Augusta University
Institute of Public and Preventative Health
November
- Dr. Kim Barker, one of the 2021 Grants Mentoring Program Mentees, was recently funded by the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy, Georgia College. The project is titled Collaborative Learning in Multi-Sensory Based Environments for Early Childhood (CLIMBE), and will investigate factors that impact implementation of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration (IPE/C) between teachers and OTs to deliver evidence-based early language/literacy practices via the CLIMBE program. Dr. Barkers Co-PI on this project is Dr. Benevides, and they will be working with Sharon Swift and the Richmond County School District.
- Big news for Dr. Wilcox! She is now Board Certified in Counseling Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.
- Through the AU Day of Service IPPH collected 592 items, which equalled 180 pounds, for Paws Pantry, which helps AU students who deal with food insecurity.
October
- Dr. Benevides was a panelist on the PCORI Workshop for IDD and Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions. PCORI is using this information to set funding priorities and identify gaps.
- Dr. Benevides’ work was featured in the Jagwire, Study on suicide prevention aimed at adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum.
- Dr. Benevide’s gave a presentation to the Federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). This committee sets the national strategic plan for Autism, and develops research priorities. Dr. Benevide’s presented her PCORI-funded Mental Health Priorities in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Shore.
- Dr. Vitacco was published; Limitations Using Neuroimaging to Reconstruct Mental State after a Crime in Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.
September
Welcome to our second cohort of the Grants Mentoring Program! From top to bottom, left to right, we have Dr. Kim Barker from the College of Education, Dr. Biplab Datta from IPPH, Dr. Ashwini Tiwari, also from IPPH, Dr. Wendy Turner from Pamplin, and Dr. Melanie Wilcox from the College and Science and Mathematics and IPPH.
We are excited to work with this cohort to help them prepare and submit for extramural funding over the next two years!
- Dr. Wilcox discussed her research on student debt and psychological impacts, during the American Bar Association’s week of action on student debt.
August
- Dr. Moore was featured in the Jagwire to discuss his work on the factors that influence vaccine hesitancy in African American communities.
Dr. Tiwari received funding for a 5yr project through SAMHSA titled Serving Underserved Populations in Rural Settings: Targeting Treatment and Adolescent Resilience Together (SUPRSTART) Project. The goal of this 5yr project is to expand the availability of evidence-based trauma treatment for youth victims of child maltreatment across seven rural GA counties.
- Dr. Vahe Heboyan received funding for a 3yr project through HRSA titled Comprehensive Opioid Program in Northeast Georgia (COPiNG). This project extends our current HRSA network to 9 counties in Northeast Georgia.
- Dr. Teal Benevides is a Co-Investigator on two separate teams that have received funding. The first is a PCORI funded comparative effectiveness study comparing two suicide prevention interventions for adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum (PIs Maddox and Jager-Hyman). She will lead the Engagement Core to support autistic adults in playing key roles on the project. This project is an extension of Teal’s 2017 PCORI funded project, AASET. Second, is a statewide disability and health program cooperative agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Leadership in Disability, Georgia State University (PI Vinoski Thomas). She will participate with the project team to contribute to data mapping to implement and evaluate several activities aimed to improve the health of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and adults with mobility limitations in Georgia.
- Dr. Justin Moore received an LRP award from the Health Disparities through the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
- Augusta University collaborated with McCorkle Nurseries, Inc. (MNI) to provide health screenings for nursery employees in McDuffie County. The first-time collaboration in this community was initiated by Population Health Science’s Dr. Jessica Stewart. Co-Organizer Dr. Lorriane Odhiambo with IPPH, made the expansion of the health fair possible. Read the Jagwire.
- IPPH hosted Augusta University’s new Provost, Dr. Neil MacKinnon, as part of his campus tour visiting the university’s colleges and other units. He met our outstanding faculty and staff, shared his initiatives and vision for the next several years at AU, and to toured the renovations taking place in some of our newly acquired office space.
- Dr. Lynn Glenn participated in a panel which discussed government-provided healthcare in South Carolina, and is part of a series on the healthcare crisis in South Carolina.
July
- Dr. Steven Coughlin, a professor in Population Health Sciences, Epidemiology with an appointment in IPPH who also works with our Center for Bioethics and Health Policy, recently had a book that he collaborated on released. Titled Ethics in Epidemiology and published by Oxford University Press.
- The Institute of Public and Preventive Health is pleased to welcome the Georgia Statewide AHEC Network to our team. We are excited collaborate with them on more projects. Read more about who they are and the work they do, https://www.augusta.edu/ahec/
- Dr. Williamson, the Director of CBHP, was featured in the Jagwire to discuss the ethical impact of childhood vaccinations
The 2021 Summer Scholars Program ended with the Scholars presenting the work they collaborated on with their mentors. We were thrilled to work with a great group of young researchers, and are excited to see where their careers take them.
Congratulations Bethany, Bekah, Tess and Jamani on finishing the program and good luck!
June
- Dr. Williamson, the Director of the Center for Bioethics and Health Policy within IPPH, was featured in the Augusta Chronicle.
May
- Dr. Coughlin was featured in the Jagwire for his work on how cost may delay follow-up care for cancer survivors.
- Dr. Moore was featured in the Jagwire for their first article in a year long series that will explore healthcare disparities and what Augusta University is doing to address them.
- Several IPPH and affiliated faculty were featured in a Jagwire article about the new Master of Science in Epidemiology.
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Shannon Dayton
