Dr. Penckofer is the lead investigator for the Sunshine 2 Study, a clinical trial to determine whether vitamin D supplementation can improve mood and self-care management in women with type 2 diabetes.  This study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Penckofer is a Distinguished University Research Professor in the School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago.   She is an educator and nurse researcher with expertise in cardiovascular women’s health, particularly in the areas of diabetes, depression, self-care management, and quality of life.  She has published on these topics in the scientific (Circulation, Diabetes Educator) and lay (Women’s Day, Chicago Today’s Woman, Chicago Sun Times) press. 

Joanne Kouba, PhD, RD is a registered dietitian and Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at Loyola University.  She provides expertise on nutrition and obesity for the Sunshine 2 Study.  Her research interests involve learning about ways that health can be enhanced through optimal nutrition including weight management, vitamin D and behaviors.  She is active in Proviso Partners for Health, a community coalition, and the Proviso East School based health center.

Dr. Emanuele is a study physician for the Sunshine 2 Study.  She is a Professor in the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.  She is a board certified physician in Endocrinology with a subspecialty certificate in Diabetes and Metabolism and Internal Medicine.  She has clinical expertise in the management of osteoporosis, diabetes, pituitary disease, parathyroid disorders, and thyroid disease.  She provides the medical oversight for the women enrolled in the Sunshine 2 Study and monitors the safety of the trial as it relates to vitamin D supplementation and diabetes. 

Dr. Halaris is a study physician for the Sunshine 2 Study.  He is a Professor in the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.  He is a board certified physician in Psychiatry with clinical expertise in the management of bipolar disorder, depression, psychiatric drugs, marital problems, smoking cessation and couple therapy. He is recognized internationally for his work on the role of inflammation and depression.  For the Sunshine 2 study, he has an integral role in monitoring the safety of the trial as it relates to vitamin D supplementation and mental well-being. 

Meghan Meehan, FNP

Meghan Meehan, FNP-BC is the research nurse coordinator for the Sunshine 2 study.  She is a family nurse practitioner and recent graduate from the Masters of Science program in the School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago.  Her research interests include women's health, vitamin D, and nutrition. She is an active leader in the community for the improvement of health outcomes for women through political advocacy and counseling services. 

William Adams

William Adams is the Biostatistician in the Clinical Research Office and serves as the Database Manager and Regulatory Manager for the Sunshine 2 Study. He also interfaces between study team and the Data Safety Monitoring Board as the trial’s independent statistician. His main research interests include error estimation, statistical design, and the use of latent trait models in evaluating clinical research instruments.

Monique Ridosh, PhD, RN is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago. She provides expertise on health disparities for the Sunshine 2 study. She has been awarded a diversity supplement from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. She is conducting a sub-study with women from the Sunshine 2 Study to better understand how family impacts their diabetes self-management and quality of life.

Mary Byrn, PhD, RN is an Assistant Professor in School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago. She provides expertise in women’s health. Her research interests include ways to improve women’s health, the role of inflammation in health, and vitamin D. She is also currently conducting a study to determine if vitamin D supplementation can improve cognition in persons with type 2 diabetes (THINK-D study).

Patricia Sheean PhD, RDN is a Registered Dietitian and Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago. She provides expertise on body composition for the Sunshine 2 Study. Her research broadly encompasses nutrition assessment, including the associations of body composition, inflammation and micronutrients (vitamin D) on disease risks and symptom burden in various patient populations. She is also interested in the impact of diet and physical activity on breast cancer survivorship. She is currently conducting a study to determine if vitamin D can alleviate symptoms in women with breast cancer (SAFE-D study).

Jennifer Woo, CNM, WHNP, doctoral candidate

Jennifer Woo is a PhD candidate in the School of Nursing at Loyola University.  She has been a research assistant for the Sunshine 2 study.  She is a practicing nurse midwife since 2006 and is interested in health disparities research as it applies to maternal child health. Her dissertation research is focusing on the relationship of vitamin D to pregnancy symptoms and quality of life in underserved women.

Colleen Kordish, MSN, PhD student

Colleen Kordish is a PhD student in the School of Nursing at Loyola University.  She is currently the research assistant for the Sunshine 2 study.  She has over 20 years of experience in the field of health care, and is still passionate about patient care.  This experience encompasses care of the critically ill, educating others to care for the critically ill, nursing research, and using data to identify and create best practice solutions for improved patient care. 

Ramon Durazo, PhD is the statistician on the Sunshine 2 study.  He is a Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Loyola University Chicago.  His expertise is in the statistical methods for examining 25[OH]D and health outcomes and is recognized nationally. He has been a member of the IOM Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium since 2010. He is currently a board member of the international Vitamin D Quality Assessment Scheme (DQAS) and the Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP).

Diane Wallis, MD

Dr. Wallis is currently the consulting cardiologist on the Sunshine 2 Study. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago.  She is a board certified physician in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and critical care and is currently the Director of Vascular Medicine with Advocate Medical Group with the Advocate Heart Hospital.