Experts
Kati is a postdoctoral associate in the department of Design and Environmental Analysis. Kati received a Ph.D. in human behavior and design from Cornell University in 2019. She previously received a B.A. in psychology from St Mary's College of Maryland, where she completed a capstone thesis on infusion pump keypad design. Her previous experience investigating alarm fatigue at Johns Hopkins Hospital sparked her interest in design research in healthcare settings.
At Cornell, her research aims to improve health facilities from vulnerable populations, including adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. After leading a run from San Francisco to Baltimore in summer 2016 with the Ulman Cancer Fund, Kati noticed that AYA patients were often treated in pediatric settings with little access to peer support. Her research investigates the influence of the built environment on social support and quality of life for young people with cancer. This research study won Kati the 2018 New Investigator Award offered by The Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition.
At Cornell, her research aims to improve health facilities from vulnerable populations, including adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. After leading a run from San Francisco to Baltimore in summer 2016 with the Ulman Cancer Fund, Kati noticed that AYA patients were often treated in pediatric settings with little access to peer support. Her research investigates the influence of the built environment on social support and quality of life for young people with cancer. This research study won Kati the 2018 New Investigator Award offered by The Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition.
Brian is a behavioral health planner and architect with leading healthcare design firm HDR. He has a deep understanding of current research and trends in behavioral health design and uses his expertise to create innovative, research-based solutions that improve the patient experience in mental health environments. Brian has served as the behavioral health expert on numerous projects around the world, holding roles in planning, design, and consulting for inpatient, outpatient, community, and educational facilities, guiding project teams towards improved outcomes in behavioral health environments.
At HDR, Brian leads the behavioral health design studio, introducing current trends and design strategies to a broader HDR team and works with smaller focus groups to discuss and develop strategies to improve the mental healthcare environment for patients and staff. Brian has presented on the topic of mental health at multiple conferences around the country, including the Healthcare Design Conference and the Institute for Patient-Centered Design Innovation Summit where he presented his team’s award winning behavioral health patient room design. In addition to building design, Brian works with manufacturers to design and evaluate furniture and accessories for behavioral health environments, focusing on improved safety, comfort, functionality, and aesthetics. He was also recently selected to participate in the FGI 2022 Health Guidelines Revision Committee focusing on behavioral health design in the emergency department.
Brian enjoys finding opportunities to share his passion and expertise with the next generation of architects and designers in his local community. He has served as a design critic and juror for multiple design studios focused on mental health, mentors architecture students at the University of Minnesota, and leads student teams during an annual weekend-long design charrette focused on supportive housing solutions in the community.
Brian believes if all stakeholders work together toward a collective vision we can improve the experience and outcomes of all individuals struggling with mental illness.
At HDR, Brian leads the behavioral health design studio, introducing current trends and design strategies to a broader HDR team and works with smaller focus groups to discuss and develop strategies to improve the mental healthcare environment for patients and staff. Brian has presented on the topic of mental health at multiple conferences around the country, including the Healthcare Design Conference and the Institute for Patient-Centered Design Innovation Summit where he presented his team’s award winning behavioral health patient room design. In addition to building design, Brian works with manufacturers to design and evaluate furniture and accessories for behavioral health environments, focusing on improved safety, comfort, functionality, and aesthetics. He was also recently selected to participate in the FGI 2022 Health Guidelines Revision Committee focusing on behavioral health design in the emergency department.
Brian enjoys finding opportunities to share his passion and expertise with the next generation of architects and designers in his local community. He has served as a design critic and juror for multiple design studios focused on mental health, mentors architecture students at the University of Minnesota, and leads student teams during an annual weekend-long design charrette focused on supportive housing solutions in the community.
Brian believes if all stakeholders work together toward a collective vision we can improve the experience and outcomes of all individuals struggling with mental illness.
Sachs, N., Shepley, M., Peditto, K., Hankinson, M.T., Giebink, B., Thompson, T. (2019). Health Environments Research & Design Journal. DOI: 10.1177/1937586719856349
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