Melanie Bean, PhD

Director

Dr. Melanie Bean is a professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and co-Director of the Healthy Lifestyle Center, CHoR's comprehensive pediatric obesity treatment and research center. She received her PhD in counseling psychology, with a specialization in health psychology, from VCU. Dr. Bean has a diverse research portfolio with investigations in the areas of pediatric obesity, cancer prevention, and school-based policies. In addition to her own research, Dr. Bean collaborates with scientists globally and is a mentor to new and upcoming investigators. She is deeply committed to her work, team, and contributing to impactful outcomes. Outside of work, Dr. Bean enjoys spending time with her family, going to UVA basketball games, and working in her garden.

Download Dr. Bean CV

Publications

Sarah Farthing, MS, CCRP

Research Manager

Sarah is the Research Manager for the Healthy Lifestyles Center and has been a part of the team for over 10 years. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional through the Society of Clinical Research Associates. Sarah loves that her role allows her to be involved with all the studies conducted at the HLC, giving her experience and knowledge in many areas of research. In her non-work hours, Sarah is busy with her family – going to her two son’s sporting activities, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and extended family. Fun facts: each year, Sarah sets a goal to read at least 50 books, and her favorite food is her mom’s homemade fettuccine alfredo with bacon and broccoli!

Nia Harris

Clinical Research Coordinator

I am a Clinical Research Coordinator with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. My experience includes NIH-funded investigator-led and industry-funded trials, spanning site-level execution, clinical operations, and project management. My research interests focus on health disparities. Additionally, I have a passion for community outreach and engagement, with a special interest in mental health advocacy. In my free time, I love to stay active by exercising and traveling to new places. I am an adventurous eater who loves trying new things at least once—though my absolute favorite meal will always involve some type of pasta.

Morgan Beasley, MS, ACSM EP-C, CCRP

Clinical Research and Exercise Coordinator

Morgan is a Clinical Research and Exercise Coordinator in both the Department of Pediatrics and Social and Behavioral Sciences. She received her BS in Exercise Science from VCU in 2018 and a MS in Health and Movement Sciences from VCU in 2020. She has always had an interest in exercise and physical activity (fun fact - Morgan was a dancer for 16 years) and enjoys being able to apply these in her career through healthy lifestyle changes among adolescents and young adults. Morgan's favorite food is mexican or pizza - you can never go wrong with one of them! In her free time, Morgan loves going to the gym, spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog, and going to the beach.

Ashley Mendoza, RD

Clinical Research Coordinator

Ashley received her B.S. From Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. She moved to Richmond, VA to complete her internship at VCUHS to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She fell in love with the city of Richmond and hasn't looked back since. Ashley is currently one of the clinical research coordinators for the Healthy Lifestyles Center. She loves that she gets to focus her work on research that directly helps children and families and that she can be closely involved in research within Richmond Public Schools. Ashley also loves to travel—in fact she took a yearlong break from her role at the Healthy Lifestyles Center to pursue traveling around the world. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two boys. When she's not at work you might find her cooking new recipes at home for her family. Her favorite food is a toss-up between macaroni and cheese and red beans and rice.

Tommy Naumann, MS

Senior IT Developer

Since 2013, Tommy has been the data manager at the Healthy Lifestyles Center. He received his BS in Information Systems and Archeology, as well as, his Masters in Computer Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. Tommy’s current research interests include the use of Generative AI to increase productivity in both the fields of computer programming and in the creation of visual effects. Tommy's favorite food is steamed shrimp. A fun fact about Tommy is that he is an avid fly fisherman. In his free time, Tommy enjoys Jeeping on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and watercolor painting.

Sonya Islam, RD

Registered Dietitian

Sonya is a registered dietitian with the Healthy Lifestyles Center in Pediatric Endocrinology. She received her B.S. in biological psychology from The College of William and Mary in 2002 and completed the MPH/RD coordinated program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. She enjoys the ability to tailor nutrition information into actionable, positive steps for diverse families. In her free time she loves cooking (for people and for dogs!), spending time with family, friends and her husband, gardening, and keeping her 2 dogs from digging up the garden.

Kaitlyn Bayless, RD

Registered Dietitian

Kaitlyn is a Registered Dietitian in the Department of Pediatrics. She received her BS in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise from Virginia Tech in 2022 and MPH from UNC Chapel Hill in 2024. A fun fact is that she studied abroad in the Blue Zone of Costa Rica, where a large number of people live to be over 100 years old, to learn about the healthy lifestyles of this area. Kaitlyn's favorite food is Mediterranean bowls. She likes to spend her free time trying out new recipes and doing anything outside. Kaitlyn has research interests in behavioral impacts on dietary intake and the effects of nutrient intake on long term health outcomes.

Dr. Edmond P. Wickham, MD, MPH

Dr. Edmond "Trey" Wickham is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the co-Director of the Healthy Lifestyle Center (HLC) at Children’s Hospital of Richmond. He obtained his B.A. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and then completed his medical school, residency and fellowship training at VCU. Dr. Wickham is an endocrinologist who cares for both children and adults. He has been repeatedly recognized as one of the region’s “Top Docs” and the recipient of numerous teaching awards. Dr. Wickham is also an NIH-funded clinical investigator with research interests focused on the treatment of obesity across the lifespan. His expertise in obesity and related conditions and treatments makes him an invaluable investigator at VCU and other institutions. Outside of the office, Dr. Wickham enjoys listening to live music, visiting National Parks, running, swimming, and playing board games with his family. Dr. Wickham’s hobbies also include maintaining a salt water aquarium where grows live corals. His favorite food is pizza.

