OPT for health

10/21/2023: Lab alumna, Dr. Kristal Brown named one of VCU’s Top 10 Under 10

10/01/2023: Huge congratulations to lab Associate Director, Dr. Autumn Lanoye, who was awarded an ACS-IRG grant to develop and test an anti-inflammatory lifestyle intervention for emerging adult cancer survivors

08/0702023: Celebrating lab alumna, Dr. Jean Reading who was awarded the NIH Loan Repayment Program!

05/15/2023: Congratulations to lab Director, Dr. Jessica LaRose on her promotion to Full Professor!

04/28/2023: Kudos to alumna, Dr. Kristal Brown for receiving the SBM Health Equity SIG Early Career Award!

04/27/2023: Lab PI, Dr. Jessica LaRose is named a Fellow of the Society for Behavioral Medicine

04/01/2023: Dr. Jessica LaRose and Dr. Carmina Valle receive NCI funding to conduct a multi-site clinical trial testing the efficacy of an mHealth lifestyle intervention for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

03/24/2023: Dr. LaRose receives Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award at the annual Massey Cancer Prevention and Control Retreat for “supporting, encouraging, and promoting a positive and inclusive academic training environment”

03/01/2023: Congratulations to lab Associate Director, Dr. Autumn Lanoye for her promotion to Assistant Professor!

12/06/2022: Dr. LaRose attends the AAMC Women Faculty Mid-Career Leadership Development Seminar in Indian Wells, CA

09/29/2022: Dr. LaRose invited to attend the historic Biden-Harris White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health

06/04/2022: Press releases regarding VITAL trial outcomes, WW International: WW announces study results showing clinically significant improvements for people living with diabetes on customized program and Medical XPress: Custom program helps people living with diabetes control blood sugar, weight

05/14/2022: Congratulations to Dr. Jean Reading on her graduation

04/22/2022: Jean Reading successfully defends her dissertation!

12/11/2021: Dr. Kristal Brown and Dr. Brandi Galloway walk at commencement

11/20/2021: Jean Reading presents her dissertation results at the Commonwealth of Virginia Cancer Research Conference and wins 2nd place in the Cancer Prevention and Control Abstract Awards

09/14/2021: Dr. Autumn Lanoye gives a talk on Cancer-Related Cognitive Changes via Massey's Facebook Live

06/29/2021: Dr. Autumn Lanoye gives a talk on Sleep Throughout the Cancer Experience via Massey's Facebook Live

06/01/2021: Dr. Autumn Lanoye accepts a Research Scientist position in VCU Massey's Survivorship Program

05/25/2021: Clinical trial tests new lifestyle program aimed at addressing obesity in young men

08/25/2020: OPT for Health welcomes its newest lab member, Justin Guan!

08/24/2020: Congratulations to Dr. Kristal Brown and Dr. Brandi Galloway on their graduation!

05/03/2020: Brown Girl Narratives is an Ode to Black Women

04/27/2020: VCU News coverage of Kristal Brown's dissertation and community project

04/05/2020: Jean Reading is selected as a predoctoral fellow for the NCI-funded T32 training program in cancer prevention and control

11/01/2019: Recruitment begins for our next cohort of BMI Project participants

10/25/2019: Brown Girl Narratives project gains steam

10/14/2019: Autumn Lanoye Receives Independent Research Award

10/04/2019: Richmond Women's Experiences are Inspiration for New Southside Mural

01/23/2019: Kristal Brown Selected as a 2019 Initiative of Change USA Weaver

Bolded names represent current or past OPT for health lab members. 

LaRose JG, Gorin AA, Garcia K, Hayes JF, Tate DF, Espeland MA, Lewis CE, Perdue L, Robichaud E, Hatley K, Wing RR. Life events and stress among young adults in weight gain prevention trial. Health Psychol. 2023 May;42(5):314-324. doi: 10.1037/hea0001282. PMID: 37141017; PMCID: PMC10167549.

Apolzan JW, LaRose JG, Anton SD, Beyl RA, Greenway FL, Wickham EP 3rd, Lanoye A, Harris MN, Martin CK, Bullard T, Foster GD, Cardel MI. A scalable, virtual weight management program tailored for adults with type 2 diabetes: effects on glycemic control. Nutr Diabetes. 2023 Apr 6;13(1):3. doi: 10.1038/s41387-023-00234-6. PMID: 37024467; PMCID: PMC10079927.

