OUR TEAM
Patrice Fuller, BS, Pacific University
Research Assistant
Launa Newby, BS, Portland State University
Research Assistant
Taryn Gordon, MA, MS, George Fox University
Research Assistant
Mentoring Matters
SHARP provides research opportunities for underrepresented scholars
Raina Croff, PhD - Principal Investigator
Dr. Croff is Assistant Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University since 2015. Born and raised in Portland, OR, she received her PhD in anthropology from Yale University in 2009, with a focus on the African Diaspora. Dr. Croff’s work focuses on how culture impacts health and acts as a lens through which people interpret health literature, messaging, programming, and research participation. Her research seeks to increase physical activity and social engagement among older African Americans in ways that celebrate culture, history, and community memory. She is passionate about mentoring through the SHARP study.
Patrice Fuller, BS
With her family roots in Portland and Clinton, MS, she graduated with her psychology degree in 2016 from Pacific University. Her interests are in non-pharmacological interventions for healthier mental and cognitive aging as well as investigating psychological effects of social stress within the Africana diaspora. She hopes to pursue her MPH in primary health care and health disparities within the next coming years.
Launa Newby
Launa Newby, originally from a small town in northern Arizona, has been part of the SHARP project for the past two years. Launa works as a medical assistant, is a licensed emergency medical technician, and is completing her undergraduate degree in social science on a pre-medical track. Passionate about addressing racial and social disparities in health equity, Launa aims to promote a holistic, inclusive, community-focused approach to healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys eating food (not cooking it), dancing, rock climbing, and spending time with loved ones.
Past Contributors
Researchers who helped coordinate the SHARP study in the past
Juell Towns, BS, MGH, University of Washington
Former Research Assistant
Edline Francois, BA, Oregon Health & Science University
Former Study Coordinator
André Pruitt, LCSW, PhD, Portland State University
Former Research Assistant
Chanelle Parris, BS, Portland State University
Former Research Assistant
Annie Wachana,
Brown University
Former Research Assistant
Sophia Aron, Oregon Health
& Science University
Former Research Assistant
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Charles Fennell, BS, Oregon Health & Science University
Former Community Outreach Specialist
Juell Towns, BS
Juell Towns is an undergraduate at Portland State University studying community health education. She is an NIH-BUILD Exito scholar and a Ronald E. McNair fellow. Juell serves as an undergraduate research assistant for the Sharing History through Active Reminiscence and Photo-imagery (SHARP) study. Juell is passionate about working interpersonally with underrepresented and underserved communities and is committed to centering equity and justice in her work.
Edline Francois, BA
Edline graduated with a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences in 2017. Her education and life experience have fostered a passion for public health. This passion has led her to work in health promotion, maternal-child health, and health disparities research, specifically Alzheimer's disease. My research interests are: maternal child health especially in Black women and healthy aging of older Black women.
André Pruitt, MSW, LCSW
Andre is a doctoral student and adjunct instructor at Portland State University in the School of Social Work. He is also a research scientist at the NIA - Layton Aging & Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Oregon Health & Science University. Andre’s research interests include cognitive changes as we age, culturally responsive research methodologies and healthy aging through the Africana Methodology.
Chanelle Parris, BS
Chanelle is a recent graduate from Portland State University, earning a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. She plans to continue her education and pursue a career in brain health research investigating the racial health disparities and barriers that exist within the Black and African American populations.
Sophia Aron, BS
Sophia Aron is a nursing student at OHSU working to complete her PMHNP/DNP. She is dedicated to addressing psychiatric needs of the local Portland community by providing trauma-informed and patient-directed care. Her involvement with the SHARP study first began in 2017 with her research through Lewis & Clark College where she transcribed and thematically analyzed audio recordings of study participants' walks. After graduating from Lewis & Clark in 2018, Sophia found her passion as a treatment specialist providing care for patients with severe mental illness at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare. Her motivation to bridge the gap between psychiatric research and practice lead her to work as technician providing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy for patients with depression, anxiety, and OCD. As a nursing student, Sophia is dedicated to supporting those who face severe mental illness and related socio-economic disadvantages. Her work with the SHARP study has informed her passion for approaching patients with cultural humility and incorporating culturally responsive healing practices into individualized care planning. Her goal is to make a meaningful difference through her future role as a PMHNP, aiming to advocate for those in need.
Charles Fennell, BS
Charles Fennell has served as the Community Outreach Specialist for the Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and is passionate about using research as an avenue toward health equity. Originally from North Carolina, Charles came to Oregon inspired by the work being done in the SHARP study. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Natural Science. Charles has worked around Alzheimer's Disease for most of his life and hopes to impact health equity as a medical doctor.