Public Health Seminar Series

When Oct 15, 2024 12:00 PM to
Oct 29, 2024 01:00 PM
Where SPHIS 103 & Teams
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The Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, housed in the School of Public Health & Information Sciences, is coordinating a new Public Health Seminar Series this semester. The seminars provide a space for sharing ideas, experience, and insights in a supportive, diverse, and collaborative setting. This type of environment is critical to our field that compels an interprofessional, multistakeholder approach.

SPHIS faculty, doctoral students, and CIK scholars/partners are invited to attend the CIK Speaker Series in-person or virtually (via Teams).

Continuing education is available for some presentations. Please check the listings below for additional information. 

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Upcoming Speakers

 

Tues., Oct. 22, 2024 -- VIRTUAL ONLY
Xi Chen, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Economics, Yale University
Topic: School Racial Segregation and Late-Life Cognition among US Older Adults

Disparities in cognition, including dementia occurrence, persist between White and Black older adults, and are possibly influenced by early educational differences stemming from structural racism. However, the relationship between school racial segregation and later-life cognition remains underexplored. Our study underscores that childhood exposure to school segregation is associated with late-life cognition, especially for Black Americans. Given the rising trend of school segregation in the US, educational policies aimed at reducing segregation are crucial to address health inequities. Clinicians can leverage patients’ early-life educational circumstances to promote screening, prevention, and management of cognitive disorders.

BIO: Xi Chen, PhD, is an associate professor of health policy and economics at Yale University. His research leverages big data in health from multiple continents, integrates causal inference, machine learning and deep learning, and epidemiological approaches to evaluate policies on population aging, life course health, and global health systems. He is an Editor at the Journal of Population Economics, a consultant at the United Nations, the World Bank, Research Fellow at IZA Institute of Labor Economics, U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Butler-Williams Scholar and Claude D. Pepper Scholar. His research funded by the NIH/NSF/USDA has produced 126 original studies that appear in major science, economics, and medical journals, such as Lancet, PNAS, JAMA, BMJ, JAERE, JEEM, JoPE, PLoS Medicine, SSM, AJAE and JEoA, recognized through numerous awards such as the Kuznets Prize and George F. Warren Award, and widely covered in global media. He is a commentator at BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and writes opinion pieces for NYT. He obtained a PhD in Applied Economics from Cornell University.


Tues., Oct. 29, 2024
Whitney Jones, MD, Gastroenterologist
Topic: Going on Offense in Colorectal Cancer Control

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) will be the number one cancer killer in the under 50 age group nationally by 2030. KY is an established national leader in increasing CRC screening participation and breaking down barriers to screening.  Yet, we continue to have the highest rate of (CRC) in the United States. A dominant factor is our disproportionate burden of early age onset (EAO) CRC, defined as under age 50. For those born after 1990, rates of colon cancer are up 200% and rates of rectal cancers are up 400%. Currently, the Commonwealth ranks 3rd nationally in under age 50 CRC incidence with 57% of advanced stage CRCs diagnosed in the KY under 50 population.  Without targeted interventions for young adults, EAO CRC rates and deaths will continue to rise. This is long overdue, pragmatic, and proactive.   

BIO: Dr. Whitney Jones is a Gastroenterologist, former therapeutic endoscopist  and Clinical Professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine from 1994 until  2017.  He currently works within the University of Louisville School of Public Health with a focus on CRC screening/prevention dissemination and implementation.   In 2003 he founded and currently works at The Colon Cancer Prevention Project https://coloncancerpreventionproject.org/ , a leading CRC information and advocacy organization focused on innovation and acceleration of evidence based screening. He created and hosts the “Cancer Fight” podcast, https://open.spotify.com/show/08v8h85XKhd5LMWNxKhU9B which highlights themes of success through his guests cancer journeys.    A major focus of the “Project” is advocacy through passing pragmatic state based laws which lower barriers to access evidence based CRC screening.  They include a funded state based CRC screening program for the uninsured/underinsured (chaired by Dr. Jones), elimination the polyp loophole for screening colonoscopies and no cost sharing for colonoscopy to evaluate a positive FIT or s-DNA test.  As of January 1, 2020, Kentucky is the first state in the nation to mandate (in addition to HBOC) no cost sharing coverage for preventative evidence-based genetic panel testing for hereditary cancers based on NCCN policy including colorectal cancers, gastric and pancreatic cancers.    These pragmatic statutes, the work of “The Project” with many partners,  have resulted in Kentucky having the lowest barriers for CRC screening in the nation. Kentucky has since more than doubled its screening rates (now 69.7%), reduced incidence by 30% and reduced colon cancer mortality by 33%.  In Kentucky for 2020 alone (vs 2000), this means 650 persons will not develop (400) or die (250) from CRC saving millions of dollars, but more importantly, lives. 


Tues., Nov. 5, 2024
Shijun You, Lehigh University
Topic: Communities in Action: Drug-Free Communities and Juvenile Drug Crime


Tues., Nov. 12, 2024
Bingjin Xue, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire
Topic: Miles Away: the Impact of Access to Abortion on Crime


Past Presenters

Tues., Oct. 15, 2024
Speaker: Rochelle Holm, PhD, Associate Professor, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, UofL School of Medicine
Topic: Wastewater and environmental surveillance in Malawi, Africa

The presentation will cover an introduction to wastewater-based epidemiology as well as cover ongoing research by the UofL in Malawi, Africa. This will be a virtual presentation.  

