PFL Team
Staci Stevens, MA
Email
Founding Executive Director of the Pacific Fatigue Laboratory
Staci Stevens holds a bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine from the University of the Pacific and a master's degree from Pacific in Exercise Physiology. Ms. Stevens has served on the Department of Health and Human Services Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee and developed continuing education curricula for CFS in conjunction with the CDC for physical therapists and other allied healthcare professionals. She has directed several research projects and supervised testing for clinical trials. Her clinical experience is in disability evaluation, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and prescribing activity management programs for patients with chronic fatigue/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Collaborative projects include work with DePaul University's Center for Community Research, Stanford University, Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., Ithaca College and the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuroimmune Disease. Her primary research interest is in functionally characterizing CFS/ME and improving quality of life for patients with the illness.
Jared Stevens, BS Email
Clinical Coordinator
Jared Stevens graduated from Sonoma State University with a degree in Business Administration. While attending school, he worked at Workwell Physiology Services and became involved in clinical trials. During this time, he traveled the country to perform exercise tests on patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Jared is certified as an EKG technician and currently holds the position of clinical coordinator for the Pacific Fatigue Laboratory. He is responsible for scheduling and performing cardiopulmonary exercise testing as well as supervision of the lab, its research projects and students.
Pacific Faculty
Christopher R. Snell, Ph.D. Email
Professor and Chair, Sport Sciences
Dr. Chris Snell is a native of Nottingham England and earned a doctorate in exercise and movement science from the University of Oregon, Eugene. Currently he teaches courses in motor control and learning, and exercise psychology. His research interests center on the functional aspects of CFS/ME, particularly as they relate to quality of life issues. Dr. Snell has both published and presented on this and other topics related to CFS/ME. He is presently part of a research team that uses exercise testing to evaluate physiological and cognitive functioning in persons with fatiguing illnesses, focusing principally on metabolic processes. In May 2010, Dr. Snell was appointed to chair the 
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
J. Mark VanNess, Ph.D Email
Associate Professor, Sport Sciences
Dr. Mark VanNess received his doctorate in neuroscience from Florida State University in 1997 and did post-doctoral work in the department of pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He teaches classes in the College of the Pacific in exercise science and nutrition, and in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences he teaches biology for engineers. He began working on CFS in 1999. His main research interest is on the role of the autonomic nervous system in immune dysfunction. He has a particular interest in the mechanisms that produce post-exertional malaise in women with CFS, especially as they contribute to physical and cognitive dysfunction.
Margaret (Peg) E. Ciccolella, Ed.D., J.D. Email
Professor, Sport Sciences
Dr. Peg Ciccolella received her doctorate with an emphasis in exercise physiology and health sciences from Brigham Young University in 1978. In 1993, she completed a J.D. and was admitted to the California Bar Association. She teaches primarily in the sports medicine track with additional assignments in sports law and higher educational law. Her interest in chronic fatigue syndrome research specifically focuses on reconciling the issue of what constitutes an "abnormal stress test" from both legal and physiological perspectives.
Brian Moore, M.Ed, ATC Email
Assistant Professor, Sport Sciences
Brian received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Loyola Marymount University in 1998 and his M.Ed in Athletic Training two years later from the University of Virginia. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Applied Physiology in the Sport Sciences Department and is in the process of completing his doctoral dissertation at the University of California at Davis, examining the effects of exposure to common air pollutants and irritants on lung function and development. Prior to coming to the University of the Pacific, Brian served as the head athletic trainer and adjunct lecturer at the University of San Francisco. He is also the former coordinator of the Excellence in Athletics Program and orthopedic research adjunct at USC University Hospital in Los Angeles.
Todd E. Davenport PT, DPT, OCS Email
Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy (Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences)
Dr. Todd Davenport is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and completed a post-graduate Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties recognizes Dr. Davenport as a board certified specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. He is a past clinical research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where he studied issues related to physical testing in individuals with fatiguing illnesses. His research interests broadly include the identification of best practices in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disability related to musculoskeletal pathology. His current research explores which interventions are optimal for individuals with long-standing symptoms, such as chronic fatigue and foot pain, as well as the psychological implications of wellness and disability. He serves as Editorial Review Board Member for the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, and reviewer for Manual Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Arthritis and Rheumatism. Dr. Davenport is active in the American Physical Therapy Association, and he is a past recipient of several distinguished teaching and publication awards.
James Eason, Ph.D. Email
Assistant Professor, Bioengineering (School of Engineering and Computer Science)
Dr. James Eason earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University. He was the founder and leader of a research team that developed a widely cited virtual heart model. This computational model has been used by Dr. Eason and collaborators around the world to study the onset and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. More recently, Dr. Eason has been involved in efforts to characterize an individual's autonomic response to stress and exercise using heart rate variability and other noninvasive techniques.
Medical Supervisors
Beth McManis, NP, CNM, Ph.D
Director of Health Services
Dr. McManis graduated from UCSF with a MS in Nursing and a certificate in Midwifery and Women's Health. Prior to switching to nursing, she earned a Ph.D and MS from University of Georgia and Cal State Fullerton, respectively, in Physical Education/Exercise Science. She joined Pacific Health Services in July 2009 after practicing in women's health for several years. She enjoys taking care of students from all three campuses at the health center.
Dr. Edwin Swillinger, M.D.
Dr. Edwin Swillinger obtained his MD degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. After graduation, he interned at Los Angeles County Hospitals then became a medical resident at San Francisco General Hospital, followed by one year at San Francisco Veterans Hospital. His final two years of medical residency spent at San Joaquin General Hospital. Dr. Swillinger practiced general medicine in Stockton for forty years and retired in 1999. Since retirement, he has work in the medical library at St. Joseph's Hospital and in the clinic at St. Mary's Homeless Center in Stockton, CA. He was a Visiting Scholar for eight years at Stanford University and also served as a Commissioner for the California Medical Board in the licensing division. He is a co-author with Martin Gipson Ph.D and Terry Liskevych Ph.D of Managing your Health Care.
Student Involvement
Matthew Council, B.S.
Graduate Assistant
Matthew graduated from the University of California at Davis in 2011 with a B.S. in Exercise Biology. In the fall of 2011, he started his graduate studies at the University of the Pacific, pursuing a Master's of Arts in Sport Sciences. He is currently the graduate assistant for the Pacific Fatigue Laboratory and is also a teaching assistant in Sports Medicine.
Benjamin Larson
Undergraduate Work-Study Student
Benjamin Larson is currently a senior at the University of the Pacific and will be graduating in the Spring of 2012 with an B.A. in Sports Medicine. He plans to attend physical therapy school soon after graduation.
Undergraduate and graduate students have undertaken research projects through the lab and have volunteered to work in the lab on a regular basis. If you would like to get involved, please contact Staci Stevens or Dr. Chris Snell.