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Publications and Presentations - Fall 2024
Dept. of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
Shuoyang Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, received a 2024 Institute of Mathematical Statistics New Researcher Travel Award, to present his paper, "Inference for Quantile Mediation Effects in the Presence of Complex Confounding," at the Joint Statistical Meeting in August 2024.
Dongfeng Wu, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, authored the book, Probability Modeling and Statistical Inference in Cancer Screening, which was recently published by the Chapman and Hall/CRC Press. The book gives a concise account of the analysis of cancer screening data using probability models and statistical methods. Real data sets are provided so that cancer researchers and statisticians can apply the methods in the learning process. The book presents statistical methods in the commonly used disease progressive model, provides solutions to practical problems and introduces open problems, as well as a framework for the most recent developments based on Dr. Wu’s research. Read more.
Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences
Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP, Associate Professor and Director of the Frazier Polypharmacy Program, published an article in the May 2024 issue of The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The publication, “Specific Medication Literacy in Older Adults,” presents the results of a study to understand patient knowledge and functional literacy about each medication they take, which relates to patients' abilities to self-monitor. Read more.
Melissa Eggen, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, presented a poster at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting titled, "Factors Related to Early Prenatal Care Initiation in a Sample of Kentucky Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of PRAMS Data (2017-2020)." Co-authors were Drs. Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Liza M. Creel, Seyed Karimi, and Bert Little.
Dr. Melissa Eggen also contributed to an article published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, “Seeking financial and practical support in an abortion-hostile state: Analysis of abortion fund data in Kentucky, 2014–2021.” The research team analyzed data from a Kentucky abortion fund to assess characteristics of abortion fund callers. They found that compared with state data, the Kentucky Health Justice Network supported a higher percentage of young people, people of color, and people at later gestations. This finding supports evidence that structurally vulnerable groups are more likely to face barriers to care and that abortion funds provide essential support necessary for reproductive equity. The team, led by Mikaela H. Smith, included Ann Alexis Prestrud, Kathryn Lafferty-Danner, Hillary Gyuras, Danielle Bessett, and Lizz Perkins. Read more.
This summer, Wei Fu, PhD, Assistant Professor, visited China to present a conference talk and two seminars. He attended the 2024 China International Association for Applied Econometrics Conference and discussed “From Syringes to Dishes: Improving Food Security through Vaccination.” Dr. Fu’s seminar, “Proximity to Abortion Services and Child Maltreatment,” was hosted at the School of Economics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the Jinan University. He provided a comprehensive analysis of the causal relationship between the accessibility of abortion services and incidences of child maltreatment across the United States.
Bert Little, PhD, FAAAS, FRAI, FRSM, FRSPH, Professor and Interim Chair, published, “Environment driven changes in type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity in an isolated Mixe community in the Valley of Oaxaca, southern Mexico,” in a recent issue of American Journal of Human Biology. This study focused on type 2 diabetes mellitus in a group of adult Mixe, an Indigenous population from Oaxaca, Mexico. They used demographic and medical record data collected in the community in 2007 and 2017 and tested whether environmental changes affected type 2 diabetes prevalence. The research team concluded an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes, overweight, and obesity in the community was associated with the adoption of a high-carbohydrate Western diet. Co-authors include Jorge Escobedo, Maria Eugenia Pena Reyes, Shaminul Hoque Shakib, HMSS doctoral candidate, Liz O'Brien, Rich Kerber, Xochitl Velasco, Miguel Cruz Lopez, and Christopher Tillquist. Read more.
Office of Student Services
Tammi Thomas, PhD, MSSW, Assistant Professor and Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Public Health Practice and Undergraduate Education, and Deepti Miller, MBA, MA, Senior Admissions Coordinator, presented, “Using third party vendors to assist with student recruitment” at the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals. They described the benefits of working with external vendors and the key considerations to establish new vendor relationships. Further, they explained what resources might be needed to support implementation and prove return on investment.