BIO: Rochelle H. Holm, PhD, is an associate professor with the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville. She received her doctoral degree in Environmental Science from Washington State University and has lived in Malawi for the past decade. Her current research includes wastewater surveillance supporting healthier communities across both Kentucky and Malawi.  


Tues., Sept. 24, 2024

Speaker: Shemeka Thorpe, PhD; Assistant Professor in Health Promotion, UK College of Education
Topic: A.R.T. for Hope: Examining the Experiences of Black Lesbian Couples Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies 

Over the last decade, research has shown that Black babies are twice as likely as White babies to die before their first birthday if conceived naturally and three times as likely to die if conceived by ART. Additionally, Black women using ART are significantly more likely to have miscarriages than White women. The purpose of the ART for HOPE study is 1) to reveal factors influencing Black female same-sex couples’ hope and resilience throughout their family planning process using an intersectional and Black feminist approach and 2) to explore the lived experiences, challenges, and sources of social support for these couples. 


Tues. August 27, 2024

Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP, Associate Professor, Dept. of Health Management & System Sciences, SPHIS. Associate professor
Topic: Specific Medication Literacy

Medication use is highly individualized, yet we live in a world of non-individualized care.  Because individualized monitoring of medication use is not incentivized in healthcare, and patients encounter a wide variety of care providers with variable medication literacy, the best chance for optimal medication use safety and efficacy is the empowering patient themself. Have you ever wondered what patient's medication literacy is like for each of the medications they take?  This session presents a primer on medication literacy as well as the findings of a study exploring what Dr. Antimisiaris' team labeled "specific medication literacy".  Specific medication literacy considers that two people can take the same medication, and each may require different literacy about that medication, for safe and effective use depending on their specific mix of health conditions, and other medications in use. 


Wed., April 17, 2024

Bridget Basile-Ibrahim, PhD, MA, RN, FNP-BC, Assistant Professor in Nursing, Yale School of Nursing
Harm at the Hands of the Healer: Narratives of Mistreatment and Coercion in Maternity Care
High-quality, respectful maternity care is an important birth process and outcome. In a previous study of care during pregnancy and birth after cesarean in the U.S., Dr. Basile-Ibrahim and her team found that women marginalized by race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status were more likely to experience lower quality maternity care. Using Bohren’s typology of mistreatment, this qualitative study describes these experiences in more detail and explores potential relationships with inequities in maternal birth outcomes.

Wed., Jan 10, 2024, 2024
Demetra (Dee) Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP
Anti-amyloid Drugs for Alzheimer's Disease: An atypical drug lifecycle...already
The first ever, biologic, disease modifying drugs have arrived. The Anti-amyloid therapies (ATTs) are monoclonal antibodies that remove amyloid plaques which are thought to be a major pathology in Alzheimer's dementia. And, already, ATTs have an unusual "drug lifecycle". A typical drug lifecycle involves (relatively) careful study, deliberation, and regulatory approval (FDA), and then post marketing surveillance. The first ATT was not approved by the EU Medicines Agency and was approved under a storm of controversy by the FDA with accelerated approval. Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP will use this case study to look at the implications of drug lifecycle for patients, providers, policy makers and other stake holders.

Wed., Jan 17, 2024
Wei Fu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences
Association Between Lifetime Occupational Mismatch and Cognition Decline in Later Life 
The impact of occupational mismatch—a disparity between an individual’s innate skills and job requirements—on cognitive health remains underexplored. This mismatch can manifest as either over-qualification or under-qualification and may influence cognitive health in later years. Our study aims to explore how occupational mismatch throughout one’s life affects cognitive function in later life. Utilizing data from 8,245 participants of European ancestry in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we have developed a lifetime occupational mismatch index for each individual, incorporating their entire employment history and genetic predisposition for innate non-cognitive abilities. Additionally, we conduct a Gene-Environment interaction analysis to unravel the intricate relationship between occupational mismatch and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease, and their collective impact on cognitive function in later life.  

Wed., Jan. 24, 2024
Shaminul Shakib, MPH, Doctoral Candidate and Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences
COVID-19 and Excess Mortality Among Indigenous Non-Pregnant Adult Mexicans
According to the United Nations, Indigenous people are medically underserved and have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In Mexico, Indigenous individuals experience greater rates of poverty and mortality, and over half are marginalized. The COVID-19 pandemic has made existing disparities health worse. Our goal was to examine the impact of marginalization and Indigenous status on the mortality rate of COVID-19 infections in Mexico.

Wed., Jan 31
Emmanuel Ezekekwu, PhD, MHA, BPharm, Alumnus, Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences

Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Long Working Hours on Developing Psychological Distress
Long working hours have been previously associated with poor health outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases and symptoms of psychological distress. Although psychological distress and long work hours are widespread in the U.S., few longitudinal studies have investigated their connection among American workers. This presentation addresses this gap by examining the link between long hours and developing psychological distress in a nationally representative sample of full-time U.S. workers, using a longitudinal approach.

