.e. complementary feeding, early food exposure, improving fruit and vegetable consumption). Additionally, she is interested in improving dietary assessment methodology for use in children. After completing her PhD, Emilie hopes to complete a postdoctoral position before starting a career in academia.
Chigozie Chukwuemeka
Graduate Research Assistant
Chigozie Prisca Chukwuemeka is a graduate research assistant in the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, holding a degree in Neuroscience with minors in Public Health and Africana Studies. Currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a focus on Nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Chigozie is deeply passionate about addressing health disparities, particularly in underserved communities in both the U.S. and Africa. For two years, she served as a N.E.A.T. educator, where she educated children by promoting nutrition and physical activity, deepening her commitment to public health. She also gained valuable research experience as a research assistant at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, contributing to a study on the prevalence of gestational diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, shopping, reading, and watching amazing T.V. series. Chigozie is pursuing a career in medicine, aspiring to become a medical doctor with the goal of addressing health disparities and improving global health outcomes. Her long-term focus is on creating positive change in the health and wellness of communities worldwide. Chigozie’s research interests lie in cardiovascular and maternal health.
Addy Mench
Research Aide