Publications

Laura Caccavale, PhD, LCP

Dr. Caccavale is an assistant professor of pediatrics and licensed clinical psychologist in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Caccavale received her PhD in clinical psychology, with a specialization in child psychology, from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical health psychology in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Social and Health Behavioral Policy and a research postdoctoral fellowship from the American Diabetes Association. She joined CHoR in 2021. Dr. Caccavale’s research expertise is in the implementation of behavioral interventions for adolescents and young adults with chronic illnesses, such as type 1 diabetes and obesity. Specifically, her research is focused on: 1) investigating risk and protective factors associated with adherence to medical regimens and health behaviors; 2) developing interventions to promote chronic illness self-management; and 3) implementing evidence-based treatments in clinic-based settings. Dr. Caccavale's favorite foods are pesto pasta & dark chocolate. Fun fact - she lived in London, England for 3 years! Dr. Caccavale loves spending time with her husband and 3 young daughters hiking along the James River, playing board games, and going on bike rides.

Publications

Katie Garr, PhD, LCP

Dr. Katlyn (“Katie”) Garr is an Assistant Professor and licensed clinical psychologist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cincinnati and completed her predoctoral clinical internship in pediatric psychology at Brown University. Dr. Garr subsequently completed a research postdoctoral fellowship focused on obesity treatment and policy at the Healthy Lifestyles Center at VCU. Broadly, Dr. Garr’s research examines behavioral, psychosocial, and contextual factors that influence child health outcomes across a range of pediatric conditions. Her primary research focus is pediatric obesity, given its complex etiology and disease course, significant behavioral and environmental influences, and public health impact. Her research program seeks to identify modifiable risk factors that contribute to obesity and related comorbidities, with the goal of informing more effective prevention and intervention strategies. To achieve this, she employs mixed-methods approaches and innovative real-time assessment techniques (e.g., ecological momentary assessment) to better understand health behaviors as they unfold in daily life and to identify actionable targets for behavioral intervention. Outside of work, Dr. Garr enjoys reading, baking cookies, learning pottery, and spending time with her family and her doodle, Nova.

Publications

Alyssa Button, PhD, LCP

Dr. Alyssa Button received her PhD in combined counseling and school psychology from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Population and Public Health Sciences at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She is an Assistant Professor appointed in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics where she provides services as a health psychologist. Her research interests are in the areas of the design and implementation of behavioral treatment for childhood obesity as well as dissemination of equitable and accessible behavioral health treatment approaches, including eHealth. She is passionate about adapting evidence-based health behavior and lifestyle programming for use in conjunction with anti-obesity medications. Her favorite food is plant-based hot dogs. She is a reality TV show enthusiast who also enjoys shopping for outfits for her teacup chihuahua. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, boxing, and playing tennis.

Publications

Jennifer Lambert, MD, MHS

Assistant Professor

Dr. Jennifer Lambert is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University and a board-certified pediatrician. She earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete an Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and earned a Master of Health Science degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Lambert provides comprehensive primary care for children and is passionate about partnering with families to help their children grow up healthy. Her clinical and research interests include addressing food insecurity, supporting healthy nutrition for children, and the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity. Outside of work, she enjoys visiting the local library with her family.

Publications

Kristina Tatum, PhD

Kristina Tatum completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, where she specialized in pediatric obesity through her work in the Healthy Lifestyles Center. Since 2022, she also served as a Massey Scholar in Cancer Prevention and Control, conducting research aimed at improving cancer prevention and addressing health disparities. Kristina earned her B.S. in Psychology from Hampton University, M.S. in Health Psychology from Saint Joseph’s University, and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. Her passion for health was shaped by witnessing the devastating impact of chronic illness on loved ones. Fueled by that passion, Kristina became an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor during college, as part of her lifelong commitment to helping others lead healthier lives. Her favorite cuisine is spicy tuna and eel avocado sushi rolls and in her free time she enjoys nature walks and golfing with her family.

Elizabeth Adams, PhD

Education / training: BS in Exercise Physiology from University of FL; MS in Kinesiology from UConn; PhD in Nutrition from Penn State; Postdoc Fellowship at VCU Position: Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina Research interest(s): The promotion of healthful dietary patterns to prevent pediatric obesity and reduce health inequities. I also have an interest in state and federal policy investigations to ensure children from all income levels have access to healthful nutrition for chronic disease prevention. What's your favorite food? Ice cream! Fun fact about you: I've lived in 8 different states (IL, TX, IN, FL, CT, PA, VA, SC) What do you do in your free time? Exercise, cook, travel, play with my kids

Danyel Smith, PhD

Dr. Danyel Smith is trained as a health psychologist with an emphasis on health equity in diverse populations. She completed her doctoral degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond VA. Dr. Smith is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Cancer Population Sciences in the Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on understanding the role of the sociocultural environment (e.g., cultural norms, family networks) in cancer prevention behaviors (i.e., diet and physical activity behaviors). She also studies how the family communication environment informs diet and physical activity behaviors that are associated with obesity-related cancer burden in diverse families. It’s hard to narrow down her favorite food—but if she had to it would be any type of curry dish. I’ve been dancing since the age of 2—in all genres. Contemporary and Liturgical are my favorite! In my free time, I love to go on walks in my neighborhood and try out new recipes. I’m also trying to learn how to knit!