Brief: Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure will build and revitalize existing infrastructure and help to recruit, retain, and train the current and future public health workforce. A partnership between the Shelby County Health Department and the University of Memphis School of Public Health, led by Drs. Michelle Taylor (Director, Shelby County Health Department, Shelby County Government) and Ashish Joshi (Dean, School of Public Health, the University of Memphis) ... Read more.

TRAIN Learning Management System: UofM School of Public Health curriculum development

Lead PI: Marian Levy

Sponsor: Tennessee Department of Health (TDoH)

Brief: Faculty from the UM School of Public Health will create 17 courses for the Tennessee Department of Health’s TRAIN Learning Management System to support public health staff training. The 17 courses will include a high-level overview of content pertaining to a Master of Public Health (MPH) program, as well as several courses related to epidemiology, data management, evaluation, and population health informatics.

Extending a Mentorship Program to Build a Culture of Opportunity and Success for High-Risk and First-Generation Graduate Students

Lead PI: Marian Levy

Sponsor: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Brief: Transforming Academia for Equity. This initiative is designed to unpack, understand, and shape the contextual and intervening conditions necessary for underrepresented scholars to thrive professionally and personally- and in turn be better able to contribute to and expand health equity-related research. We are one of seven schools of public health in the nation to receive this award.

Training of Public Health Students in Regional Population Health Informatics Techniques

Lead PI: Ashish Joshi

Sponsor: Research Foundation of CUNY

Brief: Coming soon ...

Epidemiology

Division of Epidemiology Biostatistics and Environmental Health (EBE)

Creation of a Patient-Reported Outcome Database with a Focus on the Correlation of Self-Reported Depression Screening to Clinical Outcomes

Lead PI: Xinhua Yu

Sponsor: University of Memphis Foundation (UMF)

Brief: In partnership with West Cancer Center, Dr. Yu will lead the creation of a clinical database linking patient-reported outcomes with clinical information extracted from the medical charts.

Does Military Traumatic Brain Injury Increase the Risk for Developing Early Onset Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Lead PI: Xinhua Yu

Sponsor: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)/US Department of Defense (DoD)

Brief: Dr. Yu’s research team will utilize a combination approach of database mining combined with a prospective study to ascertain if there is elevated risk for the Veteran population for these neurological conditions accounting for co-morbid medical conditions (including documented concussion sustained during Active Duty military service), as well as gender, race, and baseline cognitive performance. The finding that there is increased risk for developing these chronic neurological disorders following mTBI/concussion would have clinical, research and socio-economic implications for these Veterans, military service members, and may be applicable to the general population.

Tennessee Heart Health Network: Implementing Patient-Centered Practices in Primary Care to Improve Cardiovascular Health

Lead PI: Fawaz Mzayek

Sponsor: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)

Brief: The project involves establishing a state-wide network of promary healthcare providers and implement quality improvement (QI) interventions to improve the quality of care delivered to their patients. The QI interventions focus on heart health care. Additionally, a detailed, multidimensional evaluation plan of the effectiveness of the QI interventions, on both practice and patient outcomes, is embedded in the project design.

Improving pathologic nodal staging of resected lung cancer

Lead PI: Matthew Smeltzer

Sponsor: Baptist Cancer Center/National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Brief: Drs. Smeltzer and Ray are evaluating multliple aspects of lung cancer surgery quality and outcomes. In collaboration with Baptist Cancer Center, they have constructed a prospective, population-based observational cohort of all surgical resections for lung cancer in the region (housed at UofM).

Predicting Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Sickle Cell Anemia Using Machine Learning Models (PREMIER)

Lead PI: Matthew Smeltzer

Sponsor: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)/ National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Brief: This is a Multi-institutional clinical trial evaluating kidney disease in adults with sickle cell disease, followed by development of machine learning tools. Dr. Smeltzer serves as the primary biostatistician for this project, overseeing the trial database and conducting statistical analyses.

TN Sickle Cell Disease Surveillance Program

Lead PI: Matthew Smeltzer

Sponsor: Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Brief: The Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program is a multi-state project to build state-level surveillance programs for sickle cell disease. Dr. Smeltzer’s research team is combining newborn screening data, claims data, and electronic health records to identify and study individuals with sickle cell disease in TN. The SCDC states are collaborating on multiple projects using this data.

Incidental Findings on pediatric and adolescent MRIs ordered by orthopedic surgeons.

Lead PI: Abu Mohammed Naser Titu

Sponsor: The Campbell Foundation

Brief: To evaluate the frequency of incidental findings on MRIs of the lumbar spine and characterize the findings. There is a significant amount of literature on incidental findings in the adult population but not in the pediatric population or on the significant of incidental findings. The purpose of this study is to determine the overall incidence of incidental findings on lumbar MRIs in different pediatric age groups and further characterize these findings as benign vs significant.

