Current Projects

Latinos and Latinas, the largest minority ethnic group in the United States, appear to be most affected by the rural–urban divide in cardiovascular disease health outcomes. They are unequally burdened by cardiovascular risks, such as excess weight and obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular mortality, compared with other racial and ethnic groups. Cardiovascular mortality alone accounts for 20% of deaths, the second-most leading cause of death, among Latinos and Latinas.

Your voluntary participation in our Determinants of Insufficient Sleep in Rural-Urban Settings study will allow our research team to understand the possible factors that have contributed to these negative health outcomes. These findings can lead to actionable clinical, lifestyle, and policy interventions that can improve the health of the Latino and Latina community.

Who can participate

Latinos and Latinas who are 18 years of age or older may qualify to participate. We are enrolling more than 500 volunteers in this 5-year study. If you are interested in participating, please complete our REDCap survey, and a member of our study team will contact you.

Contact us

For more information and to register as a potential volunteer, please contact DORMIR@miami.edu

STEM SEL is a pre- and post- pilot design study that serves to determine the current state of social and emotional learning skills among Florida students in grades 6-12 using a preventative, self-guided mental health support technology with care escalation for school-aged children throughout the academic school year. The intervention provides Tier 1 resources for emotional awareness, coping skills, health education, and stigma reduction. Neolth has demonstrated clinical reductions in stress, depression, anxiety, and stigma, as well as increases in self-efficacy.

The students supported as part of this project span all learning styles and abilities. 35% of students at our pilot schools have a diagnosed health condition, including anxiety, depression, substance use or PTSD. Additionally, 1 in 6 have Autism, Dyslexia, or ADHD.

Our vision is to champion a preventative model of care within schools where every child has access to the quality educational, stigma-reducing, and stress-alleviating resources that they need to thrive. We emphasize supporting students before they reach crisis, decreasing stigma, and encouraging help-seeking.

Who can participate

Students currently enrolled in middle or high schools in Florida who are 11 years of age or older may qualify to participate. We are enrolling more than 100 volunteers in this 3-year study. If you are interested in participating, please contact our team via the email below.

Contact us

For more information and to register as a potential volunteer, please contact TheMIL@miami.edu

Nurturing Moms is a pre- and post- design study that aims to reduce stress among expectant and postpartum Black and Latina women using NurtureVR through a 5-week exposure. NurtureVR combines mindfulness techniques, relaxation, and virtual reality-enabled guided imagery of pregnancy and postpartum experiences and education to reduce emotional stress and improve emotional wellness. Our team provides the VR headset; the expectant or new mother views the therapeutic modules throughout the course of the study and returns the headset at the end of the study. One of the advantages of this study is that once the participant has the VR headset, they can view the modules at any time and from the comfort of their home.

Who Can Participate

Black or Latinx individuals who are 18 years of age or older with a recent birth or current pregnancy may qualify to participate. We are enrolling 50 volunteers in this study. If you are interested in participating, please complete our REDCap survey, and a member of our study team will contact you.

Contact Us

For more information and to register as a potential volunteer, please contact nurturevr@miami.edu

The Combating Alzheimer’s through Sleep and Exercise study is a randomized clinical trial that compares the relative and combined protective effects of a remote sleep and exercise intervention on Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment risk. This study has three arms that participants are randomly selected into at the beginning of the trial – a sleep arm, an exercise arm, and a combined sleep and exercise arm. 

The study is based on the concept that healthy behaviors, like sleep and exercise, protect against Alzheimer’s through a process called clearance.  Alzheimer’s and Dementia are the result of plaque buildup in the brain that results in loss of gray and white matter as a person ages.  Exercise and sleep may play a role in flushing out these plaques during day-to-day life.  These plaques and subsequent inflammation result in a protein in the blood called Amyloid Beta, which can be collected in urine and may be a marker for Alzheimer’s risk.

Who Can Participate

Individuals who are 45-80 years of age may qualify to participate. We are enrolling 30 volunteers in this study. If you are interested in participating, please complete our REDCap survey, and a member of our study team will contact you.