Dr. John P. Barrett
President and Founder
Founded by visionary orthopedic surgeon John Barrett, M.D., ARIA is dedicated to finding the cure for the next generation. “A future without osteoarthritis for our children, grandchildren and beyond is a precious gift we can start giving them now,” says Dr. Barrett.

Michele Barrett
Executive Director
Michele Barret is a graduate of the University of Florida and has worked with ARIA as their executive director from 2003-2006. With her background in communications and strategic business development, she has returned to lead the research and volunteer team.

Dr. Paul Leaverton
Acting Director of Research
Paul E. Leaverton received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Statistics from Iowa State University. He has held faculty positions at the University of Colorado (assistant professor), and the University of Iowa (associate professor and professor). He was also professor and founding chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida (USF) in 1985. He retired from USF in 2001 and is now professor emeritus. Leaverton was a member of the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. He was also Associate Director for Research at the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, MD, from 1974-1980, and later served as Deputy (then Acting) Director for Epidemiology and Biometry at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in Bethesda, MD. He has authored or co-authored four books on epidemiology and biostatistics and has published over 100 research articles. Leaverton is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is past president of the American Epidemiological Society. More

Emmeline Sangeorzan
Emmeline received her BS in Mathematics from Arizona State University and is a current Biostatistics student at the University of South Florida (USF). Emmeline has assisted in several projects involving oesteoarthritis as the outcome measure and plays an important role in producing collaborative research for ARIA. More

Dr. John Barrett, President and Founder
Dr. Barrett is the President and Founder of ARIA and is Director of the Florida Knee and Orthopedic Centers. He is a retired orthopedic surgeon with over 30 years of experience treating osteoarthritis.

Ed Farina, PT, MBA, PhD, Board Chairman
Farina is a longtime member of the board who has served as ARIA’s treasurer. He is the president and owner of Progressive Rehabilitation Agency, Inc., as well as the vice president of Sarasota Therapy Centers. Farina is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Florida Physical Therapy Association. His research has been published in the peer-reviewed journals Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Michele Barrett, Director & Secretary

Cheryl "Dee Dee" Cornelius, Director

Joe Baker, Director

Dr. Robert Anderson, Director
Dr. Anderson received his bachelor's degree in Finance from Southern Illinois University, an MS in Marketing from Southern Illinois University, and a PhD in Marketing and Finance from the University of North Texas. He joined the faculty of the University of South Florida College of Business Administration in 1971. In 1989, Dr. Anderson was appointed Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and research, and in 1996, became Dean of the College of Business Administration. In 2006, Dr. Anderson retired as Dean and was appointed by the President and Provost as Dean Emeritus. At that time, Carol and Frank Morsani endowed the Robert L. Anderson Professorship in Global Business Strategy in his name. Dr. Anderson's areas of academic specialty are Marketing Research, Marketing Management, and Promotion Management. Most of his research has been in the areas of consumer behavior and promotion. Recently, his research and writing has been in the adoption and diffusion of technology of technology in consumer markets. He is a co-author of a textbook entitled Advertising Management: Text and Cases. Dr. Anderson has published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Journal of Business Research and has presented professional papers at the annual conferences of the American Marketing Association, Decision Sciences, Academy of Advertising, Acade+my of Marketing Science and Southern Marketing Association. He is recently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of University Community Health, Inc., which is a regional network of five hospitals located in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, and serves as President of Unitrust, a management services organization for health care delivery systems. He serves on the Board of directors of Transamerica Index Mutual Funds.

Dr. Lissa Fahlman, D.C., M.S.P.H., Epidemiologist

Frances V. Wilder, PhD
Senior Epidemiologist
Dr. Frances Vaughn Wilder worked with ARIA for more than past nine years. Her professionalism is exemplary, with 21 peer-reviewed publications. Under her auspices, ARIA entered into an affiliation with the University of South Florida School of Public Health. Additionally, Dr. Wilder has presented ARIA's work at professional meetings around the country and internationally.

TREAT-OA CONSORTIUM: United Kingdom based Kings College osteoarthritis scientific team partnering with ARIA's research team on OA genetic research.

Osteoarthritis (OA)
Osteoarthritis Patients Suggested to Wear Flat Shoes
Pressure on the knees is the main factor that triggers the development of osteoarthritis... More

Bring Out the Flip-Flops and Sneakers, Better for Osteoarthritis
A key risk factor for development of osteoarthritis, which affects approximately 27 million people in the United States alone, is loading on the knee joints ... More

Hope For Those With Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
ou may be surprised to learn that osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a leading cause of disability in the United States... More