About Us

CHIAT History

The Center for Health Interventions and Technology, LLC (CHIAT), a for-profit corporation, was founded in 1997 by Drs. Karen Calfas, Kevin Patrick and Jim Sallis. The corporation was founded to disseminate to the public the evidence-based health interventions and tools that this group of researchers has been developing and testing since 1990.

CHIAT Founders/Principals:

Karen J. Calfas, Ph.D. is a Professor and health psychologist at San Diego State University (SDSU) and Assistant Clinical Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She received her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in behavioral medicine in 1990 from the joint doctoral program at UCSD and SDSU. Her pre-doctoral internship in behavioral medicine was completed at Brown University School of Medicine. Dr. Calfas is and original member of the PACE team and is co-principal investigator on four currently funded PACE intervention clinical trials. She is co-founder of the Center for Health Interventions and Technology, LLC. She has authored over 100 scientific articles, book chapters and abstracts. Dr. Calfas has lectured nationally and internationally on exercise adherence and related topics.   Kevin Patrick, MD, MS is Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine since 1994. Dr. Patrick is a Senior Advisor to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research project, a former member of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board, and a member of the Community-level Health Promotion Study Section of the NIH Center for Scientific Review. He is a past President of the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine and has served on the Secretary's Council for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He has been PI or Co-PI on more than $25 million in research and training grants. His current research explores how patients and consumers can optimize health-related behaviors with the assistance of interactive health communication technologies. Dr. Patrick has authored over 125 scientific articles, book chapters, commentaries, and abstracts.   James F. Sallis, Ph.D. received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Memphis State University, interned at Brown University, and was a post-doctoral fellow in cardiovascular disease prevention and epidemiology at the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention. Dr. Sallis, currently a Psychology Professor at San Diego State University, is especially known for contributions in physical activity measurement, correlates, intervention and advocacy. He serves as the Program Director of Active Living research, with a focus on development of an ecological model of physical activity promotion. This new field takes a transdisciplinary approach to understanding how the built environment can promote more active lifestyles. Dr. Sallis has authored over 400 scientific publications, is on several journals’ editorial boards, and is one of the world’s most cited scientists. He was on the editorial committee for the 1996 U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, and is a frequent consultant to government, research, and corporate organizations throughout the United States and internationally. Dr. Sallis is co-author of Physical Activity and Behavioral Medicine (Sage, 1999). His web site is www.drjamessallis.sdsu.edu.
CHIAT Directors

Fredric J. Raab, Technical Director, received his A.A.S degree in Computer Science from Boston University, and obtained professional and specialized certificates from University of California San Diego (UCSD). He is the founder of Telematic Systems in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a pioneering and award-winning multimedia software development firm that commercialized technologies developed at MIT’s precursor to the Media Lab. Mr. Raab later served as the Vice President for Production for Interactive Media Communications, where he was responsible for the development of interactive multimedia training programs in the areas of Industrial Health and Safety. In addition, Mr. Raab has designed, created, and installed large scale interactive multimedia exhibits at museums such as the Smithsonian Institute and Boston Museum of Science, as well as at international trade shows and corporate visitor centers. He is currently an instructor in the UCSD Extension School’s Broadband Mobile Wireless Engineering program, and is also a Wireless Systems Architect at the UCSD PACE Research Group and the Center for Health Interventions and Technology and Technology, LLC, working on NIH-funded intervention and technological SBIR grants. In these roles, Mr. Raab assists with the design, programming, and evaluation of cell phone and other wireless technologies as aids in physical activity, energy balance and nutrition assessment and intervention. As the Architect of the CHIAT eBalance system, he designed and programmed a hardware/software cell phone platform to support energetics, energy balance and active-living research incorporating wireless sensors such as accelerometers, GPS receivers, and heart-rate monitors.

