HPRC Team

Sahaja Surapaneni is a mental and spiritual education specialist for CHAMP. Her subject-matter expertise includes positive psychology, resilience, and spirituality. Sahaja translates basic and clinical research to create culturally appropriate, evidence-based educational resources and training programs in positive and performance psychology. Sahaja has taught general psychology to undergraduate students. Her research experience includes studying Veterans and people undergoing trauma. 

Education:

• Bachelor of Science (BS), Psychology, University of Rhode Island 
• Bachelor of Arts (BA), Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island

Accomplishments:

• Conducted research study on consumerist tendencies and world beliefs for the University of Pennsylvania’s Primals Project. 
• Led a grant-funded, behavioral healthcare project at Thrive Behavioral Health to produce positive and lasting behavior change in adults.

Stacy Cappadona is a performance dietitian and the content lead for Nutritional Fitness at HPRC. She develops educational materials to promote and enhance human performance through nutritional fitness for all Service Members. As a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Stacy translates and applies evidence-based nutrition strategies to optimize physical and mental performance of tactical athletes—such as those who work in the military in jobs that require physical fitness. Stacy has years of experience working directly with Service Members, embedded in tactical human performance teams

Education:

• Master of Science (MS) in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition, Florida State University
• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Exercise Science, Florida State University

Relevant accomplishments:

• Registered Dietitian (RD)
• Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
   

Tiana Hertenstein is a clinical research associate for HPRC. She oversees physical fitness content for the HPRC website and develops educational materials to help Service Members optimize their physical fitness performance. A strength and conditioning coach, Tiana has worked with all levels of athletes from collegiate, professional, and Olympic competitors to the military population. She has more than a decade of experience working in the special operations community as a part of a holistic human performance team.

Education: 

• Master of Science (MS) in Sports Medicine—Strength and Conditioning, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Exercise Science—Strength and Conditioning, Appalachian State University

Accomplishments:

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

Tim Gribbin is HPRC’s Senior Scientist for Exercise Physiology, who oversees HPRC’s Physical Fitness domain. He develops educational materials to promote and enhance Service Members’ physical fitness. Mr. Gribbin was a research associate and laboratory manager of CHAMP’s Injury Prevention Research Laboratory, assisting with military basic and secondary training studies. As a certified athletic trainer and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist®, he has expertise in musculoskeletal injury prevention and rehabilitation, as well as injury prevention implementation in military training environments.

Education:

• Master of Education (MEd), University of Virginia
• Bachelor of Science (BS), Univeristy of Connecticut

Relevant accomplishments:

• Certified athletic trainer (ATC)
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

Published articles include:

• A systematic review of the association between physical fitness and musculoskeletal injury risk: Part 1—Cardiorespiratory endurance
• Systematic review of the association between physical fitness and musculoskeletal injury risk: Part 2—Muscular endurance and muscular strength
• Systematic review of the association between physical fitness and musculoskeletal injury risk: Part 3-Flexibility, power, speed, balance, and agility

Whitney Tramel oversees content for the HPRC website. She helps to develop and coordinate educational resources and curricula related to each area of Total Force Fitness. As a strength and conditioning coach and researcher within tactical populations, she develops and implements research-based practices related to optimizing all areas of human performance for Service Members.

Education:

• Master of Science (MS) in Sports Medicine – Strength and Conditioning, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Movement Science/Kinesiology, Texas Christian University

Published articles include

• Performance under stress—Implications for tactical personnel
• Does mental and visual skills training improve high-value target identification and marksmanship among elite soldiers
• Associations between absolute and relative lower body strength to measures of power and change of direction speed in Division II Female Volleyball Players