about-us

Susan D. Brown, Ph.D. is a behavioral scientist whose research focuses on interventions to prevent diabetes and heart disease. She studies ways to help people make healthy lifestyle choices, get preventive healthcare, and take part in health research. Her studies apply the science of behavior change to develop practical and scalable solutions in everyday healthcare settings, with an emphasis on maternal populations. She is committed to developing the next generation of scientists through research mentoring, training, and professional development. 

As the Lab Manager, Siedah Garrison, M.P.H. has extensive experience managing a diverse portfolio of human subjects and clinical research studies from project start-up through close-out. She successfully oversees multiple responsibilities in this dynamic research laboratory. Siedah has been an active member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates since February 2020. In recognition of her contributions and commitment to excellence, Siedah received the UC Davis Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Award in both 2024 and 2026.

Adrienne Hoyt-Austin, D.O., M.A.S. examines how health systems can better implement outpatient lactation support. Her research is supported by a career development award from the National Institutes of Health. She has presented nationally and internationally on her clinical, research, and academic work in breastfeeding and human milk science. Adrienne serves as the Communications Chair for the Better Outcomes through Research for Newborns research network.

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Abigail Arons, M.D., MPAff is a physician-scientist whose research focuses on early prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease during young adulthood. She uses epidemiologic, implementation science, and community-based research methods to inform changes to practice and policy that can support young people in achieving life-long health. 

Bridgette Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H. examines how upstream social, structural, and environmental factors shape health behaviors and maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy and across the life course. Her interdisciplinary work bridges epidemiology, public health, environmental health, sleep medicine, and clinical research, using epidemiologic and geospatial methods to study sleep and other lifestyle behaviors relevant to cardiometabolic disease prevention. Bridgette has received several distinguished honors, including Richard A. and Nora Eccles Harrison Award, a UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center Seed Grant, and the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 2025 Perinatal Origins of Disparities: Advancing Health Equity Symposium. Her long-term goal is to lead a research program that addresses upstream drivers of cardiometabolic risk while advancing early risk identification and precision prevention for pregnant and postpartum populations.

Brooke Wiickman, Ph.D., M.S., RD is a nutrition clinician scientist whose research translates scientific evidence into health care practice. Her research spans the iterative design, optimization, and implementation of patient-centered behavioral interventions for the prevention and management of chronic disease across the lifespan. She integrates nutrition science, implementation science, health systems science, mixed methods, clinical research, and translational research with the goal of optimizing health care. As a registered dietitian, her primary clinical nutrition interest is cardiovascular disease management. As an educator, Brooke has taught clinical trainees across disciplines, including dietetics, physical therapy, exercise physiology, and medicine. She received national recognition in 2024 through the American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN) Clinical Emerging Leader Award Competition and Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition. She has served in leadership roles with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the ASN. She completed both the UC Davis Professors for the Future Fellowship Program and the California State University Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program.

Ijeoma Uche, M.P.H. explores the use of artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, wearable technologies, and digital health interventions to advance reproductive and maternal health equity. Her work includes interventions addressing cardiometabolic disorders of pregnancy, expanding access to care, and providing educational support to families during the perinatal period. Ijeoma has been recognized as a National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Solv[ED] Under 24 Innovator. Her honors include the Westly Prize, UC Berkeley Big Ideas Award, UC Davis Big Bang! Social Entrepreneurship Award, and Association of American Medical Colleges Telehealth Equity Catalyst Award. She has received research support from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center and serves as a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley. Ijeoma aspires to become an obstetrician-gynecologist and physician-scientist, with clinical interests in reproductive endocrinology and infertility or maternal-fetal medicine. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, she hopes to advance equitable care through translational research, digital health innovation, and policy advocacy. 

Ji Young Choi, M.P.H., M.S. focuses on cardiometabolic disease prevention and health disparities, particularly the prevention of long-term cardiovascular complications following adverse pregnancy outcomes. Her methodological interests include integrating epidemiologic and statistical methods with population-based data analysis to better understand cardiometabolic risk and inform disease prevention. She was selected as the 2026–2027 recipient of the Ellen B. Gold Epidemiology Fellowship. She aims to pursue a career as an independent researcher developing equitable strategies to prevent chronic disease and improve health outcomes among populations at increased risk.