Dr. Amy Joy Lanou is Executive Director of the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness (NCCHW). She is a Professor in Health and Wellness and teaches courses in nutrition, nutrition policy, and health communication. Dr. Lanou researches nutrition for the prevention of chronic disease, nutrition and bone health and how experiential food education impacts what individuals know, think and do with respect to dietary choices. Along with the NCCHW team, she supports regional efforts to expand access evidence-based health promotion programs and to promote health equity and food security in western North Carolina.
Dr. Ameena Batada is a Professor in Health and Wellness and teaches courses in public health, community health, health communication, and health justice. Dr. Batada was recently recognized with the North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. She conducts community-driven research with partner organizations, including program evaluations and research for public health policy advocacy. She also is involved in research on the impact of structural racism on health in rural Western North Carolina.
Dr. Laura Jones is an Associate Professor in Health and Wellness and teaches courses in mental and emotional health, addictions, sexual health, biofeedback, and stress management. Dr. Jones researches the integration of neuroscience into clinical mental health training and practice, the role of mental health in the peak performance of athletes, the use of biofeedback in enhancing wellbeing and performance, and conceptualizations of safety in trauma survivors. She was recently recognized with UNC Asheville’s Scholarship and Creative Achievement Award.
Dr. Aubri Rote is and Associate Professor and Chair of the Health and Wellness Department. She teaches courses in chronic disease, exercise science, and body image. Dr. Rote conducts research on body composition and health, weight bias, and pedagogical strategies in health sciences.
Dr. Jason Wingert is a Professor in Health and Wellness and teaches courses in anatomy and physiology as well as evolution of human health and disease. Dr. Wingert researches sensory and motor function in older adult fall prevention and cognitive biases impacting the student learning of evolution.
Dr. Fabrice Julien is an Assistant Professor in Health and wellness and teaches courses in research methods, migration and health, health communication, public health, and community health. Dr. Julien’s research is centered around the social determinants of health. His ongoing projects aim to minimize health disparities. At The University of North Carolina Asheville, his lab explores health outcomes related to stress exposure in college students, youth, and immigrants. The research carried out in the lab is qualitative. Other lines of active research include: 1. A comparative cross-sectional analysis of the role family interactions play in the development of depressive symptoms, 2. A community health investigation of how sexual health knowledge is related to coital frequency and subsequently how this frequency is related to sexual practice decisions, and 3. An exploration of the interdisciplinary association between social standing, academic stressors and the psychological well-being of immigrant
youth.