Alumni
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About our graduates
Health Behavior and Policy graduates find positions as postdoctoral fellows and faculty members, working for governmental agencies and nonprofits, and researchers with pharmaceutical companies and other private businesses.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Ph.D. Alumni
Dissertation Title: "It's just not enough": Examining the experiences of school-based sexual health education and conversation engagement with trusted adults among Black boys in Richmond, VA
Advisor: Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position:
Institution:
Dissertation Title: QVOICES: Queer Voices in Oncology Igniting Change through Empowered Stories of Survivorship
Advisor: Richard Brown, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: University of Rochester School of Medicine
Dissertation Title: A Technology-Based, Mixed Methods Approach to Examining the Psychosocial Determinants of Maternal Health Disparities
Advisor: Sun Jung Kim, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Institution: VCU College of Humanities and Sciences
Dissertation Title: A Novel Approach to Reducing Adiposity among Young Men
Advisor: Jessica LaRose, PhD
Current Position: T32 Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Dissertation Title: Food Insecurity Screening and Nutrition Care as a part of Hypertension Management in Primary Care Teams
Advisor: Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Current Position: Fellow
Institution: US Department of Veteran Affairs
Dissertation Title: A Multilevel Mixed Methods Examination of Treatment Nonadherence Among Rural Cancer Survivors
Advisor: Bernard Fuemmeler, Ph.D.
Current Position: Senior Director, Patient Navigation
Institution: American Cancer Society
Dissertation Title: A Mixed Methods Approach to Examine Racial Disparities in Adherence to Surveillance Mammography Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Advisor: Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Health Behavior and Policy, VCU School of Population Health
Dissertation Title: Behavior Change Techniques to Promote Smoking Cessation During Pregnancy: A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis
Advisor: Jessica LaRose, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: University of Maryland
Dissertation Title: Changing Landscapes: Perspectives of Young African American Women of Population-Wide Testing for Hereditary Breast Cancer Mutations
Advisor: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.
Current Position: User Experience Researcher
Institution: Meta
Dissertation Title: Examining the role of racial discrimination in obesity treatment disparities among African American emerging adult women
Advisor: Jessica LaRose, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Drexel University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals
Dissertation Title: The intersection of social stress, mental well-being, and sexual health in young black women
Advisor: Jessica LaRose, Ph.D.
Current Position: Nurse practitioner and faculty
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Dissertation Title: A theoretically-based mixed methods approach to examining mental health disorders and help-seeking behaviors among university-enrolled African American men
Advisor: Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Dissertation Title: Motivational interviewing in a team-based wellness clinic: Perceptions and fidelity
Advisor: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Founder
Institution: Richmond Aging and Engaging
Dissertation Title: Communicating colorectal cancer risk to average risk adults: Examining the impact on risk perceptions and health behavior intentions
Advisor: Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: VCU School of Medicine
Dissertation Title: Perceived financial burden, self-management behaviors and glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Research Scientist
Institution: T1D Exchange
Dissertation Title: Designing effective messages to promote future Zika vaccine uptake
Advisor: Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: University of Tilberg
Dissertation Title: Information needs and information sources of patients diagnosed with rare cancers
Advisor: Robin Matsuyama, Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor and Health and Wellness Librarian
Institution: VCU Health Sciences Library
Dissertation Title: Examining the effects of psychosocial stress on the hypertension self-management behaviors of African American women
Advisor: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Chief Experience Officer
Institution: NC Medical Society
Laura Cartwright graduated with her Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Sciences in August 2016. Dr. Cartwright is employed as a Director of Research at the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Her work addresses a broad spectrum of transplant-related issues, ranging from improving equity in access, analyzing impact of policy, statistical analysis of process and outcome measures, and the potential for behavioral science to help predict performance trends.
Dissertation Title: Development and evaluation of a peer-to-peer intervention to increase self-management among adult in-center hemodialysis patients
Advisor: Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Current Position: Principal
Institution: Dimensions of Care, LLC
Dissertation Title: Evaluation and comparison of theoretical models' abilities to explain and predict colorectal cancer screening behaviors
Advisor: Robin Matsuyama, Ph.D.
Current Position: Group Manager, Advanced Analytics
Institution: Avanade
Dissertation Title: Impact of e-cigarettes on physician recommendations of tobacco use cessation pharmacotherapy
Advisor: Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Dissertation Title: Barriers and facilitators to infant feeding among low-income African American women
Advisor: Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position: Owner and consultant
Institution: cBe Consulting
Advisor: Richard Brown, Ph.D.
Current Position: Education Consultant
Institution: University of Calgary
Dissertation Title: Development of a collaborative goal setting measure for patients with diabetes
Advisor: Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D.
