Ramine Alexander joined the UNC Nutrition Research Institute as Research Project Manager. Dr. Alexander received her Ph.D. and MPH, from Virginia Tech. As an intervention scientist, her research interest includes utilizing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to improve lifestyle risk factors (i.e., diet and physical activity) that have a direct relevance to obesity and chronic disease. Through CBPR approaches a primary goal of her work is to involve the voice of the community in the research process to promote intervention sustainability. Dr. Alexander has a passion for building health equity, conducting research on the social determinants of health, and using innovative approaches to communicate science.

Tyisha Harper joined UNC Nutrition Research Institute in December 2021 as a Project Coordinator in the Goode Lab. She is originally for Milwaukee, WI and relocated to the Charlotte area with her new husband. She is excited to learn and develop her research career here. Tyisha likes to travel, go bowling, and spend lots of quality time with her family. Tyisha is motivated by  spiritual affirmations and her favorite one is Psalm 46:5, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”

Katherine is a recent graduate of North Carolina State University, where she studied social work. As an undergraduate, she engaged in research surrounding burnout and vicarious trauma; she is excited to join Dr. Goode’s lab as a research assistant. Katherine is passionate about increasing healthcare equity, social justice, and individual and community well-being, and she hopes to pursue a career engaging in research around disordered eating. In her free time, Katherine enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and playing guitar.