Program Team

Dr. Julia Sheffler is the Integrative Science for Healthy Aging Director and an assistant professor in the Florida State University College of Medicine. 

Naomi Frederic recently graduated with her B.S. in Psychology. She is interested in food security, and correlations between accessibility to food and health and illness outcomes in minority communities.

Viviana Gutierrez earned a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience and completed a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences. She is currently a medical student with research interests focused on how lifestyle factors influence general and cognitive health outcomes later in life, as well as their role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Trinity Sims is a third-year Psychology student. She is interested in the role of nutrition on inflammatory disorders in rural communities.

Jonathan Michel is a senior majoring in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience at Florida State University. He joined the lab through FSU’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), where he studied nutritional factors associated with vascular dementia risk. As an IDEA Grant recipient, he examined associations between skin carotenoid levels, cognitive function, and biological sex. He is currently completing his Honors in the Major thesis investigating the relationship between dietary carotenoid intake and skin carotenoid levels, with dietary fat as a potential moderating factor. 

Reza Noori is a second-year Clinical Professions major pursuing a pre-med track at Florida State University. His current research explores the correlation between micronutrient intake and Vascular Dementia risk factors. 

Mia Parker is a 2nd year Cell & Molecular Neuroscience major on the pre-med track. She is interested in combining clinical care and research with specific interest in neurodegenerative disorders. 

Monique Ramos is a 3rd year biological science student on a pre-med track. Monique has an interest in exploring how our diet and gut biome impact healthy aging, specifically their association with risk factors for dementia. 

Hannah Karter is a second-year medical student with a strong interest in integrative and preventive health. She is particularly passionate about personalized, cost-effective care that addresses the whole person.

Hailey Mui is a fourth-year Psychology major with a minor in Chemistry at Florida State University on the pre-med track. Her current research explores how diet and lifestyle factors influence mood and risk for neurodegenerative diseases. 

Copeland Frazee is a 2nd year IMS: Clinical Professions (Pre-Med) Student. She is interested in promoting healthcare practices that help preserve independence, physical ability, and overall well-being for aging adults. 

Maria Serna is a 3rd year Cell and Molecular Neuroscience student. She is interested abnormal psychology and how environmental factors affect mental health. 

Maria Mankin is a third-year Behavioral Neuroscience major at Florida State University on the pre-med track. She is interested in emergency medicine and exploring how physical health, lifestyle factors, and inflammation influence cognitive health and healthy aging. 

Cole Patoine, MS, RDN, graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2017 with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics. He was then accepted into a dietetic internship and M.S. program at Rush Medical University in Chicago, IL. After becoming a Registered Dietitian in 2021, Cole worked in an outpatient diabetes clinic before joining Dr. Sheffler’s Lab at FSU. Now in his second year of his PhD, Cole hopes to pursue research on the gut microbiome and its role in the development and management human disease. If Cole isn’t in the lab, he can be found on the course as he is an avid golfer in his free time.  

Giovanna Mompremier, MPH, is a current Bridge to Clinical Medicine M.S. student at the Florida State University's College of Medicine. She obtained her Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida. Her research interests include community-based participatory research (CBPR), and health disparities impacting various disadvantaged communities. 

Edilmary Urdaneta, MS is a medical student at the Florida State University College of Medicine. She earned her Master of Science degree from Florida State University, where she conducted research on the barriers to implementing electronic medical records in Honduras. Her areas of interest include the impact of lifestyle interventions on health outcomes and the influence of social determinants on health.