Ra Research Program

Team:

Dr. Ra

Chaelin “Karen” Ra, PhD, MPH
Instructor of Medicine

Savannah Dziepak

Savannah L. Dziepak, MPH
Research Project Coordinator

Teresa Ross

Teresa Ross
Intern

Research Overview:

Dr. Ra is interested in using digital approaches to understand and address the links between sleep/circadian rhythms, mental health, substance use, and cessation in underserved populations. Her research program focuses on developing mHealth interventions to optimize tobacco cessation by incorporating strategies to improve sleep health using sensors and smartphone apps. She is particularly interested in the promise of sleep intervention for behavior change to reduce health disparities in tobacco cessation.

Smoking Cessation Presentation Graphic

Research Interests:

  • mHealth
  • Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI)
  • Health disparities
  • Sleep/circadian rhythms
  • Tobacco cessation
  • Mental health

Current Studies:

Sleep N Quit.

This study investigates the use of mobile health (mHealth) technologies including sensors and smartphone apps to facilitate tobacco cessation and monitor physical activity, while investigating the bidirectional relationship to sleep and smoking. The aims for this study are to develop effective interventions utilizing mHealth to increase accessibility to tobacco cessation intervention and support in partnership with local Tobacco Quit Centers. This study is funded by the NIH. For more information please visit: reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10880898

Contact Our Lab:

ra_lab@cinj.rutgers.edu