SPPARKL Lab Staff

William Black, PhD, HSP
Principal Investigator
william.black@NationwidecChildrens.org

William Black, PhD, HSP, is a principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Medical Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine and Department of Psychology at The Ohio State University. Dr. Black is a licensed clinical health psychologist and credentialed Health Service Psychologist (HSP).

Dr. Black obtained his master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology - with a Health Emphasis - from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Black completed his clinical residency in Pediatric Psychology at Nemours Children's Health - Wilmington, Delaware, followed by a research-intensive fellowship in pediatric pain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center.

Dr. Black is a member of the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP), the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and APA Division 54 - Society of Pediatric Psychology.

Dr. Black's research is focused on identifying and targeting modifiable factors that impact functioning, pain perception and pain treatment outcomes in patients with pediatric chronic pain through the design and implementation of behavioral interventions. 

Adam Hively, MPH
Clinical Research Program Coordinator and Project Manager
Adam.Hively@NationwideChildrens.org

Adam Hively, MPH, earned his master’s of public health from Temple University and serves as the program coordinator for the SPPARKL Lab at Nationwide Children’s, where he supports research focused on pain, physical activity and resilience in pediatric populations. His path to clinical research has been shaped by a diverse set of experiences grounded in a commitment to improving health outcomes.

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Adam led the in-person component of a 33-site, nationwide trauma recovery study that enrolled nearly 3,000 participants. The study utilized continuous, multi-modal data collection to better understand recovery trajectories following trauma, giving him extensive experience managing complex, large-scale research operations.

He later continued his work at Washington University in St. Louis in global heart failure research, where he focused on developing a novel delivery mechanism for guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). His contributions led to authorship on multiple high-impact publications, including BMJ Open, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science and JACC: Advances.

Before transitioning into research, Adam served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and is a disabled combat veteran. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys time with his wife, who is also in the medical field as an optometrist, and is often accompanied by his service dog, Lucky, who is an important part of his daily life.

Maddie Marsh
Behavioral Trials Office, Team Lead
madeline.marsh@NationwideChildrens.org

Madeline (Maddie) Marsh earned her bachelors of science in public health from Tulane University. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research examining the impact of heavy metals on human health using elemental and isotopic biomarkers and led community-engaged research examining environmental factors influencing patient experiences at reproductive healthcare facilities. Prior to joining Nationwide Children's, Maddie worked in the nonprofit sector advancing accessible and equitable healthcare, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health for underserved populations.

Maddie joined the Center for Biobehavioral Health in March 2024 and serves as team lead for the Behavioral Trials Office. In the SPPARKL Lab, she coordinates a clinical research study evaluating a resilience-based behavioral intervention designed to promote physical activity and improve functioning among children and adolescents with chronic pain. She serves as the lead interventionist for the study, delivering an evidence-informed intervention focused on pain education, resilience and physical activity.

Maddie’s research interests include patient-centered intervention development, community-engaged research and advancing inclusive research to improve health outcomes for children and adolescents.

Sarah Gray
Behavioral Trials Office, Clinical Research Coordinator I
Sarah.Gray@NationwideChildrens.org

Sarah Gray received her bachelor of arts in psychology and women’s and gender studies from Denison University. During her undergraduate studies, Sarah conducted research examining the workplace reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals and mock juror perceptions of criminal defendants wearing medical face masks during trial. She also contributed to research examining the influence of governmental policies on women’s health outcomes, and her senior thesis explored feminist perspectives in forensic psychology. Through this work, Sarah developed an interest in interdisciplinary behavioral research and the social and psychological factors that shape justice, health and well-being. Sarah has been with the Center for Biobehavioral Health since June 2026 and is also a member of the Behavioral Trials Office.

Logan Paice
Behavioral Trials Office, Senior Research Regulatory Coordinator
Logan.Paice@NationwideChildrens.org

Logan Paice earned her bachelor’s in biology with a minor in human nutrition from The Ohio State University. She started her career clinically as a medical assistant working in a high-volume outpatient dermatology clinic. She began her career in research at Nationwide Children’s in 2023. Her experience in regulatory affairs began in the Center for Gene Therapy, where she worked on regulatory development, management and close-out of sponsor-initiated trials targeting muscular dystrophy, with a focus on the Sarepta Therapeutics portfolio at Nationwide Children’s. Logan has been with the Center for Biobehavioral Health since May 2026 and is also a member of the Behavioral Trials Office.

Krista Justice
Administrative Assistant III
Krista.Justice@NationwideChildrens.org

Krista Justice is the administrative assistant for the lab, where she provides administrative support and helps keep daily operations running efficiently. She has been with Nationwide Children’s for 28 years and has spent the past four years supporting research. Krista is proud to contribute to the important work of the research team and enjoys helping others so they can focus on advancing scientific discovery.