Research Expertise

• Health and Cancer Communications with diverse populations

• Technology for health promotion and informed decision making in aging adults

• Smart and connected health

Background

Professor Shaun Owens joined the faculty of the College of Social Work in 2014, where he is also director for the Healthy Aging Research and Technology (HART) Lab. The lab focuses on community-led development and evaluation of translational, technology-based solutions to help older adults make informed health decisions that will enable them to age in place. He also serves as the associate director for strategy and innovation for the SmartHOME Center for Economic Excellence whose mission is to help seniors maintain independent mobility inside the home. Prior to joining the College of Social Work, he was a research coordinator for the Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program. 
 
Owens’ research interests are investigating creative strategies for promoting health and cancer equity through strategic communications with diverse populations, developing and/ or evaluating technology for health promotion and informed decision making in aging adults, and leveraging smart and connected health for supporting affordable/accessible housing for supporting aging-in-place. Owens is currently a co-principal investigator on three grants (one external) to support the development and feasibility testing of an app that employs culturally-appropriate and mindful strategies to help alleviate lung cancer symptoms. In addition, Owens is co-investigator (along with private investigator Professor Sue Levkoff) on a National Institute for Aging-funded grant to establish the South Carolina Advancing Diversity in Aging Research undergraduate program.    
 
Owens recent publications focus on the investigation of technology for cancer decision making. He has co-authored scientific journal articles on topics including, the recruitment of African-American men for a prostate cancer education program, the iterative development of a computer-based decision aid for prostate cancer and building an evidence base for promoting informed prostate cancer screening. His publications have been featured in scholarly journals, including Qualitative Social Work, Ethnicity & Disease, the American Journal of Health Education, and the Journal of Medical Internet Research. 
Owens received his Master of Public, Health Management and Policy from the Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta. He earned his Ph.D. in health promotion, education and behavior from the University of South Carolina.