Gerontology Program Committee
Ray Merrill
Program Director
Professor, Public Health
2063 LSB
801-422-9788
ray_merrill@byu.edu
Professor, Public Health
2063 LSB
801-422-9788
ray_merrill@byu.edu
Ron Hager
Associate Professor
Exercise Sciences
228-B SFH
801-422-1183
hager@byu.edu
Exercise Sciences
228-B SFH
801-422-1183
hager@byu.edu
Daniel Kay
Assistant Professor
Psychology
1090 KMBL
801-422-7949
daniel_kay@byu.edu
Psychology
1090 KMBL
801-422-7949
daniel_kay@byu.edu
Chad Hancock
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Len Novilla
Associate Professor
Public Health
2064 LSB
801-422-9356
len_novilla@byu.edu
Public Health
2064 LSB
801-422-9356
len_novilla@byu.edu
Tyson Harmon
Assistant Professor
Communication Disorders
127 TLRB
801-422-1251
tyson_harmon@byu.edu
Communication Disorders
127 TLRB
801-422-1251
tyson_harmon@byu.edu
Arminda Suli
Associate Professor
Cell Biology and Physiology
3048 LSB
801-422-2646
asuli@byu.edu
Cell Biology and Physiology
3048 LSB
801-422-2646
asuli@byu.edu
Gerontology Office Staff
Janet Folsom
Office Manager
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
janet_folsom@byu.edu
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
janet_folsom@byu.edu
McKenna Warnick
Student Office Assistant
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
gerontology_info@byu.edu
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
gerontology_info@byu.edu
Grace Maxwell
Student Office Assistant
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
gerontology_info@byu.edu
1065 JFSB
801-422-1410
gerontology_info@byu.edu
Gerontology Program Faculty Affiliates
Education
Dallin Bailey
Communication Disorders
Speech and language in adults with and without neurological impairments
Speech and language in adults with and without neurological impairments
Shawn Nissen
Communication Disorders
Speech, language, and cognitive aspects of communication
Speech, language, and cognitive aspects of communication
Garrett Cardon
Communication Disorders and Neuroscience
Issues surrounding aging in autistic individuals
Understanding brain plasticity and re-organization in adults with hearing loss
Issues surrounding aging in autistic individuals
Understanding brain plasticity and re-organization in adults with hearing loss
Engineering & Technology
Michael A. Scott
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Computer modeling of prostate tumor growth
Computer modeling of prostate tumor growth
Anton E. Bowden
Mechanical Engineering
Spinal biomechanics and biomedical device design
Spinal biomechanics and biomedical device design
Family, Home, & Social Sciences
Alex Jensen
Family Life
Sibling relationships in later life
Sibling relationships in later life
Rick Miller
Family Life
Marital quality and health among older couples
Marital quality and health among older couples
Wendy Birmingham
Psychology
Social relationships and lower morbidity and mortality
Social relationships and lower morbidity and mortality
Shawn Gale
Psychology
Neuropsychology and memory
Neuropsychology and memory
Dawson Hedges
Psychology
Neuroimaging and Psychopharmacology
Neuroimaging and Psychopharmacology
Julianne Holt-Lunstad
Psychology
Social relationships on morbidity and mortality
Social relationships on morbidity and mortality
Mona Hopkins
Psychology
Cognitive functioning and illness
Cognitive functioning and illness
Derin Cobia
Psychology
Brain imaging markers of neurodegenerative disease and unusually successful aging
Brain imaging markers of neurodegenerative disease and unusually successful aging
Daniel Kay
Psychology
Sleep disorders, memory, and cognitive aging
Sleep disorders, memory, and cognitive aging
Niwako Yamawaki
Psychology
Attitudes toward help-seeking
Attitudes toward help-seeking
Jared Nielsen
Psychology
Effect of brain disease on the organization of brain networks
Effect of brain disease on the organization of brain networks
Cory Dennis
Social Work
Social work practice and substance abuse treatment
Social work practice and substance abuse treatment
Michael R. Cope
Sociology
Rural veterans' access to healthcare
Rural veterans' access to healthcare
Lance Erickson
Sociology
Aspects of aging in rural Utah
Aspects of aging in rural Utah
Scott Sanders
Sociology
Declining rural services for senior health care
Declining rural services for senior health care
Carol Ward
Sociology
Veterans' access to health care
Veterans' access to health care
Fine Arts & Communication
Kate Monson
Dance
The athletic ability of older dancers
The athletic ability of older dancers
Keely Song
Dance
The athletic ability of older dancers
The athletic ability of older dancers
Sam Tsugawa
Music
Effects of music on memory of Alzheimer/Dementia patient
Effects of music on memory of Alzheimer/Dementia patient
Life Sciences
John Kauwe
Biology
Genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
Genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
Perry Ridge
Biology
Rare coding variants and the risk for Alzheimer's disease
Rare coding variants and the risk for Alzheimer's disease
A. Wayne Johnson
Exercise Sciences
Rehabilitation of the lower extremities
Rehabilitation of the lower extremities
Bruce Bailey
Exercise Sciences
Lifestyle medicine
Lifestyle medicine
Ulrike Mitchell
Exercise Sciences
Rehabilitation of the spine
Rehabilitation of the spine
Brent Feland
Exercise Sciences
Physical activity levels in senior men and women
Physical activity levels in senior men and women
Larry Tucker
Exercise Sciences
Relationship between aging, measured by the length of telomeres and lifestyle
Relationship between aging, measured by the length of telomeres and lifestyle
Pat Vehrs
Exercise Sciences
FMS score in the active elderly population
FMS score in the active elderly population
Ron Hager
Exercise Sciences
Chronic disease prevention and functional fitness
