Ph.D.
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: Postdoc
Institution: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, General Internal Medicine
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, women’s health
Institution: Virginia Department of Health
Dissertation Title: Reducing disparities in smoking for adults with mental illness
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Postdoc
Institution: Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies
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: Postdoc, multidisciplinary training program in digital mental health
Institution: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Preventative Medicine
Dissertation Title: Motivational interviewing in a team-based wellness clinic: Perceptions and fidelity
Advisor: Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: VCU College of Health Professions, Department of Occupational Therapy
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: Director of Strategic Planning
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: Senior Economic Advisor
Institution: VA Department of Medical Assistance Services
Dissertation Title: Family planning and HIV interventions among women in low-income settings
Advisor: April Kimmel, Ph.D.
Current Position: Implementation research fellow
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Malawi
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: Postdoc, NCI T32 Cancer Prevention and Control Research Training Program
Institution: VCU Department of Health Behavior and Policy and Massey Cancer Center
Dissertation Title: Three essays on maternal and child health
Advisor: Tiffany Green, Ph.D.
Current Position: Prevention effectiveness fellow
Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dissertation Title: Perceived financial burden, self-management behaviors and glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Project Manager
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Specialty Pharmacy
Robert T. Braun graduated with his PhD in Healthcare Policy and Research in August 2018. He is currently employed as an Instructor at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Department of Healthcare Policy and Research. Dr. Braun's research examines how consolidation of medical organizations influences provider behavior, cost, and quality of care.
Dissertation Title: Health aid in Africa: Placement, service utilization and benefit
Advisor: Andrew Barnes, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: The College of William and Mary
Dissertation Title: Designing effective messages to promote future Zika vaccine uptake
Advisor: Kellie Carlyle, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: VCU Robertson School of Media and Culture
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: Information needs and information sources of patients diagnosed with rare cancers
Advisor: Robin Matsuyama, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: VCU Medical Center Health and Wellness 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: Assistant Director, Consumer Policy and Community Engagement
Institution: NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse
Laura Cartwright graduated with her Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Sciences in August 2016. Dr. Cartwright is employed as a Manager of Research Science 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: Senior Vice President, Education and Programs
Institution: National Kidney Foundation
Dissertation Title: Influence of public insurance on health care access and cancer care
Advisor: Lindsay Sabik, Ph.D.
Current Position: Prevention effectiveness fellow
Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dissertation Title: Federal policies and prescription drugs
Advisor: Peter Cunningham, Ph.D.
Current Position: Manager
Institution: Johnson & Johnson
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 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: Senior Medical Science Liaison
Institution: Hanalytics Solutions
Dissertation Title: Development of a collaborative goal setting measure for patients with diabetes
Advisor: Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Scientist
Institution: University of Florida
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: Researcher
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: UT Health Science Center
Dissertation Title: Understanding the public’s attitudes tissue donation: A multi-method approach
Advisor: Laura Siminoff, Ph.D.
Current Position: Lead Analytics Strategist
Institution: Defense Logistics Agency
M.P.H.
Dannielle completed her M.P.H. at VCU with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health. Dannielle was a research assistant for two different studies: An Easier Path: Simple Advice for Newly Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy and Feasibility of a Colorectal Cancer Survivor Registry and Repository that Integrates Clinical, Biomedical, Behavioral, Environmental and Other Patient-Level Risk Factors. Prior to starting the MPH program at VCU, she attended Arizona State University where she received a Bachelors degree in Communication with a minor in English. While at ASU she worked as an intern for the Center for the Convergence of Physical Science and Cancer Biology where she acquired her interest in cancer communication research, which she pursued at VCU. Dannielle is now attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is pursuing a Ph. D. in Mass Communication focusing on her interest in cancer prevention and control through health communication.
