Developing stress-aware environments that support well-being through evidence-based, human-centered AI.
WHO WE ARE
Clarence Gardener, PhD(c) is the founder of Social Health Researchers, a multidisciplinary research and innovation group examining how human experience shapes health, well-being, and performance. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Public Health whose work investigates the therapeutic value of aesthetic environments, positioning multi-sensory experience, perception, and emotional response as determinants of health.
He is the originator of the IRB-approved Aesthetic Determinants of Health (ADOH) and Aesthetic Determinants of Stress (ADOS) frameworks (IRB #07-25-25-1042763), which integrate experimental phenomenology, public health, and behavioral science to systematically study how sensory and environmental conditions influence stress regulation, attention, and cognitive-emotional states. This research extends into human-centered AI, informing the design of stress-aware, adaptive systems that treat aesthetic and experiential variables as actionable inputs for intelligent environments. Through applied concepts such as AI-Regulated Aesthetic Environments (AIRE) and Adaptive Aesthetic Intelligence (AAI), Gardener’s work explores how AI can dynamically evaluate and modulate sensory conditions to support human regulation, resilience, and well-being. Leading multidisciplinary teams across research, design, and technology, he provides original conceptual and theoretical frameworks that guide the creative design, development, and construction of large-scale projects in hospitality, entertainment, real estate, and themed environments—each grounded in reducing stress and improving human experience.
In addition to his research leadership, Gardener maintains an active creative practice. He partnered as the exclusive U.S. distributor for the award-winning Holophony loudspeaker system, recognized by High Fidelity Magazine as “Best Product of the Year” from 2016–2018. He is also a composer and abstract painter, using music and visual art as experiential systems to explore perception, emotion, and meaning within immersive environments.
Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, Public Health, Walden University
C.A.S., Expressive Therapies, Lesley University
Executive M.B.A., University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business
B.M., Berklee College of Music (Berklee Achievement Scholarship Recipient)
Monzella Saunders Owings is a consultant to Social Health Researchers. She is the President and COO of Integrity Title & Escrow Company and a real estate attorney that has closed several high-profile commercial real estate development projects in Maryland, including the $221 million Harbor Point Development’s Exelon Building; the $170 million relocation of the Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene public health lab to the Johns Hopkins Biotech Park; the $107 million Magic Johnson commercial development in the Charles Village community in Baltimore; and land acquisition, development financing or refinancing for multiple senior housing projects.
Education:
J.D., George Washington University National Law Center
B.S., Political Science, University of Maryland College Park
Krzysztof Radulski is the owner of Studio RR Plus, bringing over 30 years of experience in the design and delivery of sustainable residential, commercial, and industrial environments. His work includes eco-conscious single-family homes, large-scale industrial facilities, and assets collectively valued at over $100 million. He has led the design of a wide range of residential and commercial projects, including healthcare retail, financial institutions, hospitality, and food service environments, with a consistent focus on durability, environmental performance, and lifecycle impact. With extensive construction-phase experience, he specializes in low-impact and bio-based building systems, including clay and straw-based construction (strawbale) and hemp-lime composite materials (hempcrete). His practice integrates sustainable material selection, energy efficiency, and ecological responsibility to support resilient, environmentally responsive built environments.
Education:
M.S., Architecture, Bialystok University - Institute of Architecture
M.S., Engineering, Bialystok University School of Technology
Agnieszka Gzyl is an award winning architect, painter, and interior designer, most recently winning the 2017 Dubai, UAE Global Art Award for "Mixed Media Artist of the Year." She has managed commercial assets valued at over $800 million. She has 17 years experience as Head Asset Management/Interior Architect, member of designing teams responsible for rebuilding, refurbishment, repositioning, and extension of over 500,000 sqm of commercial spaces in Poland: shopping centers and office buildings owned by French and Austrian real estate funds.
Education:
Ph.D., Housing and Shops Interior Architecture, Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź
M.S., Economy, SGH Warsaw School of Economics