Our Core Faculty and Staff
Graduate Students
Daniel Callow is a Graduate Assistant in the Kinesiology department. His research interests center around employing advanced behavioral and neuroimaging approaches to understand how lifestyle factors may alter the development and deterioration of critical age and pathologically susceptible memory networks across the lifespan. dcallow@umd.edu
Kyle Pietro is a highly motivated graduate student with a history of working in the field of higher education. He is skilled in Coaching, Exercise Physiology, Teaching, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Swimming. His educational background includes a Master of Arts (M.A.) focused in Applied Exercise Physiology from Teachers College of Columbia University. Kyle's research Interests Include Human Stress Physiology; human brain dynamics and related kinematics; factors affecting athletic performance; the physiology of elite swim performance. kpietro@umd.edu
Gina Garcia is a Cognitive Motor Neuroscience Doctoral Student. glgarcia@terpmail.umd.edu
William Evans is a Graduate Assistant whose research focus addresses the role of systemic inflammation in peripheral complications of heart failure. His areas of conceptual expertise include cardiovascular disease etiology, endothelial stem, and macrophage biology, and cardiovascular physiology. He uses cell and animal models in collaboration with human research for a comprehensive bench to bedside research approach. wsevans@terpmail.umd.edu
James Heilman is a Graduate Assistant whose research focuses on how extracellular vesicles, endothelial microparticles, and their contents are affected by the disease. In addition, he focuses on the links between these constituents and angiogenic potential in both diseased and healthy populations. Together, their lab looks extensively at various cardiometabolic mechanisms both in vivo and in vitro. jheilman@umd.edu
Katherine Kim is a Graduate Assistant and a second-year Master's student who is investigating the role of female sex hormones in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. She is a member of Dr. Steven Prior's Cardiometabolic Mechanisms laboratory and specializes in cell culture, flow cytometry, and immunostaining. kkim2209@terpmail.umd.edu
Madison Shoemaker is a Teaching Assistant and graduated from the University of Chapel Hill in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise and Sport Science and a minor in Neuroscience. During her undergraduate years, she worked for Campus Recreation as a student supervisor, personal/group trainer, and obtained her certifications as a NASM personal trainer and ISSN Sports Nutritionist. After graduation, she worked as a Clinical Research Study Coordinator for UNC’s Lineberger Cancer Center on a study examining the reliability of wearable health sensors. In her free time, she enjoys lifting weights, going out with friends, watching reality TV, and spending time with her two cats, Chia and Colby. mkshoe18@terpmail.umd.edu