Dr. Rechenberg is an Assistant Professor on the tenure track in the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida and director of the AYAA Lab. She is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner and pediatric mental health specialist with 10 years of clinical experience working with adolescents and young adults. She is an expert in conducting interventional research with adolescents and young adults living with chronic medical conditions, especially Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. She has contributed $1.1 million in external funding as principal investigator ($407,231) and co-investigator ($656,601).

Dr. Koerner is an adjunct professor at the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida and study coordinator of our current NIH-funded study, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes. She recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the College of Nursing at the University of Florida. Dr. Koerner is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner with research expertise in maternal-child health, adolescent and young adult mental health, and integration of novel biobehavioral research methods. She is passionate about improving the mental health of adolescents and young adults.  

Alison is a master’s in public health (MPH) student with a concentration in Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. Alison's areas of interest include mental health and health literacy among minority populations, and she hopes to bring her knowledge and experience into these fields in the future. She has a bachelor of science in Health Sciences from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Miami.

Olivia is a third-year student at the University of South Florida in the College of Nursing pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing and a minor in Psychology. Olivia is the president of her nursing cohort and is actively involved in several organizations within the College of Nursing including the Future Nurse Practitioners Club and Stampede Into Bull Nursing, which is a mentorship program. Olivia plans to focus her nursing career on psychiatric mental health and attend graduate school to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner.  

Hanin is a PhD student in Nursing Science at the University of South Florida. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing, specializing in Health Policy and Public Health, from the University of California, San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Hanin’s research interests include adolescent and young adult mental health, Type 2 diabetes, and integrating mHealth and telehealth to improve healthcare and psychosocial outcomes. She is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance chronic disease management, improve psychosocial outcomes, and advance public health initiatives in diverse community settings.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from the University of South Florida and is currently pursuing a second Bachelor of Science degree in the accelerated nursing program at USF. Sarah has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 15 years and is deeply passionate about diabetes care. Sara’s career goal is to specialize in diabetes nursing and to become a certified diabetes educator. Sarah is committed to advancing patient education and improving health outcomes for individuals living with diabetes.