Dr. Ryan Lavalley is an assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and primary lead of the Community Practice Lab. He has worked as a community occupational therapist since 2014, providing and developing programming most often related to aging, dementia, and housing. Ryan has and continues to work in partnership with multiple collaborators across North Carolina to further community-rooted initiatives. Ryan is the current coordinator of the Carolina Aging Network, which connects academic aging-related resources and initiatives across Carolina Institutions. Additionally, Ryan teaches the Community-Level Occupational Therapy course in the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program at UNC-CH through which he has guided student partnerships with multiple local organizations to develop programming and strategic actions steps to support community health and participation. Ryan co-hosts an occupational therapy and occupational science podcast with Dr. Khalilah Johnson.

Jessica Steinbrenner is a speech-language pathologist and autism researcher. Her research focuses on improving access to high-quality, evidence-based interventions for autistic individuals across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on communication and social development. Drawing on my background as a speech-language pathologist, she collaborates with educators, families, and service providers to develop and evaluate practical, strengths-based programs that can be implemented in real-world settings such as schools and communities. Her work spans preschool through young adulthood and is grounded in both scientific rigor and real-world relevance. Her main areas of research interest include the development and testing of school- or community-based interventions, the identification and dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs), and the creation of reliable tools to measure progress in naturalistic settings.

Shawn Luby is an Assistant Professor and MCLS-MLS Admissions chair for the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science. He teaches the division’s undergraduate Immunology and Clinical Chemistry coursework, and directs the CLS student rotations in Molecular Microbiology, Immunology, and Clinical Chemistry. Before joining the UNC-CLS faculty in 2018, he worked as a medical laboratory scientist in the Core Laboratory of UNC Healthcare’s McLendon Clinical Laboratories, with a focus on hematology, body fluid analysis, and coagulation testing. His academic and professional interests center on information design and development, with particular emphasis on the role of effective communications in both student learning and patient education settings.

My work is primarily focused on research in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy development for individuals with complex learning and communication challenges. This interest grew out of my experience as a public school speech-language pathologist and assistive technology provider, where I frequently observed dedicated teachers, hard-working students and concerned parents express the need for more research, resources, and support to improve communication, literacy, and academic outcomes for the students. My research is typically done as part of a team and has involved creating professional development resources for teachers, academic coaches and paraprofessionals, entry level communication systems for students, progress monitoring systems to support data-based instructional decisions, and additional supports for both teachers and students related to literacy instruction. The last 5 grants I have worked on have used an implementation science model, allowing the materials we have researched and developed to be used by increasing numbers of teacher and student study participants. Through observation and input of those participants, we are have been able to refine our materials to achieve a better final product.

In addition to research, I have the honor of working with Masters and doctoral students. I teach the AAC course for the UNC SLP Masters students each fall and serve on doctoral student planning, comprehensive exam, and dissertation committees. I truly enjoy the teaching and learning exchange with these bright, dedicated and passionate students.

I am an educator who teaches Bacteriology, Special Pathogens, Laboratory Math, Basic Lab Skills and Laboratory Management. My goal is to coach students to engage fully in their learning process within the space and context that I provide, and then to apply what they have learned thereafter. I know that applicational recall only occurs when students actively participate in the process. My role is to support students in the early stage of the CLS program as they navigate their transition from academic learner to professional laboratory practitioner. By building strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect from the beginning, I work to build each student’s confidence in their ability to learn, foster their desire to accept responsibility for their own learning, and encourage willingness to be accountable for their actions. With these skills, I believe they will be well prepared to thrive in our program, successfully pass their board of certification examination, and provide high-quality, high-complexity laboratory services to improve outcomes for the citizens of North Carolina.

As the Administrative Director of Student Affairs I oversee the employees and office environment for the Department of Health Sciences Office of Student Services. The Office of Student Services supports the members of the student body throughout their Health careers. All student-related issues funnel through this office, and most activities that involve students, including Orientation, Semester Welcome-Back Events, and Graduation are organized here. The Office of Student Services manages student data, supports clinical education, assists with course evaluations, and offers financial aid counseling. In addition to my supervisory duties, I help conduct student services for the Neurodiagnostics and Sleep Science and other new programs when needed including admissions, registration, enrollment verification, and graduation.

My research initiative focuses on community-level testing and health approach to support equitable health outcomes in resource-limited communities. The start-up fund will support the generation of preliminary data from two approaches. The first assesses community health through microbiome profiling, aiming to identify microbial markers linked to health disparities and aging. The second investigates environmental exposure to heavy metals—an ongoing health disparity particularly affecting children in rural agricultural communities. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which co-exposure to heavy metals and parasitic infections contributes to chronic disease.