[{"id":117,"date":"2026-08-09T14:02:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T14:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=117"},"modified":"2026-08-09T14:23:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T14:23:58","slug":"md-phd-student-maeve-salm-shares-lab-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/08\/09\/md-phd-student-maeve-salm-shares-lab-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"MD-PhD Student Maeve Salm Shares Lab Experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This summer, we were thrilled to welcome incoming MD-PhD<\/a> student Maeve Salm, who spent three weeks with us in her lab rotation before beginning her M1 year this fall. Maeve\u00a0holds a master’s degree in global health from Duke University, and, following her graduate program, worked in the Duke Center for Global Mental Health as a clinical research coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out our Q&A with Maeve about her time in the lab:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What made you come to VCU and the MD\/PhD program specifically?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MS: I chose VCU because of the community-engaged research happening here, the multidisciplinary departmental collaborations, the local organizations and initiatives fighting for health equity, particularly in reproductive and mental health, and the proximity to the capitol to learn how to advocate for health policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sought out MD\/PhD programs to effect change individually and at systems levels, wanting to pursue innovation that advances reproductive and mental health equity for young people at individual, patient, and community levels. I’m humbled to have the opportunity to learn from patients in clinical and community settings, and I look forward to learning how to synergize efforts across these spaces in Richmond.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was your experience working in the OPT lab what you expected?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MS: Visiting the OPT lab, I was hoping to explore OPT’s various research projects, and I was able to do that and more! I’m so grateful I was able to learn more about the team’s intentionality and care for their participants and communities, demonstrated in each of their processes, from study design to data collection and reimbursement. I also had the unique opportunity to start a scoping review, so I felt the experience was strongly tailored to my interests and goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was your favorite part about your visit to the lab?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MS: I loved getting to know everyone in the OPT lab! They are such a powerful and thoughtful team, full of vibrancy and dedication. We had such detailed conversations about each of the studies, various implementation\u00a0considerations, related current events, and more. It was a joy to be surrounded by such a passionate crew.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

We look forward to seeing more of Maeve as she completes her M1 and M2 years and returns to Social and Behavioral Sciences for her PhD coursework!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This summer, we were thrilled to welcome incoming MD-PhD student Maeve Salm, who spent three weeks with us in her lab rotation before beginning her M1 year this fall. Maeve\u00a0holds a master’s degree in global health from Duke University, and, following her graduate program, worked in the Duke Center for Global Mental Health as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117\/revisions\/128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":111,"date":"2026-08-02T13:18:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T13:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=111"},"modified":"2026-08-02T13:18:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T13:18:36","slug":"resistance-training-and-cardiovascular-disease-risk-in-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/08\/02\/resistance-training-and-cardiovascular-disease-risk-in-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Resistance Training and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While aerobic exercise is commonly endorsed as a way to prevent cardiovascular disease, resistance training is less-widely promoted. A recent article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/a> underscores the benefits of including resistance training along with aerobics in exercise regimens for women in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers found that implementing both types of exercise, along with limiting sedentary behavior, significantly reduced risk of CVD in women.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Image<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Dr. Chlo\u00e9 Jones has been tapping into the world of resistance exercise since her dissertation phase, and is currently conducting a qualitative study identifying factors that contribute to success for resistance exercise training in order to develop a mobile health app that is culturally adapted for Black women. She has completed formative interviews with her target population, and will soon be moving on to co-design workshops where she will get input on the design of the app. Jones acknowledges that her project is unique in its approach: \u201cIt is very novel,\u201d she says, \u201cthere aren\u2019t any research-based mobile apps targeting resistance exercise for Black women.