Principal Investigator

Loneke T. Blackman Carr, Ph.D., R.D.

is an Assistant Professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition at the University of Connecticut. Her expertise is in behavioral weight control interventions and obesity health disparities. She develops and evaluates interventions that leverage social relationships to improve weight loss and related diet and physical activity behavior change. A recent project includes a culturally-relevant, physical activity barrier reduction intervention for weight loss with black women.

Dr. Blackman Carr is affiliated with the following: UConn Health Disparities Institute, UConn InCHIP, UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University

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Research Lab Students

Graduate Students

Snehaa Ray, M.S.

Snehaa is interested in weight loss in women of reproductive age from different racial/ethnic backgrounds. She aims to identify the challenges faced by women of color when it comes to losing weight and develop research skills to design behavioral weight loss interventions for successful weight loss in women with overweight and obese. On completion of her PhD, Snehaa will become a public health nutritionist working with pregnant and postpartum women from developing countries to maintaining a healthy weight.

Elizabeth Dickerson, M.P.H.

Liz is a master’s student whose research interests include community public health and nutrition through the implementation of health promotion and prevention programs. She believes making a difference in underprivileged and underserved populations starts with building relationships within the community. During her time as a master’s student, she aspires to learn more about behavioral science, healthcare systems, and building community partnerships. She believes assisting in the studies carried out through the R.E.N.E.W. lab will provide great insight surrounding her research interests.

Chifuniro Sandra Chagomerana, B.S.

Chifu is interested in customized weight loss interventions that utilize behavioral change at a more personal level. At the same time, she is interested in educating the general population on what their eating and physical activity habits should look like to achieve and maintain healthy weight. She is excited to work in the RENEW lab because of the focus on disparities in the black community which is her primary group of focus. She aims to adapt what she learns to help mitigate the rising cases of cardiovascular diseases in women in Malawi.