Wed., Feb. 07
Natalie C. DuPré, ScD, MS, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Epidemiology and Population Health

The LEAPS in Colorectal Cancer Study
Dr. DuPre and colleagues have initiated the Louisville Environmental Assessments Pilot Study (LEAPS) in Colorectal Cancer study within a clinical population at UofL Health. In this talk, we will present the areas of high colorectal cancer within KY and discuss the role that environmental exposures to carcinogenic metals may play a role in colorectal cancer development in our Louisville community. Furthermore, we will discuss how environmental injustices may play a role in the colorectal cancer disparities and the rise in early-onset colorectal cancer before the age of 50 years. 

Thurs., Feb. 15
Michael E. Egger, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Hiram C. Polk Jr., MD, Dept. of Surgery, UofL School of Medicine

The NCDB: A Powerful Resource for Health Services Researchers
Dr. Egger will introduce the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from the Commission on Cancer and the American College of Surgeons. The NCDB is a powerful resource for health services researchers interested in trends in treatment and cancer outcomes in the US.  The talk will consist of a brief introduction to the NCDB, who runs it, and what kind of data it contains. The strengths and weaknesses of the data will also be discussed. In addition, using papers that Dr. Egger's research team has published, some of the types of studies that can be performed with the NCDB will be illustrated.

Wed., Feb. 21
Bert Little, PhD, FAAAS, FRAI, FRSM, FRSPH, Professor and Interim Chair, Health Management and Systems Sciences

Type 2 Diabetes and Co-morbidities in Kentucky: 2010-2018
Dr. Little and his research team have analyzed Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) among Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries using the 2010s Medicaid claims data. The prevalence of T2DM was over 12%-14%. They have followed the trends longitudinally from 2010 to 2018 over time for T2DM co-morbidities and showed an increase over time, except for one. Appalachia had the highest prevalence of T2DM. 

Wed., Feb. 28
Michelle Renee Rose, MBA, Associate Director, Gilead Sciences

Hepatitis C in Kentucky 2010 to 2019: Trends in the State with the second highest rate in the nation
Hepatitis C infection in the United States has been historically linked to individuals born between 1945 and 1965. In 2014, with the release of the blockbuster drug Harvoni (ledipasvir/ sofosbuvir), federal agencies and subject matter experts declared that HCV elimination was in reach. Within the same time frame, however, a much younger generation began illicit usage of opioid products via alternative administration, launching what we now experience as the injection drug use/ overdose/ infectious diseases syndemic. During this talk, we'll explore the intersections of science, policy and practice, and data and why interdisciplinary teams are critical for designing evidence-based public health interventions."

Wed., March 06
Aishia Brown, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences & Director, Center for Social Justice Youth Development Research; Rebecka Bloomer, PhD, Assistant Professor, College of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati; Ahmed Farah, MSSW, Consultant; Claudia Bejarano, Social Justice Youth Development (SJYD) Equity Coach, UofL; Jessica Callahan, MSW, Project Director, Center for Social Justice Youth Development, UofL
Healing-Centered Capacity Building for Louisville's Youth Development Ecosystem  
The field of youth development has a long history of adopting “evidence-based” approaches, such as positive youth development, that fail to acknowledge the impact inherently racist and oppressive ideologies have on youth and the systems/institutions created to support them. Approaches like Social Justice Youth Development (SJYD) are needed to combat the use of these ideologies and promote healing-centered capacity building to address the needs of youth and communities experiencing the impacts of racism and oppression. For the next CIK seminar, the SPHIS Center for Social Justice Youth Development Research will present findings and lessons learned from their research and practice-based efforts integrating SJYD into Louisville’s youth development ecosystem. Findings and lessons learned will be presented from: 1) a photovoice study conducted with middle school youth in Louisville, 2) building a youth-led podcast with members of a local Black Student Union, 3) building an SJYD equity coaching program for youth development professionals, and 4) preparing future social workers to adopt SJYD approaches into their practices. Continuing Education Credits Available. This seminar is approved to offer the following continuing education credits:  1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit and 1.2 KY Board of Nursing Continuing Education Credits. View more information

Wed., March 20
Michael Goldsby, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences
Big Data Engineering & Management for Longitudinal Studies
The goal of this talk is to provide a basic level of understanding about modern data management and its importance to the scientific process. Modern data management helps to instill a higher level of reliability & trust in your research, improves study repeatability & traceability of the data processing steps (i.e. data lineage) and improves the efficiency of studies through shared data & knowledge.

Wed., April 03
Angela Graham, MPH, CPH, Executive Administrator, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness
Research Collaboration Opportunities at the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness
As an academic health department, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) is poised to bridge research and practice, allowing faculty to apply their expertise in real-world settings to inform evidence-based interventions or policy, while providing students with experience translating research findings into practical solutions for community health challenges. In this session, participants will learn about the organization and staffing of the LMPHW and they will develop further insight into how LMPHW collects and uses data for quality improvement, evaluation, and research.

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