Work With Us

 

Partnership Opportunities with the Redstone Center

At Redstone, we engage the GW community to work toward our vision and mission, and focus on changes that can be made at GW and in the District to reduce our carbon footprint and serve as a model for others. We serve as a sought-after community resource by providing technical assistance, research, and policy support to community partners within and outside the government.

 

The Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness is focused on the identification of effective nutrition and physical activity strategies that improve the prevention and management of obesity and other chronic related diseases. Improving the health of the District of Columbia, with particular attention to health inequities, is a major goal of the Center.

We are particularly interested in research and policy that furthers the goals of equity and dismantling racist systems, structures, and practices related to chronic disease prevention. To continue this work, our pilot funds are open to investigators whose proposals are directed toward reducing disparities in chronic diseases within the DC metropolitan area. Proposed projects can include policy initiatives.

Become a Fellow

Meet our Fellows

2020

Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Associate Professor, Global Health. 2020 and 2017 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into tap water drinking behaviors among Latino children and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption at Latino-serving independent restaurants. In 2018, Dr. Colón-Ramos was part of a team that developed a nutrition program evaluation course for program managers in Latin America as part of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Publications: Formative Research to Design a Promotional Campaign to Increase Drinking Water among Central American Latino Youth in an Urban Area.

Sameera Talegawkar, Associate Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. 2020 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for biological stress among South Asian immigrants in the U.S. Dr. Talegawkar’s research focuses on the role of diet and other lifestyle factors on chronic disease risk in minority populations, and on age-related functional declines in older individuals.

Karina R. Lora, Teaching/Research Assistant Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Science. 2020 Redstone Global Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into culturally appropriate nutrition and physical activity weight-loss behavioral intervention for Central American men living in Washington, D.C.

2019

Aubrey Villalobos, DrPH candidate, Health Behavior. 2019 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research on breastfeeding norms among African American women.

Monica Hubal, Professorial Lecturer, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Dr. Hubal’s research focuses on identifying ideal intervention strategies to regain health as well as the factors that make some people more prone to developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease, especially in early life.

Michael Long, Assistant Professor, Prevention and Community Health. Dr. Long conducts research at the intersection of epidemiology and quantitative policy analysis with the goal of identifying cost-effective and politically feasible policy solutions to promote community health.

2018

Kate Applebaum, Associate Professor, Environment and Occupational Health. 2018 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research on physical activity and kidney health in Central American agricultural workers.

Allison Sylvetsky Meni, Assistant Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. 2018 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research on associations between low-calorie sweeteners, diet quality and metabolic risk in adolescents with diabetes. Publications: Consumption of Low-calorie Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Higher Total Energy and Sugar Intake Among Children, NHANES 2011-2016.

Amira Roess, Assistant Professor, Global Health. 2016 and 2018 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into breastfeeding outcomes for WIC populations and the effect of breastfeeding on the microbiome in minority infants. In 2019, research funded by the Center was used as part of a successful grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a study of infant feeding behaviors and associations with infant health outcomes. Publications: Social Support for Breastfeeding in the Era of mHealth: A Content Analysis.

 

2017

Kim Robien, Associate Professor, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. 2017 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research on the effect of weight loss and phthalate exposure reduction on body composition among women. Dr. Robien’s research focuses on nutrition in chronic disease prevention, food access in underserved communities, environmental nutrition and sustainable food systems, and the extent to which exposure to food-borne chemicals may contribute to risk of obesity and chronic diseases.

Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Associate Professor, Global Health. 2017 and 2020 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into tap water drinking behaviors among Latino children and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption at Latino-serving independent restaurants. In 2018, Dr. Colón-Ramos was part of a team that developed a nutrition program evaluation course for program managers in Latin America as part of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Publications: Formative Research to Design a Promotional Campaign to Increase Drinking Water among Central American Latino Youth in an Urban Area.

 

2016

Monique Turner, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for MPH Programs, Prevention and Community Health. 2016 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into diabetes prevention programs for young obese maternal caregivers and their children’s health. Publications: Impact of Self-Efficacy on Risk Aversion in the Context of Surgical Weight Loss Decision Scenarios.

Amira Roess, Assistant Professor, Global Health. 2016 and 2018 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into breastfeeding outcomes for WIC populations and the effect of breastfeeding on the microbiome in minority infants. In 2019, research funded by the Center was used as part of a successful grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a study of infant feeding behaviors and associations with infant health outcomes. Publications: Social Support for Breastfeeding in the Era of mHealth: A Content Analysis.

Todd A. Miller, Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. 2016 Redstone Center Pilot Grant Awardee for research into the use of strength training for fat loss. Publications: Resistance training combined with diet decreases body fat while preserving lean mass independent of resting metabolic rate: a randomized trial. 

We offer opportunities for current Milken Institute School of Public Health masters students to conduct projects in the community related to our work. 

Students interested in working on our climate and health priorities for a Practicum or Culminating Experience or those who would like to be connected with community partners for related work, please reach out to the Redstone Center through the link below:

Work with Us

Since launching in 2014, one of the Redstone Center’s core areas of focus has been to make the District of Columbia the healthiest capital in the world. With deep expertise in public health and policy, along with the goals of ending chronic health disparities and improving the health of all District residents, Redstone has become a trusted resource for public health officials, policymakers, advocates, and academics alike.

The adverse effects of climate change on human health make climate mitigation and resilience essential to improving the health of District residents. As such, the Redstone Center focuses on double duty solutions that simultaneously act to mitigate climate change while also improving human health.

We accept requests from community organizations seeking the following:

  • Research Support
  • Policy Analysis
  • Legislative Development
We accept partnership requests on topics related to our mission and are particularly interested in supporting local work with the potential for national and global applications.
 
Become a Community Partner
 

Interested in seeing some of our work? See The Glasgow Food and Climate Policy Brief.

 

GWxRedstone Spotlight: 

GW Public Health Seminar Series From Biology to Behavior

A Cross-Disciplinary Discussion Surrounding Sugar & Sweetener Consumption

 

The Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the George Washington University (GW) Milken Institute School of Public Health, in conjunction with the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, the GW Food Institute, and the GW Institute for Corporate Responsibility, hosted a cross-disciplinary seminar series on the topic of sugar and sweeteners. The sugar & sweetener seminar series engaged stakeholders across disciplines and focused on unanswered questions and potential unintended consequences relevant to lowering added sugar intake at the population level.

The seminar series is intended to bring together contrasting views in presenting key controversies, and spur debate amongst experts in the field. Catch up on the seminar series here or listen to the GW School of Public Health's 'Healthy You Podcast' on sugar, sweeteners, the health implications of these widespread ingredients - and implications of efforts to curb their intake: The S Word_Healthy You Podcast.)