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Jones\u2019 app (titled \u201cTogether We Lift\u201d) is completed, it will be tested for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy among participants. The overall goal of the project is to prevent and\/or mitigate the onset of CVD in young Black women \u2013 which studies like the above suggest will be the outcome given the addition of resistance exercise. Black women are disproportionately affected by CVD, and about 59% of Black women over 20 have some form of CVD, according to the American Heart Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While aerobic exercise is commonly endorsed as a way to prevent cardiovascular disease, resistance training is less-widely promoted. A recent article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology underscores the benefits of including resistance training along with aerobics in exercise regimens for women in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions\/115"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":95,"date":"2026-07-27T21:06:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T21:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=95"},"modified":"2026-07-28T17:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:05:14","slug":"meet-the-team-vivian-hunter-ccrp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/07\/27\/meet-the-team-vivian-hunter-ccrp\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Team: Vivian Hunter, CCRP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vivian Hunter, senior clinical research coordinator, has been with the lab since June of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at VCU in 2021, Vivian imagined that she would go on to attend medical school. She entered the healthcare field working as a medical scribe in an emergency department near her hometown of Fredericksburg, VA, volunteered in a surgical trauma ICU, and then worked as a medical assistant at Virginia Women’s Center in Richmond. Her professional experiences, however, ended up having a surprising effect on her plans for the future. “Having worked in the healthcare field, working with patients every day, I witnessed the realities of the healthcare system,” she says. “Realizing that it’s not always set up for patients, providers, or professionals to succeed was disheartening.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding herself at a crossroads, Vivian reflected upon her time as a research assistant during her undergraduate education at VCU. Working in the HOPE lab with Dr. Ruth Brown of the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Vivian contributed to research on access to mental health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This experience had given Vivian insight into the basics of research coordination, and she decided to learn more. “I stumbled upon a clinical research coordinator position at Massey [Comprehensive Cancer Center]’s clinical trials office, I was hired on as a gynecologic oncology research coordinator, and my role was so rewarding,” she recalls. Working for Massey for almost two and a half years, Vivian assisted with patient recruitment for trials, helped manage treatments for patients, and worked closely with project PIs and treating physicians. “That was what opened my eyes to a career in research,” says Vivian, “for me the most important thing is I want to do something that feels meaningful to me and that is helping people.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I know that I want to help people in the moment, but I also acknowledge that there are larger systemic issues that cause problems to trickle down, which made me curious about public health. It\u2019s important to me to be a lifelong learner, and I think it\u2019s so important to stay curious and ask questions, and wonder why things are the way that they are, and try to think about potential solutions. Working towards an MPH, I feel like I will be a more well-rounded person, and hopefully it will give me a lens to see things in a different way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Vivian Hunter, CCRP<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Following this career shift, Vivian decided to pursue further education in the form of an MPH from VCU’s School of Public Health. While working towards her degree, Vivian looked for clinical research coordinator positions, and found the OPT for Health Lab. In her role as senior clinical research coordinator, Vivian oversees all aspects of the three ongoing trials in the lab. “It’s all-encompassing. Everything comes and goes through me, which is amazing \u2013 and stressful,” she quips. “My days are spent managing day-to-day tasks related to trials. I help manage the study schedule, recruitment of participants, scheduling participant visits, quality data collection \u2013 all while making sure that participant experiences are centered and that we’re maintaining our relationships and continuing to build trust with the communities that we’re working with.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the busy and demanding schedule, Vivian is thriving as she enters her second year with the lab. “This position has given me the opportunity to really grow and understand what my passions are a little bit better,” she says. “Every day is different. I feel like this job has given me so many opportunities to learn and grow as a CRC and has opened my eyes to a completely different side of research that I was not as involved with or aware of.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does Vivian see herself in the future? “I don’t know!” she laughs. “I see myself helping people \u2013 what does that look like? I don\u2019t know. It looks different every day.