Herbozo S, Brown KL, Burke NL, LaRose JG. A Call to Reconceptualize Obesity Treatment in Service of Health Equity: Review of Evidence and Future Directions. Curr Obes Rep. 2023 Mar;12(1):24-35. doi: 10.1007/s13679-023-00493-5. Epub 2023 Feb 2. PMID: 36729299; PMCID: PMC9894524.

Brown KL, Graham AK, Perera R, LaRose JG. Eating to cope: Advancing our understanding of the effects of exposure to racial discrimination on maladaptive eating behaviors. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2022 Oct 7. doi: 10.1002/eat.23820. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36205358.

LaRose JG, Leahey TM, Lanoye A, Bean MK, Fava JL, Tate DF, Evans RK, Wickham EP, Henderson MM. Effect of a lifestyle intervention on cardiometabolic health among emerging adults: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2022 Sep 1;5(9):e2231903. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.31903. PMID: 36121656.

LaRose JG, Reading JM, Lanoye A, Brown KL. Recruitment and retention of emerging adults in lifestyle interventions: Findings from the REACH randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials. 2022 Aug 30:106904. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106904. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36055582.

Reading JM, Crane MM, Carlyle K, Perera RA, LaRose JG. A self-guided weight loss program for young men: Findings from the ACTIVATE randomized pilot trial. Journal of Men’s Health. 2022 18(9), 191.https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jomh1809191

Mosavel M, Henderson A, Beck-Berman R, Ferrell D, LaRose JG. The WE Project Partnership: The Role and Scope of Community Researchers. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice. 2022 5(1), 3. doi: http://doi.org/10.33596/coll.87.

Lanoye A, Ryberczyk B, Evans R, Leahey T, LaRose JG. Pilot randomized clinical trial targeting anxiety sensitivity: Effects on physical activity in young adults. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. 2021 Aug 10:1-15. doi: 10.1080/ 16506073.2021.1954082. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34374633.

LaRose JG, Leahey TM, Lanoye A, Bean MK, Tate DF, Fava JL, Evans RK, Wickham EP, Henderson MM, Hatley K, Diamond M. Behavioral weight loss in emerging adults: Design and rationale for the Richmond Emerging Adults Choosing Health (REACH) randomized clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2021. 107:106426. DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106426

LaRose JG, Lanoye A, Ferrell D, Lu J, Mosavel M. Translating evidence-based behavioral weight loss into a multi-level, community intervention within a community-based participatory research framework: The Wellness Engagement (WE) Project Petersburg. Transl Behav Med. 2021; epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibaa140.

Brown KL, Hines AL, Hagiwara N, Utsey S, Perera R, LaRose JG. The weight of racial discrimination: Examining the association between racial discrimination and change in adiposity among emerging adult women enrolled in a behavioral weight loss program. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2021; epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1007/s40615-021-01030-7.

Lanoye A, Evans RK, Leahey TM, LaRose JG. Using measured resting metabolic rate to derive calorie prescriptions in a behavioral weight loss program. Obes Sci Pract. 2021; epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1002/osp4.489.

Lanoye A, LaRose JG. Social jetlag and emerging adults’ performance in a behavioral weight loss trial. Emerg Adult. 2020; epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1177/2167696820982439.

LaRose JG, Gorin AA, Fava, JL, Bean MK, Lanoye A, Robinson E, Carey KB. Using motivational interviewing to enhance emerging adults’ engagement in weight loss: The Live Well RVA pilot randomized clinical trial. Obes Sci Pract. 2020;6(5):460-472. DOI: 10.1002/osp4.435.

Reading JM, Snell L, LaRose JG. A systematic review of weight-related communication training for physicians. Transl Beha Med. 2020;10(5): 1110-1119. DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibaa014. 

Wing RR, Espeland MA, Tate DF, Perdue LH, Bahnson J, Polzien K, Robichaud EF, LaRose JG, Gorin AA, Lewis CE, Jelalian E for the Study of Novel Approaches to Weight Gain Prevention (SNAP) Research Group. Weight gain prevention over 6 years in young adults: The Study of Novel Approaches to Weight Gain Prevention (SNAP) Clinical Trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020;28(1): 80-88. DOI: 10.1002/oby.22661.

LaRose JG, Leahey TM, Lanoye A, Reading JM. A secondary data analysis examining young adults' performance in an Internet weight loss program with financial incentives. Obesity(Silver Spring). 2020;28(6):1062-1067. DOI: 10.1002/oby.22797.