Lab Personnel
Principal Investigator
Bethany Barone Gibbs, PhD
Dr. Gibbs is a cardiovascular epidemiologist with a passion for healthy lifestyle research. She recently completed two clinical trials testing whether interventions that target reduced sedentary behavior can improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health in desk workers (NHLBI-funded RESET BP Study) and pregnancy health (AHA-funded SPRING Study).
She is the Principal Investigator of an ancillary study to measure objective sedentary behavior and activity, pulse wave velocity, and heart rate variability among young women in the nuMoM2b Heart Health 2 Study cohort (NHBLI). She also leads the West Virginia University sites for the Pregnancy 24/7 Study and the Pregnancy 24/7 Offspring Study linking the 24-hour activity cycle across pregnancy with maternal-fetal health outcomes through 2 years old (NHLBI).
Staff
Sarah Modlin, MPH
Sarah is the Research Associate to the studies. She earned her B.Sc. in Biology from the College of William and Mary in 2018 and an MPH in Data Analytics from Thomas Jefferson University in 2022.
Sarah joined WVU in fall 2022. She is eager to play with statistical software and other research tools to analyze data! Sarah's main role in the Gibbs' lab is to acquire thousands of activity & sedentary behavior data from several research sites to later analyze it. Outside of work, her dream is to run a marathon in all 50 states (currently 37 out of 50 completed)!
Lilah N. Carlisle, B.Sc.
Lilah is a native of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Lilah has joined the lab as a research assistant in May 2026. She earned a B.S. in Exercise Physiology with an area of emphasis on aquatic therapy. Lilah is currently taking a gap year and intends to enroll in the West Virginia University School of Medicine with the Class of 2031. With a background in exercise physiology, Lilah has a strong passion for preventative medicine, physical activity behavior patterns, and maternal/fetal health outcomes.
Outside of the lab, Lilah enjoys hiking, baking for her loved ones, and listening to her favorite audiobooks while going on walks.
Students
Lexi Thrower, MS
Lexi is currently a Ph.D. student in Exercise Physiology at West Virginia University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at Slippery Rock University, and her master’s degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
Her research interests include cardiovascular responses to physical activity and exercise with her thesis project focusing on cardiovascular responses (blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability) to an acute bout of vinyasa yoga. Lexi’s favorite activities to do outside the lab include doing and teaching yoga (as a certified 200-hour yoga instructor), going to the beach, and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Link to C/V
Waylon Henggeler, MPH
Waylon (they/them) is a current MD/PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at WVU, under the mentorship of Dr. Gibbs. They received their MPH from Dartmouth and their BA from Pomona College, where they also ran track and cross country.
Waylon is excited to be working with Dr. Gibbs on a current study investigating the impact of perinatal vaping on maternal and fetal outcomes. They are interested in health services research, with the ultimate goal of studying and improving health system access for rural and otherwise marginalized populations. When not in the lab, they love handcycling up Decker's Creek trail, hiking with their dog, listening to audiobooks at 1.5x the speed, and knitting. They are excited to explore West Virginia's many beautiful area, but keep returning to Dolly Sods because it looks just like where they're from in Maine.
Brianne Nichols, MS
Brianne is a PhD Student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at West Virginia University. She earned her bachelor's degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from West Virginia University and later served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Albania from 2017 to 2019, where she taught health education. Following her service, she completed a Master of Science at Western Illinois University through the Coverdell Fellowship Award.
Brianne's research focuses on spatial epidemiology, with an emphasis on applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine how the environment influences health behaviors. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys yoga, reading, hiking, and traveling.
Gibbs Lab Alumni
Katrina Wilhite, PhD
Katrina is from Reno, Nevada and was a postdoc in the School of Public Health. She completed her Bachelor's degree at Saint Francis University, her Master's at the University of Pittsburgh, and her PhD at Australian Catholic University. She loves to learn, travel, swim, journal, be outdoors as much as possible, and brew beer with her husband. She hopes to continue her career in the public health field with a focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle in a 24-hour day and health equity.
Kathryn Chmelik, MS
Katie was a Research Assistant who joined the lab in January 2024. She got her Bachelor's in Immunology and Infectious Disease from Penn State and her Master of Health Sciences from WVU. She is excited to begin her career in clinical trials research in the Gibb's lab.
As a mother, pregnancy and postpartum are topics of particular importance and interest. She is excited to work with women and their children to help improve maternal health. Outside of work, Katie loves to dance, bake, and play games with friends!
Elly Marshall, PhD
Elly Marshall graduated with her PhD in Epidemiology in May 2026! She is an alumnus of West Virginia University, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 2016 and Master of Public Health degree in 2018. She has over 5 years of experience working with pregnant and parenting women in the area of health promotion and prevention and has lead efforts in WV’s perinatal quality collaborative network.
Elly is interested in maternal and infant health epidemiology and health outcomes. Her primary interests in this field include physical activity patterns, substance use, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and social determinants of health. In her spare time, Elly is passionate about knitting, collecting Fiestaware, and getting outdoors as much as possible.
Carly Williamson Rogers, MPH
Carly graduated with her MPH in Social and Behavioral Health Sciences in 2024! She received her Bachelors of Science in Health and Human Performance at the University of Tennessee at Martin. After earning her Master's degree, she is currently pursuing her PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Pittsburgh! Her research interests are in physical activity and its effects on mental health. Her favorite activities are working out, going outdoors, and spending time exploring Morgantown.