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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine: Community Research
  • UAMS Health
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  • Research & Evaluation
    • Arkansas Early Childhood Care & Education Financing: Cost Modeling & Market Price Analysis
    • Arkansas Workforce Studies
    • Healthy Families America (HFA)
    • Home-Visiting Support for Low-Birth-Weight Preterm Infants
    • Parents as Teachers (PAT) Arkansas
  • Research-Based Early Childhood Professional Development
    • Engage Continuum
    • FIRST:ECE
    • TIPS
    • Family Map
    • Project PLAY
      • Research & Results
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    • REACH
    • WISE
    • Strengthening Families
  • Research Faculty
    • Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D.
    • Nikki Edge, Ph.D.
    • Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D.
    • Taren M. Swindle, Ph.D.
    • Kanna Lewis, Ph.D.
  • Contact RED
  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
  4. Research and Scholarly Activity
  5. Community Research
  6. Research Faculty

Research Faculty

Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed. D.
Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D.
Director of the Research and Evaluation Division (RED)
501-686-7633
WhitesideMansellLeanne@uams.edu
University of Memphis. Studies home and parenting environments using the Family Map Inventories. She is co-developer of the WISE obesity prevention intervention and has commercialized multiple research-based products to translate to wider dissemination.
Publications
Nikki Edge, Ph.D.
Nikki Edge, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of the Research and Evaluation Division (RED)
501-526-7274
NAEdge@uams.edu
University of Memphis. Studies children at risk of early social-emotional concerns, including those impacted by trauma, maternal substance abuse and depression. Her research as led to unique national collaborations and interventions to support young children’s mental health.
Publications
Lorraine McKelvey
Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D.
501-686-8051
McKelveyLorraine@uams.edu
Michigan State University. Examines the effects of adverse childhood experiences on child development. Her research has also focused on two-generation family supports, such as home visiting and quality early childhood education.
Publications
Taren Swindle
Taren Swindle, Ph.D.
501-686-6590
TSwindle@uams.edu
University of Memphis. Studies factors in early childcare and home environments that affect obesity. Co-Inventor of WISE, a prevention program for children under age 7, which has shown significant improvements in child and parents’ nutrition practices using principles of implementation science.
Publications
Dr. Kanna Lewis
Kanna Lewis, Ph.D.
501-526-2259
klewis@uams.edu
University of Maryland. Examines early childhood interventions and systemic bias in health care. Her research builds upon a development of longitudinally linked large administrative datasets and application of quasi-experimental research designs.
Publications

RED Instructor Faculty

Isis Martel, M.S.
Isis Martel, M.S.
501-686-6560
MartelIsisD@uams.edu
Studies interventions developed for vulnerable populations. Current projects include those designed for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders, those at risk for HIV and human trafficking, and older individuals with other chronic diseases.
Publications
LaTunja
LaTunja Sockwell, M.A.
501-526-7770
LRSockwell@uams.edu
Leads the evaluation of Arkansas’ state-wide HIV Drug Court Education and the AR Anti-Stigma Initiative. The goal of her work is to increase access to HIV screening and care across AR, reduce stigma around HIV, and provide medical, fact-based advocacy for HIV-related criminal law reform.
Publications
Dong Zhang
Dong Zhang, Ph.D.
DZhang@uams.edu
Dr. Zhang explores how environmental and contextual factors affect family and individual’s mental and physical health, including but not limited to obesity, cancer, depression, and adverse childhood experiences.
Publications

RED Retired Faculty

Patti Bokony
Patti Bokony, Ph.D.
501-765-7481
BokonyPattiA@uams.edu
University of Memphis. Dr. Bokony’s areas of interest include developing preventive interventions that promote social-emotional development in early childhood and promoting those interventions through parenting education and professional development for childcare and early education professionals.
Publications

Subpages

  • Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Ed.D.
  • Nikki Edge, Ph.D.
  • Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D.
  • Taren M. Swindle, Ph.D.
  • Kanna Lewis, Ph.D.
UAMS College of Medicine LogoUAMS College of MedicineUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
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