So good afternoon, everyone.
I'd first like to start by saying thank you
for all coming to our panel.
I know that there are plenty of presentations going on today,
and so I'm very humbled and grateful to be
able to present to you.
So again, my name is Aladrianne Young.
I'm a senior this year at Mount Holyoke,
and I major in Africana Studies and I minor in biology.
I'm from Santa Cruz, California, and this summer, I
interned at the Stanford Prevention Research Center
for the Healthy Aging Research and Technology Solutions Lab.
So I'd like to tell you a little bit about my internship search.
The spring of my junior year, I studied abroad
at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England
for six months.
And since I was busy and immersed
in my study abroad program, I didn't
want to worry about application deadlines
and gathering application materials
to submit to internship programs,
so I decided to network.
During networking, I was connected
to a researcher at the Stanford Prevention Research Center,
who connected me to another researcher
at the Healthy Aging Research and Technology Solutions Lab.
And through email correspondence,
through conference calls, through a brief application,
and a Skype interview, I was offered an internship.
So what is HARTS?
The Healthy Aging Research and Technology Solutions Lab
is a lab at the Stanford Prevention Research Center
which is a part of the Stanford School of Medicine, which
is one of seven schools at Stanford University.
So what's the focus of HARTS research?
HARTS research focuses on successful aging
through increased physical activity,
through healthy eating, and through creating healthy
and [INAUDIBLE] communities.
The population that HARTS focuses on
are older adult populations, primarily low income
and racial and ethnic minorities.
One of the reasons why HARTS research is so cutting edge
is because they use wireless and mobile technology
in order to assess individuals in their environments.
So while I was an intern at HARTS,
there were three studies being conducted and in development--
the COMPASS Study, the On the Move with Stanford Study,
and the Wearable Technology Study.
COMPASS.
So COMPASS is a physical activity assessment
with three arms-- a food literacy and nutrition
arm, which served as a control; a peer mentor model;
and a virtual advisor named Carmen.
Peer mentors basically facilitated encouragement
to participants in order to improve
their physical activity.
And the virtual advisor, Carmen, was a virtual advisor
who was actually placed in a tablet-- lives
in a tablet in senior centers around the study area.
And so I'd like to introduce you to Carmen.
[INAUDIBLE]
I have [INAUDIBLE]
[INAUDIBLE]
Thank you.
So this is Carmen.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- --lifestyles.
[END PLAYBACK]
Oh.
[INAUDIBLE]
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- A scientific study run by Stanford and Northeastern
University found that seniors who--
[END PLAYBACK]
Sorry.
This is Carmen.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- Hola.
My name is Carmen, and my job is to help seniors
to live healthier lifestyles.
A scientific study run by Stanford and Northeastern
University found that seniors who talk to me on regular basis
walk 250 minutes per week more than other seniors
in the study.
Check out the description of the study results online.
Bye for now.
[END PLAYBACK]
So Carmen was one of the tools used in the lab in order
to encourage participants to incorporate physical activity
into their days.
Thank you.
So the On the Move with Stanford study
is a physical activity and nutrition intervention
that uses text messages and telephone calls in order
to send motivational and goal-setting messages
to participants in order to encourage
an increase in physical activity and an improvement in nutrition
habits.
The wearable technology study.
So my mentor and I were able to go on a site visit
to an affordable housing site for older adults.
And one of the main themes or concerns
we found with the residents that lived in the senior center
was concern for safety in their communities.
Because unfortunately, many seniors
were getting hit by cars.
And Stanford created the Stanford Discovery
Tool and Google Glass-- so basically the Stanford
Discovery Tool is a tablet with an app,
where if I'm a participant and I am walking down the street
and I'm using a walker and I see that there's
a crack on the sidewalk, I can tap on the app,
it will take a picture, and I can record my voice,
and I can say, there's a crack in the sidewalk, which
makes it difficult for me to cross the street,
and I can't access this healthy grocery store,
and also, it's difficult for me and my mobility,
so I don't feel safe walking down the street.
Similarly, with Google Glass--
Google Glass is basically a computer in glasses.
And similarly to the Stanford Discovery Tool,
participants can take a picture by tapping on the glasses,
and they can record their voice, and we
can collect that data on how they
perceive their environment.
So what did I actually do?
So there were several studies going on at the time,
so I was able to participate and contribute to each one.
So with COMPASS, I was able to research validated surveys
and co-edited a research guide for participants.
I led a focus group.
I created a database of relevant measures pertaining
to food literacy, and I was trained in an auditing tool
called NEMS, Nutrition and Environment Measures
Survey, which assesses produce and food
available in communities.
So this is a picture of produce at a convenience store
where I did a practice audit.
That's me, conducting a focus group.
That's me along with some peer mentors
at Stanford [INAUDIBLE].
And that's me and some of my colleagues in the lab and peer
mentors.
So with the On the Move with Stanford study,
I had the ability to help with the development of the
On the Move website, and I learned a lot
about print and digital marketing strategies.
With the wearable technology study, as I mentioned,
I was able to do a site visit, I researched and created
evidence tables, and I was trained using the Stanford
Discovery Tool.
So what did I gain from my internship?
I gained a greater knowledge about public health
and research and a deeper appreciation for research.
Prior to my internship, I had no idea
that research composed of so many different facets,
and I found that very appealing, and because of that,
I know that I'd like to pursue research in my future.
And some acknowledgements.
I'd like to thank the HARTS Lab--
Dr. Abby King, Dr. Cynthia Castro Sweet,
Dr. [INAUDIBLE], Dr. Houser.
I'd like to thank MHC and the Lynk funding for giving me
this opportunity, Professor [? Schiber ?] for moderating
us, Professor Schwartzer for advising me
in an independent study that's continuing some of my work
with HARTS, and Professor Townsley and Douglas.
I'd like to thank my dad for coming and visiting me
in California.
[LAUGHTER]
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]