Newest cohort of health researchers installed as CUSHR faculty

The Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR) has chosen its newest cohort of faculty scholars and clinical faculty.

CUSHR faculty is comprised of Clemson faculty members, doctors, clinicians and other health-related partners who are building transformative health research agendas. With their research and clinical expertise, these academicians and medical professionals are working to solve the most perplexing health care questions.

Faculty scholars are faculty members who demonstrate a strong record of health research, teaching and service in collaboration with other Clemson faculty and students as well as health care partners.

The new CUSHR Faculty Scholars are:

• Erin Ash, associate professor, Department of Communication | College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
• Jessica Aviles, assistant professor, Department of Industrial Engineering | College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
• Brian Booth, associate professor, Department of Bioengineering | College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
• Susana Cerqueira, research assistant professor, Department of Bioengineering | College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
• Hye Won Chai, research assistant professor, Department of Psychology | College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
• Christopher Chouinard, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry | College of Science
• Christopher Farrell, assistant professor, School of Nursing | College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
• Aaron Masino, associate professor, School of Computing | College of Science
• Thompson Mefford, associate professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering | College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
• Fabio Morgante, assistant professor, Center for Human Genetics | College of Science
• Abby Stephan, research assistant professor, Institute for Engaged Aging | College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences
• Jason Thrift, assistant professor, School of Nursing | College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

Clinical faculty are medical professionals who support collaborative health research, teaching and service with their Clemson colleagues.

The new Clinical Faculty are:

• Shawna Bellew, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine | University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Prisma Health
• Stephen Carek, program director, Family Medicine Residency | Prisma Health
• Catherine Chang, Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, Ambulatory and Clinical Councils | Prisma Health
• Kristen Dickens, Director of Nursing Practice | Prisma Health
• Chelsea Fox, Fertility Center of the Carolinas | Prisma Health
• Jeff Gerac, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Acute Care | Prisma Health
• Julie Martin, Director of Cancer Research | Prisma Health
• Robert Morgan, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine | Prisma Health
• Bryan Ohning, Department of Pediatrics | University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and Prisma Health
• Nicholas Perkins, Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer | Prisma Health
• Connie Spykerman, Chief Nursing Officer, Oconee Memorial Hospital and Baptist Easley Hospital | Prisma Health
• Michelle Strong, lead nurse practitioner of clinical practice and research | Addiction Medicine Center at Prisma Health
• Jeremy Warren, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Surgery | Prisma Health

Thomas Britt, chair of the CUSHR appointment committee and key facilitator of health-related partnerships, said these annual appointments recognize health researchers for influential and collaborative projects.

"The CUSHR Faculty Scholars have all demonstrated effective collaborations with fellow health researchers and/or clinical partners. The CUSHR Clinical Faculty have all collaborated or facilitated collaboration with Clemson Faculty," Britt said. "Both the Faculty Scholars and Clinical Faculty are committed to growing health research at Clemson."

The Clemson University School of Health Research (CUSHR) is a multidisciplinary unit facilitating health research and scholarship. Since 2013, CUSHR has been a key entity for health-related scholarship and collaboration, with more than 160 Clemson faculty engaged in health research that impacts both the local community and broader nation.