Dr. Jennifer I. Vidrine | Lab Co-Director
Jenny Irvin Vidrine, PhD, is a tenured Senior Member and Distinguished Scholar in the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior. She is also the Assistant Center Director for Research Community Partnerships within the Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) at Moffitt, and a Professor in the Departments of Psychology (College of Arts & Sciences) and Oncologic Sciences (Morsani College of Medicine) at the University of South Florida. She has more than two decades of experience in health behavior change research with a focus on tobacco cessation. Specifically, her research focuses on investigating associations between health risk perceptions and smoking-relevant health behavior changes, smoking health risk communications, and the development, evaluation, and dissemination of tobacco cessation interventions targeted to special populations including cancer survivors. Her research program has been continuously supported by grants from the NCI, CDC, CMS, the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and the Florida Biomedical Research Program over the past 21 years. In her Assistant Center Director role, Dr. Vidrine leads an initiative within COE called “COE-SCORE,” which stands for Support for Community Organization Research Engagement. The purpose of COE-SCORE is to improve health through fostering community–academic partnerships that support the generation of scientifically rigorous and impactful research across the cancer continuum. The primary responsibility of SCORE is to provide scientific and operational support to Moffitt investigators to facilitate research including randomized clinical trials, multi-level interventions, and observational studies carried out in partnership with community organizations. COE-SCORE was established in 2022 and includes 11 formal Partners with 509 locations.
Dr. Damon J. Vidrine | Lab Co-Director
Damon J. Vidrine, DrPH, is Chair and Distinguished Scholar of the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior at Moffitt Cancer Center, as well as a Professor in the Department of Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine. He leads a research program focused on tobacco use and other forms of cancer prevention methods across diverse populations, including people with HIV (PWH), community-based groups, safety net clinic populations, and cancer patients. A key theme in Dr. Vidrine’s research is the use of mobile devices for behavioral assessment and intervention delivery. This work has demonstrated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of mobile health (mHealth) approaches. To date, his research program has produced numerous projects, including multiple NCI-funded R01 (and equivalent) grants on which he has served as PI. His work has also led to numerous peer-reviewed articles and scientific presentations. Collectively, these research initiatives have involved close collaboration with a wide range of clinic settings and government organizations, such as local FQHCs, large safety-net health systems, and national HIV care networks in low- and middle-income countries.
Charles E. Hoogland, PhD | Applied Research Scientist II
Education and Training: PhD in Experimental Psychology (Social Psychology emphasis) and graduate certificate in College Teaching and Learning at the University of Kentucky; MA in General Experimental Psychology at Wake Forest University; BA in Psychology (History minor) at Wabash College.
Research Interests: My current research focuses on the evaluation of tobacco cessation interventions in diverse populations (e.g., people with HIV, cancer patients, food bank patrons).
Life Outside the Lab: I like spending time with my wife and three children. Lifting weights, staying current with computer technology, and vacationing at family-friendly destinations like Central Florida theme parks are some other enjoyable aspects of my life outside the lab.
Lindsey Sparrock, PhD | Applied Postdoctoral Fellow
Education and Training: BS in Psychology from Longwood University; MS in Neuroscience, and PhD in Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience from American University
Research Interests: My research has employed various methodologies to examine the multi-level determinants of commercial tobacco use among vulnerable and underserved populations (eg, individuals with low socioeconomic status, people living with HIV, and cancer patients), as well as evaluate how tailored mHealth interventions for smoking cessation can promote quitting and reduce risk behaviors.
Life Outside the Lab: In my spare time I enjoy putting down the manuscripts and reading fiction, stepping outside the lab to enjoy the outdoors with my son, and repairing my bad office posture in a yoga class.
Honor Woodward, MS | Graduate Student
Education and Training: BS in Psychology from Stetson University, MS in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology, PhD in progress at the University of South Florida. I am currently completing my clinical psychology predoctoral internship at the Duke University Medical Center, where I am specializing in behavioral medicine and psycho-oncology.
Research Interests: My research interests are predominantly focused on the development of novel, theory-based interventions to motivate lung cancer screening uptake and smoking cessation interventions for cancer patients. I am particularly interested in interventions that target smoking-related stigma, improve health literacy, and reduce defensive responding. Additionally, I am interested in the development of holistic behavioral health interventions that work to target multiple health behaviors that influence cancer survivorship, quality of life, and treatment outcomes.
