Former Associates
| Katherine Eddens, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Health BehaviorKate Eddens’ work lie squarely at the intersection of social, economic, and behavioral determinants of health, is transdisciplinary in both approach and methods, and is centrally focused on eliminating health disparities. Her research agenda focuses on increasing the reach and effectiveness of health communication strategies to connect the underserved to health services and solutions. She is particularly interested in the understanding how communication networks affect health outcomes among the poor, and in utilizing social network analysis, word-of-mouth communication and marketing strategies to reach the underserved with relevant, trustworthy, and actionable information. Her dissertation research examined sources and patterns of information about health care reform within the social networks of underserved adults with unmet health needs. To facilitate this work, she has collaborated with faculty with expertise in health economics, health reform, social network analysis, health literacy, and word-of-mouth marketing. Other research includes developing targeted recruitment materials to increase participation in a state colorectal cancer screening program, examining disparities by race and ethnicity in cancer survivor stories online, and utilizing the 2-1-1 information and referral hotline to connect low-income callers with health services. |
| Alicia Fedewa, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Educational, School, and Counseling PsychologyAlicia Fedewa received her Masters at the University of Chicago and Ph.D. in School Psychology from Michigan State University. She completed her pre-doctoral training at the APA accredited site of Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District outside of Houston, Texas where she served the role as both consultant and counselor to youth with emotional behavior disorders. Through Dr. Fedewa's practice in school psychology, it was evident that children were not receiving the amount of physical activity at school that was recommended by national health and wellness standards. Given the dramatic cutbacks school districts have made to physical activity opportunities throughout the school day, systemic pressures to meet standardized achievement benchmarks and the rising rates of obesity in the United States, Dr. Fedewa began to have an interest in the effectiveness of implementing health-related interventions on youth's subsequent learning and behavior outcomes. She found marked disparities among male and female levels of physical activity and is interested in implementing school-based physical activity interventions to boost levels of activity and to examine what academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes are associated with increased activity, particularly among females. |
| Laura Meints, MDFellowDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Maternal and Fetal MedicineI am a first-year fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM). My research interests lie in health disparities, healthcare delivery, contraception, and vulnerable populations. As an obstetrician and MFM in training, I see on a daily basis women with complicated medical histories made more difficult by the social situations in which they live: drug abuse, poverty, domestic violence and/or history of child abuse, lack of transportation, childcare responsibilities, difficulty affording and accessing healthy foods, racial/ethnic disparities, and more. It is my hope to promote health beyond an isolated healthcare encounter by more holistically addressing my patients’ needs, both at the level of the individual and of health policy. My background includes both Medical Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration educations. I intend to use this combined educational background to study ways to improve access to and quality of care for women and communities. I am particularly interested in women’s access to contraception and how the Affordable Care Act may change access yet possibly leave unintended disparities for certain subpopulations of women. Other ongoing work focuses on the role of physical, sexual, and psychological violence on women with cancer and on the relationship of inflammatory cytokines and adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with depression and anxiety. |
| Daniela Moga, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorPharmacy Practice and ScienceDr. Moga joined UK in July 2012 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science with a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. After graduating from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy with an MD degree, she completed clinical internships in internal medicine, general surgery and family medicine, followed by residency trainings in Public Health and Epidemiology in my home country of Romania. In May 2012 Dr. Moga graduated with a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Iowa, College of Public Health. Her focus during the doctoral training was in the area of pharmacoepidemiology and epidemiologic methodology. She has experience with working with large administrative and claims data (VA, Medicare) and the mandatory assessment data from nursing homes (Minimum Data Set). Dr. Moga’s research interests are mainly related to medication use and effectiveness in the elderly population, especially complex patients (multiple comorbidities, living in long-term care). With regard to women’s health, she is particularly interested in gender disparities in treatment, especially for chronic conditions and their impact on health outcomes (urinary incontinence, diabetes).Dr. Moga is currently working in evaluating how the different medications for urinary incontinence impact cognitive function and the risk of falls in elderly enrolled in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center cohort. She is also developing a project to evaluate the impact of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate drug use on cognitive decline and mortality in this cohort. |
| Samantha H. Mast, MDFellowDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Dr. Mast is a third year fellow in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Her primary research interest concerns a cytokine known as omentin. Omentin affects both anti-inflammatory and glucose regulatory pathways. Although omentin is strongly expressed by the placenta, very little is known about the function during pregnancy. Dr. Mast is currently focusing on a potential link between decreased omentin expression and the risk for preeclampsia. Dr. Mast’s secondary research interest surrounds perinatal palliative care. This model of care extends the principles of hospice to families facing a lethal or life-limiting fetal diagnosis. This is a relatively new model of care and little is known about how the experience negatively or positively affects patients. Dr. Mast would like to perform a qualitative study by interviewing patients who have been presented with a lethal fetal diagnosis. She would also like to study how to better prepare physicians to relay these diagnoses and support patients throughout the remainder of their pregnancies. |
| Elizabeth Salt, PhD, RN, APRNAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Psychiatry and PediatricsCollege of NursingDr. Salt's research interest is medication adherence, decision-making, and patient-health care provider communication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. She cares for this research population in a clinical practice with the Division of Rheumatology. She is currently conducting funded research on patient-health care provider communication, medication adherence, and decision-making in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. |
