Scientific Advisory Committee

This committee of medical and wellness experts provides the following:

• Oversight of program evaluations, and review of plans that support clients in reaching short and long-term health goals.
• Assistance in accessing appropriate, content-based resources to enrich programs and services.
• Guidance on decisions for the inclusion of research efforts, pilot programs and projects within the programs and services of the center.

Kerri Winters, Ph.D. (Co-Chair)

Dr. Winters first delved into the science of bone physiology when she studied the adverse effects of excessive exercise on bone health in female athletes. As a graduate student in exercise science, she also documented that a resistance and impact training program could reduce fracture risk factors in mature, premenopausal women by improving bone mass, muscle strength and stability.  Her interest in reducing the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures led to a temporary post at OHSU in June 2002, and to an Oregon Opportunity-funded appointment as assistant professor and associate scientist eight months later. “This is an opportunity to focus on my research career, yet still do a little teaching,” says Winters, who, after earning her doctorate from Oregon State University in 2000, spent two years on the faculty at Northern Arizona University. She says she was lured back to Oregon by OHSU’s sturdy research infrastructure, accessible clinical population and collaborative research mindset.

Susan Butterworth, Ph.D., M.S.

Dr. Butterworth founded OHSU Health Management Services in 1997. Her expertise is in program and staff development, health promotion, motivational interviewing, and health coaching. In addition, Dr. Butterworth is part of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. She received her master’s degree in exercise physiology and her doctoral degree in adult education and training, with a health promotion cognate — both from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an associate professor at the OHSU School of Nursing.

Marna Flaherty-Robb, MSN

As associate dean at the OHSU School of Nursing, Flaherty-Robb facilitates the development of practice investments. She provides OHSU Health Management with clinical oversight policies and protocols. She is also director of the Best Practice Initiative of the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. She has been a nursing leader for many years, as well as an executive in complex health systems. Her specialty and passion is design of health services delivery that embeds mature research to assist patients and families in improving self-care. She is engaged in coaching and development of staff and faculty at all levels of health care organizations.

Fay Horak, Ph.D.

Dr. Horak studies neurological disorders that affect balance and gait in the elderly, and in people with Parkinson's disease, diabetic neuropathy, vestibular injury or disease, cerebellar ataxia and back pain. She examines how motor signals sent to muscles and sensory information about body position interact to maintain a person's balance while standing or walking. Diseases or injury that damage the motor pathway (as in Parkinson's disease) or sensory pathway (as in vestibular injury or diabetic peripheral neuropathy) can disrupt balance. At OHSU’s Balance Disorders Laboratory a person's balance is tested by having him/her stand on a movable force platform during a surface perturbation (simulated fall). Muscle activities, surface forces, and whole body motion quantify how the brain coordinates automatic balancing movements. The insights Dr. Horak has gained about the nervous system have allowed her to develop innovative approaches to the diagnosis and rehabilitation of patients with disequilibrium, dizziness, and dyscoordination. Her work has revolutionized the rehabilitation of balance disorders by physical therapists.

Kim Dupree Jones, Ph.D.

Dr. Jones is an assistant professor at the OHSU School of Nursing. Her area of expertise is exercise physiology and neuroendocrinology in fibromyalgia. The core symptom of fibromyalgia is chronic widespread pain; the pain is usually perceived as arising from muscle, however many patients also report joint pain. Dr Jones has researched the optimization of growth hormone release in fibromyalgia patients and studied on the benefits of Tai Chi and stretching.

Sanjiv Kaul, M.D.

A pioneer in cardiovascular imaging, Dr. Kaul came to OHSU in 2005 and is chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr.Kaul focuses on providing patients with more precise and less invasive methods for preventing, detecting and treating heart disease. He spent 21 years at the University of Virginia where he created a cardiovascular imaging program that has become world-renowned. He used his imaging expertise to help develop myocardial contrast echocardiography, a screening test for heart disease, using microbubbles as contrast agents. Dr. Kaul travels the world, lecturing and writing about this innovative early detection technique.

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