The African Americans With Type-2 Diabetes (AAT2Diabetes) Team is a research team from The Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio aiming to improve health for people living with diabetes. Led by Dr. Jie Hu on NIH-funded grant 1R01DK129435-01A1, we are running an intervention study to see how family and friends can support and help their loved ones with diabetes. We hope that through this project, we will be able to improve diabetes interventions in clinical care, and thus improve the health and lives of those impacted by diabetes.
We’ve put this page together to introduce ourselves and help you become familiar with the staff you’ll be seeing throughout the study.
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Dr. Jie Hu, PhD, RN, FAAN
Principal Investigator
Dr. Hu has many years of research experiences working with minority populations with type 2 diabetes. She specializes in diabetes self-management and the family’s role in supporting patients. She is an Associate Professor at the Ohio State University, College of Nursing. Read more about Dr. Hu here.
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Dr. Joshua Joseph, MD, FAHA
Co-Investigator
Dr. Joseph is an endocrinologist with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He specializes in diabetes and obesity work. He is also an Associate Professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Read more about Dr. Joseph here.
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Christin Carmichael, BA
Clinical Research Assistant
Christin has worked on many clinical research projects here at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center as a member of the Center for Clinical Research Management within the College of Medicine. She is excited to expand her horizons by working with the College of Nursing under Dr. Hu and the rest of the team. She feels this project is very important and hopes to make a difference through it.
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Jennifer Shaw, BSN, RN
PhD Student | Graduate Research Assistant
Jennifer is a second-year PhD student focused on Type-1 Diabetes and the experiences of those living with the disease. She graduated in May of 2022 with her bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the Ohio State University College of Nursing and officially became a nurse that summer before directly starting her PhD program. She is simultaneously seeking a Master’s of Science in Nursing with the hope to become a Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN) after graduation and work in a diabetes clinic. She has also worked on a project studying how technology is and can be used for health in families with low incomes.
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Dominic Governale
Undergraduate Honors Student | Research Assistant
Dominic is an undergraduate honors nursing student at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. He is interested in the impact of diabetes on cognitive function and the development of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. He wants to research how diabetes may contribute to or influence the onset of both of those conditions, as he was personally impacted through the lives of his grandfathers. He saw how these diseases effected memory and daily life, and hopes to play a role in generating knowledge of the conditions. After he graduates, he hopes to continue his education by pursuing a Master’s to become a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
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Jayla Dixon
Undergraduate Student | Research Assistant
Jayla is a pre-nursing student at the Ohio State University with a minor in American Sign Language. She works with children with type-1 diabetes and is excited to work on the AAT2Diabetes project to learn about the commonalities in support system influences on managing health. When she graduates, she hopes to work in a pediatric setting.
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Lucia Martinez
Undergraduate Student | Research Assistant
Lucia is a health sciences major with a minor in biology at The Ohio State University. She is interested in how education and intervention can help a patient manage their diabetes. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine and go to medical school.
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Hye-Yeon Shin
PhD Student | Graduate Research Assistant
Hye-yeon is a first-year Nursing PhD student. She previously worked with pulmonary and infectious diseases as a Registered Nurse (RN) for over 6 years. While working, she got her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Her research interests focus on caring for patients living with dementia. During her free time, Hye-yeon likes to cook and work out at the gym. After completing her PhD, she wants to teach student nurses at her undergraduate university and continue her research on dementia.
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Janet Zappe, MS, RN, CDE
Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist
Janet is a Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Outpatient East Hospital. She specializes in teaching healthy living and diabetes management strategies to people with diabetes. Learn more about Janet here.
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Kelly Urse, ACSM-EP
Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Health and Wellness Coach
Kelly Urse is an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist and Wellness Program Manager for the OSUWMC Exercise is Medicine program. Prior to joining Exercise is Medicine about a year and a half ago, she spent 26 years in the OSUWMC Comprehensive Weight Management Program where she was able to help patients, many with diabetes, make lifestyle behavior changes to meet their health and wellness goals. She is excited to be part of this project providing the exercise education classes and getting everyone moving!
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Sean Hillis
Undergraduate Honors Student | Research Assistant
Sean is an undergraduate honors nursing student at the Ohio State University College of Nursing.
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Lorraine C. Mion, PhD, RN, FAAN
Co-Investigator
Dr. Mion specializes with geriatric populations, improving systems, and functioning in hospital settings. She is also a Research Professor at the Ohio State University College of Nursing. Read more about Dr. Mion here.
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Alai Tan, PhD
Co-Investigator
Dr. Tan is a statistician with the Ohio State University College of Nursing. Read more about Dr. Tan here.
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Suzanne Bartle-Haring, PhD
Co-Investigator
Read more about Dr. Bartle-Haring here.
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Carla Miller, PhD
Co-Investigator
Read more about Dr. Miller here.
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Christopher Chiu, MD
Co-Investigator
Dr. Chiu is the lead physician for the General Internal Medicine division at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He is also an Associate Professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Read more about Dr. Chiu here.
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Bo-Hyun Kim, MSN, RN
PhD Student | Graduate Research Assistant
Bo-Hyun worked as a geriatric nurse for seven years at the Samsung Seoul Hospital in South Korea. Her research primarily focuses on examining psychophysiological mediators linking social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function in older adults with diabetes. Her long-term goal is to design interventions that consider family and community resources to mitigate social isolation and loneliness, thereby delaying cognitive decline in older adults with diabetes. She is committed to serving elderly patients, and aspires to contribute as a researcher and nurse educator – enhancing health outcomes for older adults with diabetes.