Life Outside the Lab: I enjoy distance running, spending quality time with friends, taking my dog for nature walks, and exploring new restaurants and breweries!
Sarah R. Jones, MPH | Research Study Manager
Education and Training: Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Social & Behavioral Sciences from the University of Florida; Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas
Research Interests: In the Vidrine Lab, I manage multiple federally- and state-funded mHealth-oriented projects focused on smoking cessation among diverse populations (e.g., PWH in the U.S. and abroad, cancer survivors, individuals experiencing food insecurity).
Life Outside the Lab: When not working, I spend time with my dog (the best dog on the planet) and reading.
Heather Krawec | Research Coordinator III
Education and Training: Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Infection Prevention from the University of South Florida
Research Interests: In my years working in the Vidrine Lab, I have worked primarily on mHealth-based research projects. My responsibilities have included participant recruitment and follow-up and administering follow-up assessments.
Life Outside the Lab: When I’m not at work, I enjoy reading, cooking with friends, and drawing.
Gabrielle Lehigh, PhD | Research Coordinator IV
Education and Training: PhD and MA in Anthropology from the University of South Florida; BA in Anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests: In the Vidrine Lab, I work on multiple projects examining the efficacy of innovative mHealth and counseling interventions for smoking cessation, including participant recruitment, data management, and overseeing daily tasks for Project ACCESS.
Life Outside the Lab: In my free time, I enjoy running, spending time in nature, and attending music festivals.
Samuel Brockway, MS | Research Coordinator II
Education and Training: MS from Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, BS from University of Central Florida
Research Interests: I work primarily on Project mFLi, a project supported by a State Infrastructure Grant that includes multi-site demonstration projects to test this new infrastructure. The focus of these demonstration projects is on evaluating the feasibility of mHealth approaches across Florida. I have also worked on multiple projects similarly based around improving the mobile delivery interventions for cancer patients. I have previously worked in population-scale statistical analysis and questions in difficult to assess populations like those suffering from food insecurity, PWH, and cancer survivors.
Teresa White-Jones | Grant Management Administrator V
Terri White-Jones is a Grant Management Administrator for the Vidrine Lab. She has 20 years of experience in the financial and administrative management of sponsored projects. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College. Prior to Moffitt, she worked at the University of South Florida and Raymond James Financial.
Samantha Diaz-McGimsey | Executive Assistant
Sam is the Executive Assistant to the Chair and Senior Member Damon Vidrine, DrPH; Program Leader and Associate Member, Tiffany Carson, PhD, MPH; and Senior Member, Lee Green, PhD within the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior. Sam joined Moffitt Cancer Center in 2005. She is a Comfort Companion Volunteer with Moffitt Cancer Center, whose program offers patients the most valuable of human gifts: a dignified death and provides a comforting, reassuring presence for patients and families, which may involve holding their hand, reading aloud, or playing soothing music. Her hobbies include baking, decorating, and spending time with family.
Merida Flythe | Executive Assistant
Merida (“Mimi”) is a bilingual administrative professional with over 15 years of experience in healthcare operations, project coordination, and executive support. At Moffitt Cancer Center, she provides comprehensive administrative and event coordination support for Dr. Jenny Vidrine and Dr. Vani Simmons. Passionate about advancing public health, she also serves as Co-Chair of Estamos Unidos, promoting cultural engagement and community wellness initiatives.
Former Moffitt Postdoctoral Fellows
Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD
Shorey Fennell completed her Applied Postdoctoral Fellowship under Drs. Jennifer and Damon Vidrine. She is currently a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of Kentucky and a Member of Markey Cancer Center.
Cherell Cottrell-Daniels, PhD
Cottrell-Daniels completed her Applied Postdoctoral Fellowship under the mentorship of Drs. Damon and Jenny Vidrine. She is currently a Research Scientist at Health Choice Network.
Former Research Staff
Andrina Busingye, MPH, CPH | Research Coordinator
Bence Nagy, MPH, CPH | Research Coordinator
Maria Almendares, MPH, CPH | Research Coordinator