Investigator Development Team

Administers our Pilot Project and Mentorship Program that supports junior investigators at SDSU with funding and mentorship on developing their programs of research at SDSU. This team also directs career enhancement activities including seminars and workshops that are open to the public.

Heather Corliss, MPH, PhD

Co-Leader, Investigator Development Team

Dr. Heather Corliss is a professor in the School of Public Health at SDSU. She is a social and behavioral epidemiologist with expertise in population health disparities including substance use, mental health, chronic disease, sexual and reproductive health, and adolescent health and development. She has methodological expertise in design and analysis of observational (e.g., longitudinal cohort) and mixed methods studies. Current projects include identifying supportive and protective factors associated with positive health among adolescents, substance disorders and treatment experiences among youth and other populations. See Dr. Corliss’ profile for details on publications and projects.
Scott Kelley, PhD

Scott Kelley, PhD

Leader, Biomedical MethodsĪ©Group

Dr. Scott Kelley is a Professor in the Department of Biology at SDSU. His research focuses on the study of environmental microbiology. He has extensive experience analyzing microbial and viral diversity, including that of humans as part of the Human Microbiome Project, a research initiative to improve understanding of the microbial flora involved in human health and disease. Among other subjects, Dr. Kelley has investigated the role of the gut microbiome in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the relationship between heart disease and periodontal disease and whether saliva bacterial profiles may be useful as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. For the SDSU HealthLINK Center, Dr. Kelley leads biomedical research methods, bioinformatics data analysis, and provides direction to the Center’s biomedical laboratory. See Dr. Kelley’s profile for details on publications and projects.