Faculty and Staff

I have been the Director of the Nutrition and Health Research Laboratory since 2008.  I am currently a Professor with faculty appointments in the Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Community Health and Health Behavior.  Our laboratory studies behavioral economic, social, and environmental factors that influence health decision making.  We primarily study ingestive behavior, motivation to get food, and growth and utilize laboratory-based techniques to understand mechanisms that underlie these processes and relationships.  When I am not at work, I enjoy running, reading, traveling, cooking, playing with my dogs, watching the Bills and Sabres, and driving my children from hockey rinks to soccer pitches to baseball fields.  Go Bills!

Kristiana is passionate about making health and physical activity accessible to all populations. She is an Applied Psychologist, with specializations in Health Psychology, Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Statistical Methodology. She earned her Ph.D. in Applied Psychology at Southern Illinois University (2020), along with an M.A. in Kinesiology and a graduate minor in quantitative methods. She holds two bachelor's degrees from Western Kentucky University in Psychology and Anthropology, while she competed in swimming at the NCAA Division I level. Kristiana’s current position is as a Postdoctoral Fellow at University at Buffalo. Her current research focuses on 1) mental health for student athletes and 2) nutrition motivation in adolescents. Kristiana lives with her wonderful spouse and 2 adorable cats. She enjoys running, hiking, reading, and going to the theatre in her free time.  

Lori has been the Project Coordinator for the Nutrition and Health Research Lab since September 2022. She recently graduated from UB with her Master of Arts degree in Biological Sciences. Driven by her passion for clinical medicine and the mitigation of health disparities, she intends to continue her academic pursuits focusing on public health and medicine. Lori also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Syracuse University. A native of Jamaica, Lori is mother to a daughter named Ryann. When not chasing Ryann around, she enjoys traveling, cooking, singing, and spending time with loved ones. 

Sharifa Johnson, a Buffalo, NY native, is the Recruitment Coordinator for the Nutrition and Health Research Lab. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness from SUNY College at Buffalo and completed her master's degree in Applied Nutrition at Canisius College, Buffalo, NY. Her current research interests include the effects of food on mental health, understanding how plant-based foods can help beat disease and fight inflammation, and ways to combat type 1 diabetes. Outside of research and recruiting, Sharifa enjoys reading, writing fictional children’s books, recording podcasts, and creating social media content for others. She also enjoys traveling, digital entrepreneurship, and meeting other like-minded people.