Patrick Donahue graduated in 2024 from the Department of Mental Health doctoral program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As a student, he was a member of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging training program, with Dr. Michelle Carlson serving as his primary advisor. Dr. Donahue's dissertation research examined how respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and physical activity relate to cognition and dementia risk in older adults. He is particularly interested in using objective measures of physical activity from wearable devices to understand how activity patterns may provide insight into dementia risk. Before attending Johns Hopkins, he received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied exercise physiology and worked in Dr. Kirk Erickson's Brain Aging and Cognitive Health Lab. In his free time, Dr. Donahue enjoys exploring hiking trails, cooking new meals, listening to music (70s rock & 90s hip hop), and spending time with his family and friends.

​Breanna Crane is a graduate of the Department of Mental Health and a trainee in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging Training Program. She received her B.S. in Physics with a double minor in Psychology and Mathematics in 2017 from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). Her key research interests involve cognitive aging and the role of modifiable risk factors (e.g., engagement in lifestyle activities, physical activity, air pollution) in potentially delaying or preventing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. She is also interested in using geospatial data from wearable technology to explore the role of the built environment and its association with older adults’ cognitive and functional health.

Brittany is a nurse and a nursing PhD student. As a home visiting nurse for cancer patients, Brittany was was disheartened by the number of older adults with untreated mental health needs. Through her doctoral research focus on positive psychology, Brittany is hoping to explore innovative solutions to improve the mental health of community-dwelling older adults. Her professional life goal is to decrease disparities for vulnerable populations. Brittany was selected as an inaugural Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and School of Nursing PhD Fellow, a Robert Wood Johnson Future of Nursing Scholar, and is gerontological nursing certified. Prior to PhD school, Brittany received her Masters in Public Health Nursing from Johns Hopkins University and her Honors BSN at the University of Delaware. 

Dr. Andrews' interests lie at the intersection of neuroepidemiology and causal inference methodology. In particular, he is interested in studying how vascular factors contribute to healthy and unhealthy brain aging in observational cohort studies of older adults. He earned a PhD in Mental Health from Johns Hopkins University as well as a MHS degree in Biostatistics. He is currently an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Sarah Khasawinah earned her Doctoral and Masters of Health Science degrees in Mental Health and Biostatistics, respectively from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in December 2014. In her doctoral dissertation, “Brain Networks and Neurocognitive Health in Older Adults: The Baltimore Experience Corps Brain Health Study,” she found that Experience Corps, a model of senior volunteer service, improves certain dementia-linked cognitive functions and brain networks in older adults. Dr. Khasawinah’s research illustrates the potential of high impact community engagement to promote neurocognitive health and prevent cognitive decline. Sarah is currently a Health Policy Fellow in Washington DC.

Dr. Varma is a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Aging. He received his PhD at Johns Hopkins Department of Mental Health with Dr. Carlson, and has worked with the entire study team on all aspects of the BECT and BHS including recruitment, evaluations, and data analysis. He is interested in exploring the relationship between physical activity and cognitive decline, and using novel devices (e.g. accelerometers, GPS, and Smartphones) to capture physical activity within urban environments. Vijay has extensive experience piloting and testing physical activity devices in community-dwelling older adults. Vjay received his Bachelor's degree in English and African American Studies from Duke University in 2005, and Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2010.

Yi-Fang received her MD from the National Taiwanese University and completed her residency in Psychiatry. She received her PhD in the Mental Health Department of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in September 2012. Her work with the Brain Health Study has focused primarily on the imaging analysis related to the MRI data obtained over the participants' annual visits. Yi-Fang has contributed greatly to our understanding of the existing relationships between changes in the brain, and presenting physical functioning, activity, and cognitive outcomes. She is currently serving as the Director at the International Health Program. 

Regina Shih conducts research in three areas: aging policy, environmental health, and behavioral health. She is currently leading an NIMHD R01 to test the effectiveness of a long-term services and supports program to improve access to home- and community-based services for dual-eligible beneficiaries, and its effects on health disparities. She is also co-leading a CDC project to help improve public health systems’ ability to increase resilience and emergency preparedness among older adults. Her behavioral health work focuses on understanding peer, family, school, and neighborhood contributors to disparities in adolescent substance use. Her environmental health and aging work has intersected with an NIA R01 to develop a national database of neighborhood environment indicators and to examine whether demographic, social, economic, and physical characteristics of neighborhoods influence cognitive aging and dementia risk. Dr. Shih has led a variety of other environmental health projects for both domestic and international clients including a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health-funded community-based participatory research study to examine dispersion of chemicals following Hurricane Sandy and the resulting chemical exposures and health effects experienced by individuals.