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Current Studies
Virtual Sprouts: Web Based Gardening Game to Teach Nutrition and Combat Obesity (funded by the National Center for Research Resources and the Office of Science Education of the National Institutes of Health). Our transdisciplilnary is developing an interactive and simulated version of the First Lady’s Organic Garden in a game-based environment. Our program will target low income, minority populations in Los Angeles, including children ages 8 to 11, their parents, other family members, teachers and the community. Virtual Sprouts will serve as a highly engaging and innovative research education program to advance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education on obesity, promote healthy food choices and decrease obesity rates, especially in minority youth at high risk of obesity and related disorders. http://virtualsprouts.com
Mobile Device Biomonitoring to Prevent and Treat Obesity in Underserved Minority Youth: KNOWME Networks (funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities) is a collaborative mHealth study between Preventive Medicine and Engineering to develop a suite of mobile, Bluetooth-enabled, wireless, wearable sensors that interface with a mobile phone and secure server to process data in real time, designed specifically for use in overweight minority youth. KNOWME Networks’ physical activity tracking and real-time response capacities are currently being used to decrease time spent being sedentary in a group of overweight Hispanic youth
Food, Adolescence, Mood and Exercise: The FAME study (funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities). FAME studies the acute effects of high sugar/low fiber versus low sugar/high fiber meals on insulin dynamics, physical activity and mood in African American and Hispanic Youth.
Insulin Resistance and Declining Physical Activity Levels in African American and Latina Girls: The TRANSITIONS study: (funded by the National Cancer Institute). This longitudinal observational study seeks to understand the biological ‘triggers’ of the profound decline in physical activity that occurs in Latina and African American girls during puberty.
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Enhanced Minority health Outcomes Through Entertainment (eMOTE) (funded by the Zumberge Foundation) This project aims to partner with inner city youth to develop a web-based Entertainment Education series that will empower youth to eat well and stay fit. Youth are involved the at every step of development to ensure that the series will resonate with the target audience, and to create a participatory design that stimulates behavior change.