Sheri Thompson, PhD, Vice President of Business Development, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the field of behavioral health research and intervention development since 1989. Prior to joining the PACE team, she worked on a variety of projects as part of the San Diego State University Institute for Public Health, as well as for six years at a privately held healthcare informatics company and five years in private clinical practice, with an emphasis on health behavior change counseling. With the PACE projects, Dr. Thompson served as Implementation Director for the first computer-based PACE interventions for adults and adolescents, and as a co-editor of PACE provider manuals for facilitating physical activity and nutrition changes in primary care settings. She also participated in the first Internet-based PACE intervention for adolescents, including development of nutrition and physical activity intervention content, and health counselor training. Dr. Thompson has offered individual and group health care provider trainings for several PACE projects and for the Center for Health Interventions and Technology and Technology, LLC. Most recently, she served as the Principal Investigator on the PACEiOK “MySteps” online program for overweight adolescents, the PACE iMoM program for overweight post-partum mothers, and the e/Balance project, which focuses on developing innovative technological tools for energy balance researchers, in addition to overseeing new product and business development.

CHIAT Personnel

Ann Davis, MPH holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University in New York City. While living in New York City, Ms. Davis coordinated a research project concerned with the impact of a parent’s terminal illness on their adolescent’s psychological development. She also has experience building safe and healthy communities along the US/Mexico border. With the Partnership for the Public’s Health, Ms. Davis worked closely with adolescents to develop health promotion campaigns around public health issues of concern in their communities, including nutrition, substance abuse prevention and community safety. She recently lived in Hawaii for three years, where she implemented a substance abuse prevention program among school aged children. Recognizing that life style patterns are often set by late adolescence, Ms. Davis strives to understand perceptions of risks and to assist teens in moving toward long term healthy life style choices. After having served as a Project Coordinator for the PACE MySteps program designed for overweight teens, Ms. Davis is currently involved in the development our PACEiMoM intervention. PACEiMoM is a diet and activity program designed specifically to meet the needs of overweight post-partum women who desire to reach and sustain a healthy weight. As a mother of two, Ms. Davis is keenly interested in formative work with post-partum mothers and obstetrical providers, which will help to ensure that PACEiMoM is relevant, feasible and effective for new mothers.

Sara Fine, MPH holds a Master’s degree in Public Health with specialization in Health Promotion from San Diego State University (SDSU). Ms. Fine is a Certified Health Education Specialist with interests in the areas of physical activity motivation and adherence, nutrition, obesity, and prevention of obesity-related disease, particularly among young populations. She has worked on the successful development and implementation of multiple PACE projects and enjoys the opportunity to continue refining well-researched and empirically supported health improvement strategies for the broader community through the activities of CHIAT and its health promotion programs. Ms. Fine is currently the Project Coordinator for the PACE MySteps program for overweight teens, overseeing program development and implementation. She also provides case management and health counseling to MySteps program participants.

Chikarlo Leak, B.S. in Health Sciences, is enrolled in the Masters of Public Health program with specialization in Health Promotion at San Diego State University (SDSU). His past experiences include increasing educational knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about prostate cancer, drug abuse surveillance research, and studying physical activity among U.S. adults. Most recently he has worked on participant recruitment and facilitating ongoing participation in a physical activity program for seniors. This research study examines the effects of the neighborhood environment on health and quality of life. Mr. Leak’s research interests include increasing awareness of the importance of physical activity within minority populations, and prevention of chronic diseases caused by sedentary lifestyles and health disparities. Currently, he serves as a Health Counselor to teens enrolled in the PACE MySteps diet and activity program, as well as assisting with ongoing research and updating of PACE materials designed to assist parents and adolescents with adopting more healthful diet and activity habits.

Meghan D. Morris, B.S. in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology from University of California San Diego, is currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Health program at San Diego State University with a specialization in Global Emergency Preparedness and Response. She has worked as a mentor and college advisor to San Diego youth and their parents, as part of a Program designed to encourage teens to pursue post-high school education. Ms. Morris has also been involved in research on the effects of health policies for improving the diet and activity lifestyle habits of primarily Latino community residents. Her research interests include increasing health resources for minority and low income populations and health promotion counseling. As a certified fitness instructor who has worked in the health industry since 2002, she has much to offer as a Health Counselor to the teens enrolled in the PACE MySteps diet and activity program.


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