Building Lifestyle and Optimal Outcomes for Mothers: BLOOM
The BLOOM lab is dedicated to advancing research that improves mothers’ cardiometabolic profiles and pregnancy outcomes during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Our work focuses on improving healthy lifestyle behaviors through behavioral science, digital health/wearable technology, and community-engaged approaches for diverse high-risk mothers.
We are particularly focused on racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse populations, including Asian women, immigrant communities, and women living in rural areas who are at risk for pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. Through interdisciplinary research, community engagement, and innovative approaches to prevention and care, we aim to develop practical, culturally responsive solutions that empower mothers, improve pregnancy and postpartum experiences, and help bridge gaps in care for diverse families across the life course.
Our Mission
To bridge gaps in care for high-risk pregnant and postpartum individuals with diverse backgrounds.
Our Vision
To provide continuous, accessible, and individualized culturally sensitive care to promote health for diverse pregnant and postpartum individuals.
Our Key Capabilities and Approaches
Lifestyle Intervention Development
Topics include:
- Applying behavioral science frameworks to develop and test evidence-based interventions focused on nutrition, physical activity, self-management, and other healthy lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy and postpartum.
Maternal Health Outcomes Research
Topics include:
- Investigating factors that influence pregnancy experiences, birth outcomes, maternal well-being, and long-term cardiometabolic health. Applying epidemiologic methods to understand patterns, determinants, and disparities in maternal and cardiometabolic health across diverse populations.
Cardiometabolic health research
Topics include:
- Investigating the prevention and management of cardiometabolic conditions across the maternal life course to improve health outcomes, especially diabetes.
Wearable technology & Digital Health
Topics include:
- Leveraging wearable technologies to monitor health decisions, collect real-time data, and enhance the development and evaluation of maternal health interventions.
- Developing and evaluating technology-enabled strategies, including mobile health tools, to support maternal health and chronic disease prevention and management.
Translation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Topics include:
- Partnering across nursing, public health, medicine, and community organizations to translate research findings into meaningful improvements in maternal healthcare practice.
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
Topics include:
- Applying rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to understand complex maternal health challenges and generate evidence that informs research, practice, and policy.
Meet the BLOOM Lab Team
Shuyuan Huang, PhD, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor & Lab Director
Huang is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing.
She earned her Ph.D. in Nursing from the Yale School of Nursing and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Emory University.
Prior to joining UTK, she completed a Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship at the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Dr. Huang’s research focuses on women’s health, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), cardiometabolic diseases, digital health, lifestyle behaviors, and health disparities.
Her program of research aims to advance clinical care through continuous, accessible, and culturally relevant digital health interventions for diverse pregnant and postpartum individuals with gestational diabetes. Through this work, she seeks to improve both short-term pregnancy outcomes and long-term cardiometabolic health.
Halle Grace Williams
Undergraduate Nursing Honors Student
Halle Grace Williams is a senior undergraduate nursing student in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
She is interested in women’s health, maternal health, diabetes prevention, and cardiometabolic health. As an undergraduate researcher, her work with Dr. Huang focuses on understanding how postpartum sleep may influence long-term diabetes risk among Chinese American women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus.
Outside of her academics, Halle Grace enjoys connecting and spending time with her friends and family, exercising, and doing craft projects.
Meet the BLOOM Lab Alumni
Zach Suttle
Graduate Student Researcher
Suttle is a Masters student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he applies exercise physiology principles to study human performance, sport injury mechanisms, wearable technology and its application to sport.
His academic and professional interests involve exercise interventions to community-based populations, adherence to exercise programs, and work with military and tactical athlete populations.
Outside of his research, Zach serves as a Certified Personal Trainer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Recreation Center, and graduate assistant to the Applied Exercise Physiology Community Outreach Program. His work here consists of providing and conducting exercise programs on individuals seeking additional understanding of general fitness, health, and exercise.
Iyanuoluwa Oyedeji Oyetunji, MS
Graduate Student Researcher
Iyanuoluwa Oyetunji is a PhD candidate in Community Nutrition at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
His research focuses on diet-related chronic disease prevention, health disparities, lifestyle behaviors, and community-based health interventions. He is particularly interested in translating research into practical, evidence-based strategies that improve population health and expand access to preventive care.
Originally from Nigeria, Iyanuoluwa has lived and studied in Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States, experiences that have shaped his perspective on global health, health equity, and developing culturally responsive interventions for diverse populations.
Selected Projects
The LOTUS Study – Leveraging Online Teaching Kitchens for cUlturally Tailored Comprehensive Nutrition Care among Chinese American Women with GeStational Diabetes (Launch soon)
24-Hour Activity and Cardiometabolic Health in Chinese American Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes (Enrollment closed)
Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior of Chinese Immigrants in the US with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Enrollment closed)
Contact Us
For general inquiries contact [email protected].
The BLOOM lab investigates how healthy lifestyle behaviors (including diet and 24-hour movement behaviors) during pregnancy and postpartum influence pregnancy and cardiometabolic outcomes, and designs innovative, culturally relevant interventions that help mothers thrive.
