The Center's Research Services allow healthcare organizations, the design industry and product manufacturers access to vast research resources and a top-notch research team. Covering a wide spectrum of needs from complete, customized research studies to simpler research needs, or on-call expertise, consultation and advice on how to implement research into facility design, CHD’s Research Advisory Services can be utilized for any healthcare facility planning, design and construction initiatives.
The Center's team of experienced researchers can provide accessible and affordable research expertise and support when you need it most. From literature scans to research guidance and custom tool development, our research team will help you add crediblity to any project.
Ellen Taylor, PhD, AIA, MBA, EDAC, Vice President for Research
Ellen Taylor brings more than 30 years of experience in architecture, research, and business to leading The Center’s research team. She is a registered architect and member of the AIA who was recognized by Healthcare Design as the HCD10 Researcher in 2017, an award recognizing significant contributions to the industry. A nationally and internationally recognized writer and speaker, she has led numerous grant-funded research programs and published numerous peer-reviewed papers. Ellen has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning, Global Executive MBA degrees from Columbia University and London Business School, and a PhD in design, patient safety and human factors from Loughborough University in England. She serves as the Vice Chair for the FGI Health Guidelines Revisions Committee, on the Editorial Advisory Boards of the Health Environments Research & Design (HERD) Journal and American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), and she was the 2022 President of the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health.
Melissa Piatkowski, MS, EDAC, Research Associate
For the past 20 years, Melissa has dedicated her career to exploring the connection between design and health. As a Research Associate with The Center for Health Design, she is a proud to work with her fellow “geeks” on developing tools and resources intended to support evidence-based design. She leads The Center’s Just Health Design group, a task force committed to moving the healthcare design field forward towards a more just, diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.
Prior to joining The Center for Health Design, Melissa led Evidence-Based Design efforts at Davis Partnership Architects and Huelat Davis Healing Design. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in environmental psychology from Cornell University.
Addie Abushousheh, PhD, Assoc. AIA, EDAC, Research Associate
Addie Abushousheh is a gerontologist, researcher, and consultant for organizational and environmental development in long-term care. She explores cultural and bio-psycho-social perspectives, organizational structures and processes, physical environments, workforce models, and regulatory and financial frameworks in relation to decision making, resource management, and quality improvement. With combined expertise in architecture, organizational development, aging and applied research, Addie is uniquely positioned to advance comprehensive and translational agendas related to quality assessment and performance improvement within the continuum of care. In addition to consultation and research, Addie publishes and presents regularly and serves in a review and advisory capacity to industry organizations.
Yolanda Keys, PhD, DHA, RN, NEA-BC, EDAC, Research Associate
Yolanda Keys is a registered nurse and brings over 25 years of nursing experience that has included roles as a clinician, leader and academician. With doctorates in healthcare administration and nursing, her research focuses on nurse leaders and healthy work environments – especially the built environment. She is an active member of the Nursing Institute for Health Design (NIHD), serving as president in 2017 and acting as an NIHD liaison for The Center’s Knowledge Repository for many years. She brings a clinical perspective to the research team, as well as a deep understanding of the important contribution nurses can have during planning and design.
Alan J. Card, PhD, MPH, Research Associate
As a Research Associate with The Center for Health Design, Dr. Card has been invaluable in several special projects including the development of the CHD online Safety Risk Assessment and a systematic review investigating the impact of single-patient rooms. He also serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and is the former Editor of the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. His research tackles questions related to quality, safety, risk, and well-being in healthcare, with a particular focus on improving how healthcare organizations improve. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge in England, an MPH from the University of South Florida, and professional certifications in healthcare quality and healthcare risk management