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vivian Hunter, senior clinical research coordinator, has been with the lab since June of 2025. After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at VCU in 2021, Vivian imagined that she would go on to attend medical school. She entered the healthcare field working as a medical scribe in an emergency department near her hometown of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":96,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staff-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions\/109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":131,"date":"2026-07-21T22:24:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T22:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=131"},"modified":"2026-08-18T22:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T22:25:16","slug":"dr-jessica-larose-receives-wisdm-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/07\/21\/dr-jessica-larose-receives-wisdm-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Jessica LaRose receives WISDM award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, received the School of Public Health’s 2026 Professional Achievement Award at VCU’s Women in Science, Dentistry, and Medicine<\/a> Annual Leadership Conference this April. This award honors her achievements in leadership, scholarship, and mentorship in service to her department and the School of Public Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. LaRose came to VCU’s School of Medicine as assistant professor in 2012 and has been a full member of Massey\u2019s Cancer Prevention and Control program since 2014. She is a clinical psychologist with a specialization in behavioral and preventive medicine and dual training in pediatric and adult populations. Broadly, her program of research focuses on two areas: 1) understanding the interplay of behavioral, psychological, social, and environmental drivers of chronic disease risk, and 2) applying these findings to the development of novel and sustainable interventions to promote physical and psychological health among underserved populations. Dr. LaRose is an internationally recognized scholar with formal training and expertise in community-engaged research and the design and conduct of behavioral clinical trials. Her methodological expertise spans the translational continuum from early phase efficacy testing to implementation in community contexts; in addition, she is known for her work specific to recruitment and retention of underserved populations in behavioral trials, and the use of digital tools to enhance the reach and sustainability of behavioral interventions. Dr. LaRose\u2019s program of research has been continuously funded since 2007\u2014currently, she is PI or MPI on four NIH-funded studies and serves as MPI of the NCI-funded VA-ACCERT Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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School of Public Health Dean Dr. Monica Swahn and Dr. Jessica LaRose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Dr. LaRose is also deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and practitioners\u2014over the last decade alone she has mentored over 40 individuals, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty\u2014all but one of whom are women and more than half of whom are from underrepresented backgrounds. Her contributions to mentorship have been recognized by several awards, including Outstanding Mentor of the Year<\/em> in the Massey Cancer Prevention and Control program in 2023 and the Outstanding Mentor Award<\/em> for the Young Adult SIG of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity in 2024. Prior to transitioning to her role as chair, she also developed and taught doctoral level courses in intervention development and implementation, community-engaged intervention design and methods, research methods, and grant writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I am incredibly appreciative of the way Dr. LaRose adapted her mentorship approach to meet my evolving professional development needs as I moved from graduate student to early career faculty member. I am even more appreciative of the way Dr. LaRose has not<\/span> changed her level of respect toward me throughout that transition; I have always felt genuinely valued, included, and encouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Autumn Lanoye, Ph.D., L.C.P.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Autumn Lanoye, Ph.D., has worked with LaRose since the latter first came to VCU in 2012. Beginning as a graduate research assistant in LaRose\u2019s lab, she is now a department colleague and co-investigator. Lanoye emphasizes the importance of having a mentor who connects on both a professional and human level. \u201cDr. LaRose has really helped me to reflect on the Venn diagram between my personal values and the values of academia as an institution,\u201d says Lanoye. \u201cIt feels really validating to have a mentor who understands that \u2018academic\u2019 is only one element of my identity. On top of that, consciously recognizing and appreciating when I am engaging in work that exists in the area of overlap has helped me to feel fulfilled and less likely to burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karly Casanave-Phillips, Ph.D., has worked with LaRose since 2023, first as a postdoctoral fellow and currently as senior research scientist for LaRose’s OPT for Health Lab<\/a>. Her appreciation for her mentor\u2019s support is clear: \u201cDespite being the busiest person I know, [LaRose] always prioritizes her mentees and our growth, never failing to remind us that we are humans first and professionals second. She genuinely wants to support us in pursuing our dreams, no matter what they may look like.