Research Projects
The Olfert Lifestyle Intervention Research Lab uses healthy lifestyle and behavior interventions to prevent and reduce the risk of chronic disease across the lifespan. The wide-reaching nature of our work allows for collaboration with various departments within and outside of West Virginia University. Our lab is proud to partner with both academic and government institutions in its mission to improve health and quality of life in our community and beyond.
Check out some of our current and past research projects below!
iCook 4-H is a USDA funded program partnering universities and extension
services across five states to improve the health of families through cooking,
eating, and playing together.
eB4CAST is a community-based project which aims to provide up-to-date
snapshots of the impact of interventions using a Capture, Assemble, and Sustain
model to seek Timelessness.
Get Fruved is a USDA funded, multi-state project focused on improving
the health of at-risk university students through improved dietary quality, physical
activity, and stress management.
FRUVEDomics is a pilot study funded through the West Virginia Clinical & Translational Science Institute which investigates the impact of a diet intervention on behavior, metabolome, and microbiome in young adults at risk for and diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome.
Healthy Campus Environmental Audit (HCEA) are a comprehensive series of audits that assess the university environment which may inform student/faculty behavior and choices in healthy lifestyles.
Project Better Health is a West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute-funded study targeting the use of mobile technology to improve the nutrition of individuals with obesity in the state.
Learn more about Project Better Health.
CAPE is a multi-institution project funded through the USDA and SAMHSA and coordinated by the USDA Regional Rural Development Centers which aims to identify and share best practices for benchmarking community behavioral health.
Learn more about HomeStyles.
mHEALTH LABS is a collaborative study with clinical professionals and researchers at West Virginia University's Health Science center that aims to assess success rates and psychological aspects, eating patterns/behaviors, and lifestyle choices of bariatric surgery patients, specifically in Appalachia.
Learn more about mHealthLABS Study.
WISH4Campus evaluates factors that influence food insecurity among college students at eight southern universities including many in the Appalachian region.
iCHOP Mediterranean combines an online nutrition course and 2-week cultural immersion experience for multidisciplinary health professionals in the state of West Virginia, aiming to increase the use of culinary medicine and Mediterranean Diet principles in practice.
Learn more about iCHOP Mediterranean.
M4R 2 evaluates the effectiveness of combining natural, holistic therapies to promote recovery and resiliency for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders on college campuses.
KATALYST teaches 5th grade students how lifestyle behaviors impact our health by showing the science of the human body through hands-on lessons in anatomy and physiology with a focus on diet, physical activity, tobacco, and drug abuse.