Research

Dr. Olson's research is focused on safety and health interventions for lone workers, and on behavioral self-management methods.  The overreaching goal of this research is to understand how organizations can best protect and promote health among workers who are physically isolated from peers.  Dr. Olson has extensive experience conducting injury prevention and health promotion research in transportation industries (aviation, bus, trucking), but also has current projects in home health care and long-term care industries.

Lab Members

• Jamie Jones – Senior Research Assistant
  

• Jamie Jones has been a Senior Research Assistant at CROET since 2012. Ms. Jones obtained a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion with an emphasis in Advocacy and Social Change from Portland State University (PSU) in 2011. Her interests include occupational fatality and injury prevention, media advocacy, and policy-level interventions. Her primary roles at CROET are as an analyst and manager of the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) program, which is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded research program designed to identify and study fatal occupational injuries. Before joining CROET, Ms. Jones was an Instructor at PSU’s School of Community Health and the Program Coordinator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Portland Bridges to Baccalaureate Program.

• Brad Wipfli - Senior Research Associate

  Dr. Wipfli earned his bachelors degree in Psychology and Marketing at Carthage College and his Ph.D. in Exercise Science at Arizona State University. He joined CROET in August 2008. Dr. Wipfli was the recipient of the 2009 NASPE 'Dissertation of the Year' award for his previous research, which focused on the links between exercise, depression and anxiety. He is currently working on the Safety and Health Intervention for Truck Drivers (SHIFT) with Dr. Ryan Olson, and is also involved in the second phase of research with the Work, Family & Health Network. Click here to view Dr. Wipfli's current VITA.

• Rob Wright - Post Doctoral Researcher

  Rob Wright is currently a doctoral candidate at Portland State University in Applied Social Psychology and Occupational Health Psychology. His dissertation focuses on nurses effectively coping with interpersonal conflict at work. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Utah State University in 2006 and his Master of Science in Applied Social Psychology from Portland State University in 2010. Mr. Wright has served as the Psychology Graduate Student Association President at Portland State University and received the Utah State University Psychology Department Applied Psychological Service Award (2006). He is currently part of the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (ORhwc) working on a project focusing on promoting health and safety of homecare workers in the Portland metro area.

• Sharon Thompson - Senior Research Assistant
  

  Sharon Thompson joined CROET as a coordinator for the SHIFT study in September 2011. Ms. Thompson earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Arizona State University. She completed a research-focused dietetic internship and obtained her Registered Dietitian credentials in 2011. Prior to starting at CROET, Ms. Thompson coordinated clinical feeding trials, survey administration and focus group studies conducted in diverse, often underserved populations. Her interests include health education and the prevention and treatment of chronic disease through the use of functional foods and plant-based diets.Annie Mancini - Research Assistant II
  

• Annie Mancini - Research Assistant II
  

  Annie Mancini joined CROET in April 2012. Annie earned her B.A. in history and environmental studies from Washington University in St. Louis in 2005 and will be starting medical school in August 2013. Annie's interests in preventive medicine and health promotion led her to this position, which focuses mostly on the COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) program, a health and safety intervention for homecare workers. Annie also spends a portion of her time on the Safety and Health Involvement for Truck Drivers (SHIFT) program. Prior to joining Dr. Olson's lab, Annie worked in fundraising, most recently at the OHSU Foundation, the fundraising arm of Oregon Health & Science University.

• Sydney N. Running - Research Assistant II

  Sydney Running began working for CROET and the SHIFT study in November of 2012, as a Research Assistant 2.  A graduate in Health Promotion and Behavior from Oregon State University, Sydney is passionate about improving wellness and optimizing potential in herself and others; her internship at OSU's Department of Recreational Sports Outreach involved developing and implementing a program aimed at improving student wellness through social support.  In her spare time, she competes as a Cat 2 cyclist and other multisport activities, all fueled by lots of coffee.
  

• Annie Cannon - Student Worker