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. LaRose is a standing member of the LCBH study section at NIH, serves on several editorial boards, and is also actively engaged in service at all levels at VCU, including the department, the School of Public Health, and the university. She served as interim department chair from 2022-2025, leading the transition of what was then the Department of Health Behavior and Policy within the School of Medicine to the current Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences within the new School of Public Health. Consistent with her training and expertise, her leadership style as chair is grounded in a servant leadership approach\u2014drawing from strengths-based models and prioritizing active listening, engagement, and cultivating a climate where all department members can thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jessica LaRose, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, received the School of Public Health’s 2026 Professional Achievement Award at VCU’s Women in Science, Dentistry, and Medicine Annual Leadership Conference this April. This award honors her achievements in leadership, scholarship, and mentorship in service to her department and the School […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":133,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131\/revisions\/133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":46,"date":"2026-06-25T18:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T18:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=46"},"modified":"2026-07-15T20:42:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:42:48","slug":"we-community-health-block-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/06\/25\/we-community-health-block-party\/","title":{"rendered":"WE Community Health Block Party"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On June 6, we hosted a community block party in Petersburg as the final community-based data dissemination event for the WE Project 2.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WE Project 2.0, led by Drs. Maghboeba Mosavel and Jessica LaRose, was part of a ongoing partnership in Petersburg focused on health and wellness built over the last decade. The goal of this study was to understand whether house chats (informal group meetings) led by Petersburg residents could work as a grassroots way to deliver an evidence-informed lifestyle intervention. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Community Health Block Party was the culminating event of the WE Project 2.0, sharing insights on how support from social networks can help improve health, and spotlighting local wellness resources in the Petersburg area. The day featured an agenda of engaging activities including fitness and cooking demonstrations, games, dancing, Double Dutch, and even a stage play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about the WE 2.0 Project and how you can make small steps to improve health and wellness in your community, visit the website at www.weprojectpetersburg.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A huge thank you to Chlo\u00e9 Jones, PhD who planned and coordinated this event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a round of applause for our partners who made the WE Community Health Block Party happen!
BLK VA Theater Alliance<\/a>
40+ Double Dutch Club<\/a>
Delicious Legacy<\/a>
The Sports Backers Fitness Warriors
<\/a>The Petersburg Wellness Consortium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The 40+ Double Dutch Club gave a performance and got the crowd involved<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fitness Warriors Brandon and Angela led exercise demonstrations and DJ Tariq led a line dancing party<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Christin Haynes of Delicious Legacy led a healthy cooking demonstration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The BLK VA Theater Alliance gave a performance entitled Weigh In<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Attendees enjoyed games, face painting, and more!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photos by Jadon Rowson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On June 6, we hosted a community block party in Petersburg as the final community-based data dissemination event for the WE Project 2.0. The WE Project 2.0, led by Drs. Maghboeba Mosavel and Jessica LaRose, was part of a ongoing partnership in Petersburg focused on health and wellness built over the last decade. The goal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1899,"featured_media":47,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions\/92"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":35,"date":"2026-05-07T21:09:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/?p=35"},"modified":"2026-05-07T21:28:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:28:46","slug":"society-of-behavioral-medicine-annual-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/opt\/2026\/05\/07\/society-of-behavioral-medicine-annual-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving Beyond BMI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

OPT for Health director and associate director Drs. Jessica LaRose and Autumn Lanoye attended the 47th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Chicago, IL April 22nd-25th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lanoye presented a research spotlight entitled “Moving Beyond BMI: Waist Circumference and Body Fat as Risk Indicators in Behavioral Obesity Treatment,” co-authored by Drs. Karly Casanave-Phillips, Chlo\u00e9 Jones, and Jessica LaRose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paper summary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An article published last year<\/a> found that among younger adults (age 18-40), cardiometabolic disease risk classifications based on body fat percentage and waist circumference were associated with 15-year all-cause and heart disease mortality, while those based on body mass index (BMI) were not. This prompted us to explore data from our own previously-completed REACH Trial<\/a> of behavioral weight loss for emerging adults age 18-25, which measured body fat percentage, waist circumference, and BMI. Our goal was to examine patterns of risk based on these three measurements in order to 1) identify areas of overlap\/divergence and 2) characterize change over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At baseline, we found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n