The Human Factors Center of Excellence Team
Sarah Parker, PhD
Human Factors Research Advisor, Carilion Clinic
Chair, Health Systems and Implementation Science, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Associate Professor of Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech
separker@vtc.vt.edu
Sarah Parker, PhD, has more than 10 years of experience applying human factors and industrial/organizational psychology principles to healthcare. Dr. Parker received her BA in psychology from Wittenberg University and her MA in human factors and applied cognition from George Mason University. Prior to pursuing her doctoral degree, she worked at Mayo Clinic, applying human factors principles to various inpatient quality and safety challenges. She worked specifically with the division of Cardiac Surgery as a human factors researcher, developing multiple safety interventions specifically designed for the cardiac OR.
She received her PhD from the University of Aberdeen, developing and validating the Surgeons' Leadership Inventory. She was a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellow, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, focusing on team coordination during trauma resuscitation.
Dr. Parker is currently working on multiple projects focused on utilizing innovative measurement techniques in situ and in simulation. Her research has been funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the state of Washington, among others. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences and published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on human factors and patient safety. Most importantly, Sarah and her husband, Michael, are parents to three wonderful kids: Layla, Jack and Miles.
Adam Probst, PhD
Director of Human Factors Implementation, Carilion Clinic
caprobst@carilionclinic.org
C. Adam Probst, PhD, MS, CPPS has more than 17 years of experience in the operational application of Human Factors in healthcare. He received his PhD in Human Factors / Cognitive Engineering from Wichita State University. He also holds a Masters in Healthcare Leadership and Management from the University of Texas at Dallas and was named one of the Marquis Who’s Who in America in 2025.
Dr. Probst is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety awarded by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement. He has published multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has presented at both national and international conferences. His interests include improving the clinical worksystem in order to facilitate the safe and efficient delivery of care for both patients and staff.
Yuhao Peng
Human Factors Consultant, Carilion Clinic
ypeng@carilionclinic.org
Yuhao received his MS in industrial engineering, with a specialization in human factors and statistics, from Purdue University. During his time at Purdue, he derived quantifiable objective communication metrics in clinical settings to predict healthcare professionals' performance; he also has experience in evaluating the workplace and solve related ergonomic problems in manufacturing settings.
Yuhao specializes in workload and human-centered design. He is passionate about improving work environments, human-system interactions and making meaningful impacts on patients and healthcare professionals.
In his free time, you can find him either hiking, traveling or drinking bubble tea.
Harsh Sanghavi
Human Factors Consultant, Carilion Clinic
hksanghavi@carilionclinic.org
Harsh received his MS in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech, with a focus on human factors engineering and ergonomics. While at Virginia Tech, he worked at the Mind, Music, and Machine Lab to help evaluate the usability and the user experience of in-vehicle user interfaces in automated vehicles. His research interests have allowed him to work on automated vehicles, user interface design, affect, human-computer interaction, computer-supported collaborative work and human-centered design.
Harsh's work with the team involves conducting usability studies on products, software and systems used by Carilion Clinic; ethnographic observations of healthcare workers; and using human factors principles to improve processes, patient safety and the quality of care. He also specializes in performance and aesthetics.
Outside of work, Harsh enjoys playing tennis, cooking and watching football.
Whitney DeLong
Program Manager, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
whit7243@vtc.vt.edu
Whitney DeLong has been an employee of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC since May 2015. She received her BA in psychology with a minor in business from Hollins University. Her interest in psychology drives her to be an asset to the Human Factors team.
Whitney and her husband have three great little boys and three husky fur babies.
Nate Jones, MHA, PMP
Director of Business Strategy and Integration, Carilion Clinic
najones@carilionclinic.org
Nate joined the Human Factors team in 2021, after 6 years of working for Carilion's Accountable Care Organization as an analytics consultant. He has an undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, a masters in healthcare administration from Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University Carilion) and is a certified project management professional.
Nate's role with the Human Factors team is to identify and facilitate collaboration opportunities both internally to Carilion and with the local professional community. He also works with the Center for Simulation Research and Patient Safety at Carilion, as well as the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Nate is a lifelong Liverpool Football Club supporter.
Emmanuel Tetteh, PhD
Sr. Human Factors Consultant, Carilion Clinic
etetteh@carilionclinic.org
Emmanuel Tetteh, PhD, joined Carilion as a Senior Human Factors Consultant in the fall of 2023 from Mayo Clinic. He received his PhD in Industrial Systems Engineering (Human Factors) from Iowa State University, and a Masters in Bioengineering from North Carolina A&T.
Dr. Tetteh has extensive experience in Occupational Biomechanics, maximizing performance while minimizing the risk of injury as humans interact with tools and systems in healthcare.
Outside of work, Dr. Tetteh enjoys playing and watching soccer.