Current Position: Director of Clinical Epidemiology and Scientific Publications
Institution: Target RWE
Dissertation Title: A mixed-method examination of racial differences in females’ perceptions and experiences of sexual objectifications
Advisor: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D. and Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position: Officer of Research
Institution: Columbia University Medical Center
Dissertation Title: Patient perceptions of shared decision making: What does it mean and how does it affect patient outcomes
Advisor: Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: UTHealth School of Public Health
Dissertation Title: Understanding the public’s attitudes tissue donation: A multi-method approach
Advisor: Laura Siminoff, Ph.D.
Current Position: Chief Data and Analytic Officer
Institution: Defense Logistics Agency
Healthcare and Policy Research Ph.D. Alumni
Dissertation Title: Barriers to ending HIV epidemic: The case of physician reimbursement and intimate partner violence
Advisor: April Kimmel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: VCU School of Population Health
Dissertation Title: Improving Patients' Health Outcome and Care Quality through Coverage Expansion and Patient Centeredness Care Delivery
Advisor: Askar Chukmaitov, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.A
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: VCU School of Population Health
Dissertation Title: Using Difference-in-Difference to Assess the Impact of Medicaid Policy on the Addiction Treatment Provider Workforce and Prescribing Behavior in Virginia
Scholar's Compass URL to dissertation: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/7057/
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate
Institution: Brandeis University
Dissertation Title: Access to Behavioral Health Services: Supply, Coverage and Health Insurance Literacy
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: KFF
Dissertation Title: The role of insurance coverage in outpatient substance abuse disorder treatment referral, utilization, and outcomes
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: UCLA
Dissertation Title: Policies Addressing Low-income Women and Children’s Health Care Utilization in the United States and Kenya: The Role of Physician Payments and Cash Transfer Programs
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Principal Scientist/Health Economist
Institution: Merck
Dissertation Title: Cost-effectiveness of Alternative HIV Testing Strategies among Hard-to-Reach Populations in Eastern and Southern Africa
Advisor: April Kimmel, Ph.D.
Dissertation Title: Reducing disparities in smoking for adults with mental illness
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Health Behavior and Policy, VCU School of Population Health
Dissertation Title: The effects of length of stay, procedural volume & quality, and zip code level SES on the 30-day readmission rate of individuals undergoing CABG
Advisor: Bassam Dahman, Ph.D.
Current Position: Directorate General of Medical Services
Institution: Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia
Dissertation Title: Patient-centered medical homes and hospital value-based purchasing: Investigating provider responses to incentives
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Chief Strategy Officer
Institution: Virginia Center for Health Innovation
Dissertation Title: Family planning and HIV interventions among women in low-income settings
Advisor: April Kimmel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Dissertation Title: Three essays on maternal and child health
Advisor: Tiffany Green, Ph.D.
Current Position: Research Scientist
Institution: Mullan Institute of Workforce Equity, The George Washington University
Dissertation Title: Spillover Theory: Unintended Consequences of Provisions in the Affordable Care Act
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Instructor
Institution: Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medical College
Dissertation Title: Health aid in Africa: Placement, service utilization and benefit
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: William and Mary, Department of Kinesiology
Dissertation Title: Affordability, utilization and satisfaction with care: A policy context for improving health care experiences
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: George Washington University, Milken Institute School of Public Health
Dissertation Title: Influence of public insurance on health care access and cancer care
Advisor: Lindsay Sabik, Ph.D.
Current Position: Health Economist
Institution: The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) United States Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Dissertation Title: Federal policies and prescription drugs
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Manager
Institution: Johnson & Johnson
M.P.H. Alumni
Heather is Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Health Disparities Research Lab at Temple University. Her research interests lie at the intersections of interpersonal health communication, chronic kidney disease, and organ donation and transplantation. She is the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop and test an educational and communication skills intervention for patients with end stage renal disease who are awaiting kidney transplantation. She also serves as Co-Investigator on multiple federally-funded research studies to evaluate hospital development and behavioral communication interventions to increase solid organ donation and examine the ethical, legal and social issues of organ and tissue donation for transplantation and medical research/biobanking purposes. Across these areas of research, a primary goal has been to improve organ and tissue donation processes in the US and alleviate disparities in access to transplantation. More recently, she has partnered with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger to evaluate an ongoing effort to bring healthy food options to local food pantries and has begun a line of research investigating the relationship between food insecurity and medical nutritional management of Type II diabetes, a leading cause of chronic kidney disease.
Heather earned a doctorate in communication from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2006 and a Master’s in Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. She joined the faculty in VCU’s Department of Social and Behavioral Health in 2011 as Assistant Professor.
Dissertation Title: Cancer health literacy and hospitalization in the first five years following a cancer diagnosis
Advisor: Robin Matsuyama, Ph.D.
Current Position: Manager, Research Science
Institution: United Network for Organ Sharing
Tamara received her MPH from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia and is originally from Lynchburg, Virginia. During her time at VCU, Tamara interned for Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy where she developed health equity presentations for communities and assisted with the Mosby Court partnership. Tamara’s interests include mental and physical health disparities, primary care psychology and brief interventions. She is also interested in topics related to health equity. Currently, Tamara is attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Health Psychology.