Chronic disease prevention and functional fitness
Matthew Seeley
Exercise Sciences
Joint pain during human movement
Joint pain during human movement
Jayson Gifford
Exercise Sciences
Human cardiovascular function and fitness with aging and disease
Human cardiovascular function and fitness with aging and disease
Robert Hyldahl
Exercise Sciences
Skeletal muscle impact on human health over the lifespan
Skeletal muscle impact on human health over the lifespan
Lance Davidson
Exercise Sciences
Effects of bariatric surgery, body composition, exercise interventions for improved health in obesity and aging
Effects of bariatric surgery, body composition, exercise interventions for improved health in obesity and aging
Dustin Bruening
Exercise Sciences
Foot and ankle mechanics, gait, and sports biomechanics
Foot and ankle mechanics, gait, and sports biomechanics
Brad Nelson
Exercise Sciences
Cellular signaling in skeletal muscle
Cellular signaling in skeletal muscle
Laura Bridgewater
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
The gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome
The gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome
Scott Weber
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Immune system response to infectious disease
Immune system response to infectious disease
Julianne Grose
Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Cellular and molecular contributions to heart disease
Cellular and molecular contributions to heart disease
Mary Davis
Microbiology & Molecular Biology
Statistical genetic analysis of diabetes and neurodegenerative disease
Watch my Video!
Statistical genetic analysis of diabetes and neurodegenerative disease
Watch my Video!
Susan Fullmer
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science
Diet and exercise on metabolism and bone health
Diet and exercise on metabolism and bone health
Chad Hancock
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
James LeCheminant
Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food
Obesity and weight management; energy balance; physical activity and chronic disease prevention
Obesity and weight management; energy balance; physical activity and chronic disease prevention
Jeff Edwards
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Learning and Memory, Synaptic Plasticity, Pharmacology
Learning and Memory, Synaptic Plasticity, Pharmacology
Sterling Sudweeks
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Ion Channels, Gene Expression, Synaptic Transmission
Ion Channels, Gene Expression, Synaptic Transmission
Arminda Suli
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Sensory cells that mediate hearing and balance
Sensory cells that mediate hearing and balance
Jonathon Hill
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Genetic regulation of genes in heart development and disease
Genetic regulation of genes in heart development and disease
Dario Mizrachi
Cellular Biology and Physiology
The effects of age on changes in energy metabolism
The effects of age on changes in energy metabolism
Jordan Yorgason
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Cellular Neuroscience, Synaptic Activity, Neurocircuitry, Psychopharmacology
Cellular Neuroscience, Synaptic Activity, Neurocircuitry, Psychopharmacology
David Thomson
Cellular Biology and Physiology
The effect of old-age and diabetes on skeletal muscle metabolism, mass, and function
Watch my Video!
The effect of old-age and diabetes on skeletal muscle metabolism, mass, and function
Watch my Video!
Benjamin Bikman
Cellular Biology and Physiology
Metabolic disorders and Alzheimer's disease, with a particular focus on insulin resistance
Metabolic disorders and Alzheimer's disease, with a particular focus on insulin resistance
John Chaston
Plant & Wildlife Sciences
Life-span extending probiotics
Life-span extending probiotics
Evan Thacker
Public Health
Cardiovascular health, cognitive impairment and dementia
Cardiovascular health, cognitive impairment and dementia
Michael Barnes
Public Health
Attitudes about screening among physically active seniors
Attitudes about screening among physically active seniors
Len Novilla
Public Health
Heart disease, diabetes, obesity in at-risk communities
Heart disease, diabetes, obesity in at-risk communities
Ray Merrill
Public Health
Cancer Epidemiology
Cancer Epidemiology
John Beard
Public Health
Occupational and environmental risk factors for adult neurological diseases
Occupational and environmental risk factors for adult neurological diseases
Erik Nelson
Public Health
Aging and social determinants of health; Ageism; Environmental effects on neurocognition
Aging and social determinants of health; Ageism; Environmental effects on neurocognition
Cougar Hall
Public Health
Nursing
Blaine Winters
Nursing
Nursing care of older adults
Nursing care of older adults
Karen Delacruz
Nursing
End-of-life care
End-of-life care
Deborah Himes
Nursing
Nursing care of older adults
Nursing care of older adults
Neil Peterson
Nursing
Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and healthy lifestyles across the lifespan
Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and healthy lifestyles across the lifespan
Craig Nuttall
Nursing
Brain plasticity in older adults during limb disuse
Brain plasticity in older adults during limb disuse
Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Richard Watt
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Chronic Kidney Disease and Alzheimer's disease
Chronic Kidney Disease and Alzheimer's disease
John Price
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Effects of calorie consumption on lifespan
Effects of calorie consumption on lifespan
David Hansen
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Innate Immune Control in Aging, Alzheimer's, and Cancer
Innate Immune Control in Aging, Alzheimer's, and Cancer