Sahel Moein
Sahel Moein is a PhD student in Kinesiology and a graduate research assistant at the Disability, Participation, and Quality of Life (DPQoL) Research Laboratory. She earned her MSc in Exercise Science and Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2023 and her Medical (MD) degree from Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2019. At DPQoL, Sahel’s research focuses on identifying the contributing factors to falls and their consequences, assessing fall concerns and fall efficacy, and developing accessible and targeted fall prevention programs for individuals with mobility disabilities who use wheelchairs and scooters full-time. Her work aims to improve the autonomy, community participation, and quality of life for these individuals by creating more effective and inclusive interventions to prevent falls.
Andie Tangonan
Andie joined the DPQoL Laboratory in the Fall of 2023 and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Kinesiology. She received a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Sciences in 2020 and a master’s degree in Healthspan Promotion and Rehabilitation in 2023 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research experience is in sports medicine, biomechanics, and disability studies. During her undergraduate career, she worked with teenagers and children with autism to engage in building social skills and professional development skills. Her masters research focused on working with martial arts athletes and understanding their muscular endurance. In the future Andie hopes to connect her two different research backgrounds and to focus on how to promote physical activity and sports participation in individuals with disabilities.
Annika Koester
Annika joined the DPQoL Laboratory in Fall 2023 and is pursuing a Master’s in Food Science and Human Nutrition. She previously earned a Bachelor’s in Animal Sciences and a Master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois. Her research explores how cadence-based training impacts performance in elite wheelchair racers. Annika also serves as the graduate assistant for the Illinois Wheelchair Track and Road Racing Team, where she enjoys working closely with athletes both on and off the track. Her interests include developing innovative training approaches and examining the unique nutritional needs of adaptive athletes. She aims to integrate her background in kinesiology and nutrition to support health, performance, and well-being across all populations.
Stone Shi
Stone joined the DPQoL laboratory in Fall 2025 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Informatics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Industrial Design and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in New Media from UIUC in 2025. As a designer and researcher, Stone’s work centers on assistive technology, inclusive robotics, and human-computer interaction, effectively bridging physical and digital design through a commitment to human-centered thinking. His future research aims to enhance home-based fitness experiences for older adults and people with disabilities, fostering greater independence, safety, and quality of life.
Demitra Argeros
Demi joined the Disability Participation and Quality of Life (DPQOL) Research Laboratory in Spring 2026 and is currently a master’s student in the Health Technology program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences from Purdue University, where she focused on cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics. Her work draws on this background to address human factors and cognitive engineering challenges in healthcare, and she is passionate about using human-centered research and design to improve healthcare system performance, particularly by enhancing usability and accessibility for older adults and individuals with disabilities in clinical and hospital settings.