Current Postdoctoral Fellows
Joel Anderson, PhD, received his BS degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and spent five years in research laboratories at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, before obtaining his PhD in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Anderson's research interests include the use of dietary interventions for disease prevention and biofield energy therapies, specifically Healing Touch, for improving quality of life in individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Dr. Anderson is currently fulfilling the requirements to become a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner.
Neely Laurenzo Myers, PhD, is a medical anthropologist working in the field of complementary and alternative therapies for mental health and wellbeing. She received her bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Virginia in 2001 and a PhD in comparative human development from the University of Chicago in 2009. At the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies, Dr. Myers is analyzing data on the effects of massage therapy on heart rate variability for patients with cancer who have undergone autologous stem cell transplant and for patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Myers plans to focus her own research on therapies to reduce stress and sympathetic nervous system activity in populations of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Dr. Myers will partner with clinicians and certified yoga instructors to conduct a pilot study testing the ability of yoga therapy to reduce agitation, anxiety, and depression and increase quality of life in psychiatric inpatient and outpatient populations. She is also using her time at CSCAT to learn new research techniques, such as the use of statistical methods and biomarkers that will complement her qualitative skills and focus on mental health.
Former Postdoctoral Fellows
Cheryl Bourguignon, PhD, MSN, RN
Cynthia Brown, DNS, RN, is a consultant, guest speaker, and workshop leader in the area of holistic health promotion, complementary therapies, and self knowledge. Cynthia has a master's degree in holistic nursing and a doctor of nursing science from Florida Atlantic University. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in complementary and alternative therapies at the University of Virginia, she continued at UVA as a research scientist, assisting in studies focused on meditation and yoga and in developing a resiliency program in the School of Nursing, before accepting a position as Program Coordinator for Experiential Health and Healing at The Graduate Institute in Connecticut. Her lifelong learning includes guided imagery, hypnosis, energy therapies, spirituality, and end of life care. She is certified in interactive guided imagery (sm) and a unit of clinical pastoral education and is a Reiki master.
Norma G. Cuellar, DNS, MS, RN, is currently Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in patients with sleep problems, specifically Restless Legs Syndrome. Since RLS is not correctly diagnosed until older age, Dr. Cuellar's focus is on gerontological perspectives of both CAM and RLS.
Jason Sailesh Dave, NMD, MS
Paula J. Davis, PhD, MA
Karen D'Huyvetter, ND, MA, was previously the interim Director of Research at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Dr. D'Huyvetter completed a Master's degree in Health Evaluation Sciences, with a concentration in clinical investigation and patient oriented research. As a fellow, her research interests focused on oxidative stress and its role in health and illness.
Daniel I. Galper, PhD, is the Director of Practice Research and Policy Demonstration Projects and Practice Directorate for the American Psychological Association and a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized training in health psychology, behavioral medicine, and applied psychophysiology. Dan has broad research interests in mind-body interactions in health and disease. He has particular interests in the neurophysiology of hypnosis and relaxation, as well as the role of the autonomic nervous system in CAM therapies.
Karen (Kim) E. Innes, PhD, MSPH
Debra Lyon, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, is an associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing and the interim chair of the Department of Family and Community Health Nursing. Dr. Lyon's current research areas include symptom management in women with breast cancer and complementary and alternative therapies for symptom management.
Patrick Miederhoff, Pharm D, PhD
Dilaawar (Danny) Mistry, MD, MS, ATC, is an associate professor in the departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Curry School of Education. He completed his residency training at the University of Virginia Health System-in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in Internal Medicine, with time spent as a research fellow in cardiovascular physiology.
He received his doctor of medicine degree in 1986 from the University of Madras in Madras, India, following which he completed residency training at Breach Candy Hospital in Bombay, India. Dr. Mistry also holds a master's degree in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts and is a certified athletic trainer and massage therapist.
From 1989 to 1994, Dr. Mistry served as an athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, and science teacher at the Taft School in Watertown, CT, while completing an ATC internship. Since 2001 he has been a team physician, an athletic trainer, and a massage therapist for numerous University of Virginia varsity teams. In addition, he has traveled with various men's and women's U.S. national soccer teams representing the U.S. Soccer Federation as an athletic trainer and massage therapist.
Dr. Mistry is a member of the American College of Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine and National Athletic Trainers Association. His current research interests include the effects of various bioelectromagnetic therapeutic modalities on tissue healing.
Mara Okshteyn
Terry K. Selfe, PhD, DC
Heather K. Vincent, PhD, earned her B.S. (zoology/exercise science) and M.S. (exercise physiology) from the University of Massachusetts and her Ph.D. (health and human performance/exercise physiology) from the University of Florida. Prior to joining the CSCAT team, Dr. Vincent was an assistant professor at Stetson University, where she taught advanced exercise physiology, human anatomy and physiology, research methods, lab techniques and exercise prescription for special populations. Her research focused on the relationship between exercise responses, oxidative stress and obesity using both animal and human models. Dr. Vincent's research investigates the potential protective effects of dietary antioxidants and complementary treatments such as resistance exercise on oxidative stress and disease risk reduction and prevention in the obese population.
Peggy Wright, PhD, holds a doctorate in psychology and a master's in clinical nutrition, and is a Registered Dietician. Her background includes 17 years as a clinical nutritionist in integrative medical settings. She is a former Associate Professor at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, where whe mentored students in the area of complementary and alternative therapies; and archetypal, thranspersonal, and somatic psychologies. She also co-founded and co-directed The Center For Body, Mind, and Spirituality at Lesley University. Her current research interests include the effects of qigong on the immune system and clinical outcomes in functional medicine, and interactive guided imagery in palliative care.