Meet the Team

REAL-T’s Fearless Leader (aka Principal Investigator)

Beth Pyatak, PhD, OTR/L, CDCES ⟩

Beth Pyatak, director of the Lifestyle Redesign® for Chronic Conditions research lab, is an occupational scientist, occupational therapist and certified diabetes educator. Her research encompasses the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of living with diabetes and other chronic conditions. Several of her studies have focused on developing and evaluating Lifestyle Redesign® interventions to promote well-being and quality of life among individuals with diabetes, and the dissemination and implementation of these interventions in real-world settings.

REAL-T’s Data Collection Team

All the data collectors are trained to work with people with diabetes. They care about you as much as they care about REAL-T. We know the participants are what make REAL-T meaningful!

Anya Khurana

Anya is a Research Assistant in the LRCC Laboratory working on the REAL-T study. She graduated from USC with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and minored in Spanish. Anya is currently pursuing admission into medical school, after which she hopes to become a pediatric endocrinologist. She is a type 1 diabetic herself and has greatly enjoyed having the opportunity to work on the REAL-T data collection team and connect with participants. Outside of the lab, Anya loves to swim, read, and try new restaurants with her friends and family!

Aina Ali BS

Aina Ali

Aina has a BS in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from the USC Keck School of Medicine. She currently attends the Occupational Therapy program at CSU Dominguez Hills and hopes to work with diverse populations and students. She works in various parts of REAL-T study team, especially data collection and recruitment, and loves getting to know every one of REAL-T’s participants!

Dhivya Vadapalli

Dhivya Vadapalli (she/her/hers), is an undergraduate volunteer research assistant receiving her Bachelors of Global Health from USC. Her work focuses on assisting with the REAL-T study. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys listening to music (especially going to concerts), reading, and running.

Kyana Huang

Kyana Huang is a Volunteer Research Assistant studying Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the USC Keck School of Medicine Undergraduate Program. Her work focuses on assisting with the REAL-T study in data collection and with the Recruitment team in graphic design. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys discovering new cafes, doing arts and crafts, and staying active outdoors.

Kara Kushwaha

Kara is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Global Health and a master’s degree in Global Medicine under the Keck School of Medicine. Her work focuses on assisting with the REAL-T study. Her professional interests include increasing racial and gender equity in health care and improving health care accessibility in both national and global realms. When not in the lab, Kara enjoys listening to music and reading, preferably on a beach.

REAL-T Occupational Therapists

Only participants who are randomized into the occupational therapy intervention, will work with Jesus OR Gabby for the first six months during their time participating in this study.

Jesús Díaz OTD, OTR/L ⟩

Jesús Díaz serves as one of the occupational therapists for the REAL-T study. He graduated with his clinical doctorate in occupational therapy from USC in 2009 and has been conducting research in Lifestyle Redesign® for over 10 years. His interests include working with underrepresented populations, promoting healthy habits and routines, and teaching therapeutic communication to encourage collaboration with patients. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his daughters, playing board games with friends and family, and being part of this amazing research team.

Gabby Granados OTD, OTR/L ⟩

Gabby is an occupational therapist for the REAL-T study whose favorite part about her role in the intervention is being able to create a supportive environment for participants as they navigate “adulting” with diabetes. She is a “Triple Trojan” having earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in occupational therapy at USC. Gabby is passionate about expanding occupational therapy services to underrepresented client populations.