In a region defined by service, the challenges that come with it hit close to home. Old Dominion University’s new HEROES Initiative is designed to honor that reality through action, connecting researchers across disciplines to study the physical, mental and social health of those who protect and serve.
Short for Health Enhancement and Resiliency for those who Serve(d), the HEROES Initiative is a University-wide collaboration that unites experts from across Old Dominion University and the community. Its mission is simple and urgent: to enhance health research for those who have served their community and country.
“Across Hampton Roads, we have one of the largest concentrations of active-duty military and veterans in the country,” said Christopher Rhea, Ph.D., associate dean for research and innovation in the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and director of the HEROES Initiative.
“Combined with civilian first responders, this region represents a powerful opportunity to make an impact through research that directly improves lives.”
HEROES is designed as a research hub, bringing together faculty whose work connects to military, veteran and first responder health. Rather than focusing on a single project, the initiative fosters collaboration among researchers in public health, psychology, engineering, rehabilitation, artificial intelligence, data science and medicine to build shared expertise and pursue new external funding.
The HEROES leadership team spans across the University:
- Dr. Christopher Rhea, HEROES director and associate dean for research and innovation, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
- Hamid Okhravi, Ph.D., professor, Department of Medicine, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University
- Jim Blando, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, Joint School of Public Health at Old Dominion University in partnership with Norfolk State University
- Lobat Tayebi, Ph.D., director, Institute for Engineering in Medicine, Health, and Human Performance (EnMed), Batten College of Engineering and Technology
- Michelle Kelley, Ph.D., professor, Department of Psychology, College of Sciences
- Ross Gore, Ph.D., research associate professor, Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems, Office of Enterprise Research and Innovation
Each member has dedicated years to studying the unique health challenges faced by those who serve, whether through physical injury, occupational stress, or the transitions that follow active duty.
The initiative takes a holistic approach, exploring how physical, mental and social factors intersect to shape long-term well-being. Through HEROES, Old Dominion University aims to strengthen its role as a national leader in research serving military, veteran and first responder health, advancing discoveries that begin here in Hampton Roads and ripple far beyond.
The HEROES Initiative will bring ODU researchers and community partners together who are working in HEROES-connected spaces (or who are interested in doing so) to engage in conversations around subject matter expertise, capacity building, pilot project opportunities and alignment with external funding priorities. For more information or to join the HEROES interest list, contact Dr. Christopher Rhea at crhea@odu.edu.
Learn more: odu.edu/heroes-initiative