Elizabeth is currently a Ph.D. graduate student studying Clinical and Translational Sciences (concentrating in Psychiatric, Behavioral, and Statistical Genetics) at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics (VIPBG) here at VCU. Her current research interests include environmental and genetic risk factors for substance use disorders and substance use disorder comorbidity with other medical and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. Previously, Elizabeth worked as a research assistant on multiple studies investigating preterm birth outcomes, health behaviors of adolescents, and substance use. She received her B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 2010 and subsequently graduated from VCU with her Masters in Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health in 2012.
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
Luisa is the multicultural outreach coordinator for the text4baby program at the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB). She coordinates outreach to multicultural communities and faith-based communities, as well as targeted outreach among designated partners whose work involves Spanish-speaking audiences. She also provides statewide technical assistance for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Washington D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia; and she oversees the development, translation and editing of all of the bilingual materials, messages and resources. Luisa has extensive experience as a community advocate, interpreter and leader in public health. She has worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, the Virginia Department of Social Services and the Virginia Governor’s Office as the Latino Liaison. Luisa was recently appointed to serve on the Commonwealth of Virginia Health Commissioner’s Minority Health and Health Equity Advisory Committee (MHHEAC) and she currently serve as a board member to Colaborando Juntos, a non-profit based out of Richmond, Virginia whose primary purpose is to connect service providers who cater to the Latino community.
Allison is a native of Birmingham, AL where she graduated from Samford University with a BS in Business Administration and a MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she also worked as a Health Education Coordinator in the UAB Department of Preventive Medicine. Upon relocating to Richmond, Allison began working as a Senior Research Specialist in the Department of Addiction Psychiatry, and later as a Research Manager in the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies. During her tenure at VCU, Allison concurrently pursued her MPH while working full time on multiple federally funded clinical trials focused on addiction and pregnancy, the application of evidence-based practices in community settings, health disparities, infant mortality, and health communication. Allison’s accomplishments during her time in the MPH program included being awarded the Social and Behavioral Award by the Institute for Women’s Health at the 6th Annual Women’s Health Research Day, first author on multiple APHA, CPDD, and Social Marketing in Public Health conference presentations, first author on a paper titled, “One Tiny Reason to Quit: A Coalition-based Smoking Cessation Campaign for Pregnant African American Women,” and co-author on multiple peer-reviewed publications. Allison currently resides with her husband and children in Chattanooga, TN, where she works as a Population Health Consultant for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
Jennifer received a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Virginia, and after working in financial analysis and technology consulting, completed a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health at VCU in 2011. From VCU, Jennifer went to work for Virginia Health Information as a Data Analyst after graduation. Virginia Health Information (VHI), a non-profit, works with the Virginia Department of Health and other organizations to fulfill its mission of creating and disseminating health care information, promoting informed decision making by health care consumers, and enhancing the quality of health care delivery. Jennifer has worked on a wide variety of projects at VHI including reports on cardiac care, obstetrics, readmissions, HEDIS, health care pricing, and consumer oriented materials. Jennifer is currently the Program Manager for the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) created by VHI on behalf of the Virginia Department of Health and operated as a collaborative effort with health care stakeholders. The aim of the APCD is to facilitate data-driven, evidence-based improvements in the quality and efficiency of health care in Virginia. In the fall of 2013, Jennifer begins the Doctoral Program in Health Services Organization and Research at VCU to provide her with advanced research skills in her current position.
Megan completed a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Health at VCU in spring 2011. She received a BS at James Madison University in public administration with a concentration in public management. Following her undergraduate degree, Megan served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia focusing her work on adolescent reproductive health and HIV prevention. She has dedicated her career to training and educating professionals and patients. While a graduate student at VCU, she worked for the VCU HIV/AIDS Center. Currently, Megan works at the Maryland State Department of Education with their nutrition programs leading the coordination of the Maryland’s Team Nutrition training grants. Most recently, Megan has led efforts to provide training to Maryland schools on the concepts of behavioral economics aiming to improve fruit and vegetable selection.
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.