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Meet the Pickering Caregiver Lab Team

 

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Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN

Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN, a noted expert in dementia family caregiving, joined Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston’s Department of Research as a professor effective August 15, 2023. Pickering’s program of research includes funding from the National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Mental Health. The studies explore how family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia provide care, make decisions and use medications, as well as the studies on the etiology and manifestation of behavioral symptoms of dementia. She is widely published on related topics, serves as a reviewer on several journals, and is a member of the editorial board for Journal of Gerontological Nursing. 

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Vicki Winstead, PhD, MA

Dr. Winstead earned a PhD in Medical Sociology, an MA in Sociology and a Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Alabama Birmingham. She has worked as an evaluation coordinator on Medicare projects and as a research scientist on four NIH funded grants that examine caregiving and dementia. She served as adjunct faculty in Sociology at Birmingham Southern College and UAB. She currently serves as a senior program manager and as a research scientist in the Pickering Caregiver Lab in the Cizik School of Nursing.

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Wesley Browning, PhD

Wesley Browning is a research track assistant professor at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. He received his degree in lifespan developmental psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research focuses on the impacts of psychosocial factors on caregiver health and behaviors. These factors include social support, adverse social experiences (negative interactions, experiences of discrimination, low physician trust), and family dynamics (family conflict, household composition, relationships).

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Asha P. Jacob, MD, MPH

Asha is the Manager of the Pickering Caregiver Research Lab at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. She supports research initiatives focused on family caregiving for persons living with dementia, contributing to projects funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health. With a background in medicine and public health, her interests include caregiving decision-making, caregiver health outcomes, and strategies to support families managing complex health conditions.

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Dianna Bean, MHA, BSN, RN

Dianna is a research nurse in the Pickering Caregiver Lab at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. She brings over 28 years of clinical nursing experience to her role. She plays a vital role in participant recruitment and retention, specimen and data collection, and study coordination across multiple NIH-funded projects. When not working, Dianna loves to spend time with family and friends.

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Jessica Hernandez, BSN

Hernandez is originally from Bogotá, Colombia. She graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia with a BSN and is pursuing her doctorate in Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. Her area of research focuses on data-driven AI and machine learning methods to enhance older adults' care and protection, including solutions for dementia and alcohol use disorders. 

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Nimitha Paul, MPH

Nimitha is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator for the Pickering Caregiver Research Lab at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. She holds a BASc in Public Health from Toronto Metropolitan University and an MPH from McMaster University in Canada. 

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Amanda Nemariam, MPH

Amanda is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator for the Pickering Caregiver Research Lab at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. She holds a BS in Biology from The University of Texas at San Antonio and an MPH in Health Promotion and Communication from Texas Tech University.

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Rhea Vikas, MPH

Rhea Vikas is a PhD student in Health Services Research at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She holds a BA in Medical Humanities from Baylor University and an MPH in Community Health from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Her research focuses on improving efficiency and delivery of care in both hospital settings and private practice.


Contact:

[email protected] 
713-500-2097

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