Ambient Temperature and Kidney Disease Progression (NIH R15)

Lead PI: Abu Mohammed Naser Titu

Sponsor:

Brief: This NIH-funded project examines both the short- and long-term effects of ambient temperature on acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression among U.S. veterans. Leveraging a large national cohort with longitudinal electronic health records, the study integrates high-resolution environmental exposure data, including ambient temperature, humidity, and air pollution, at fine spatial and temporal scales. The analytic framework applies advanced causal inference methods, particularly marginal structural models with inverse probability weighting, to appropriately address time-varying exposures and confounding.
The project aims to quantify nonlinear exposure-response relationships, identify vulnerable subgroups (e.g., by age, comorbidity, and baseline kidney function), and generate clinically relevant risk estimates under varying climate conditions. Findings from this work contribute to understanding how climate variability influences kidney health and inform prevention strategies in high-risk populations. Results have been presented at major scientific meetings, including the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2025 and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology 2025 conference.

Naser AM, Naim MAAZ, Jia C, Mou X, Kovesdy CP. Association between ambient temperature and incident CKD among us veterans with normal baseline kidney function. American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week, Houston, Texas, from November 5 to 9, 2025.
https://journals.lww.com/jasn/fulltext/2025/10001/association_between_ambient_temperature_and.3780.aspx
Naser AM, Mou X, Chunrong J, Naim MAAZ, Kovesdy CP. Ambient temperature and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among US veterans with normal baseline kidney function. International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) 2025. Atlanta, Georgia, from August 17–20, 2025. https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41370-025-00801-2/MediaObjects/41370_2025_801_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (page 422)

Climate, Biomarkers, and Cardiometabolic Health

Lead PI: Abu Mohammed Naser Titu

Sponsor:

Brief: This research focuses on elucidating the biological mechanisms linking climate-related exposures, particularly ambient temperature, to cardiometabolic and kidney health outcomes. The work integrates biomarker data, including electrolytes, urine indicators, and blood pressure measures, to evaluate physiological pathways through which environmental exposures exert their effects.
Using advanced methods, this research quantifies both direct effects of temperature and indirect effects mediated through hydration status and electrolyte balance. Contributions from trainees, including Hoimonty Mazumder and Ayesha Mukhopadhyay, have advanced understanding of temperature-related risks for renal outcomes (e.g., renal colic), blood pressure, and sex-specific biomarker responses in vulnerable populations. Collectively, this work provides mechanistic insight that bridges environmental exposures with clinical outcomes, supporting more precise risk prediction and informing climate-health adaptation strategies. Some student-led publications from this project are below.

Mazumder H*, Gain EP, Shimul MMH, Farah F, Alam N, Mou X, Mzayek F, Jia C, Smeltzer MP, Zhang H, Chang HH, Davis RL, Fu JS, Kovesdy CP, Hossain MM, Naser AM. Ambient Temperature and Risk of Renal Colic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Kidney Medicine. 2025:101179.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059525002158?via%3Dihub
Mukhopadhyay, A.*, Mondol, M. H., Rahman, M., Unicomb, L., Khan, R., Mazumder, H., Ferdous, M. N., Pickering, E. V., Makris, K. C., & Caban-Martinez, A. J. (2025). The direct and urinary electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on population blood pressure: A causal mediation analysis. Environment International, 195, 109208. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024007955
Mazumder, H.*, Mondol, M. H., Rahman, M., Khan, R., Doza, S., Unicomb, L., Jahan, F., Mukhopadhyay, A., Makris, K., & Naser, A.M. (2024). Sex-Specific Association of Ambient Temperature With Urine Biomarkers in Southwest Coastal Bangladesh. Kidney International Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2024.03.002

*UofM SPH graduate student

Drinking Water Chemistry and Population Health Effects

Lead PI: Abu Mohammed Naser Titu

Sponsor:

Brief: This research program investigates the health impacts of drinking water chemistry, focusing on fluoride, salinity, and groundwater contaminants, and their associations with cardiometabolic and renal outcomes. Using nationally representative datasets and geospatially resolved environmental data, the work evaluates how variations in water quality contribute to population-level health disparities.
Recent studies include analyses of fluoride exposure among U.S. youth (led by Shaheryar Shafqat) and investigations linking groundwater chemistry to children’s blood lead levels across U.S. counties. Additional work examines regional differences in drinking water quality along the Mississippi River and their implications for environmental justice. This research combines epidemiologic methods with environmental data science to inform regulatory policies, risk assessment, and targeted public health interventions, particularly for vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by water contamination. Some student-led publications from this project are below.

Pickering EV*, Fu X, Melaram R, Jazaei F, Cohen A, Bartelli D, Jia C, Zhang H, Mou X, Naser AM. Groundwater chemistry and children's blood lead levels: A county‐wise analysis in the United States. GeoHealth. 2026;10:e2025GH001670. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GH001670
Shafqat S*, Adhikari B, Yu X, Mou X, Levy MC, Zhang H, Naser AM. Fluoride Exposure Among US Children Aged≤ 19 Years: Findings from NHANES 2013–2016. Water. 2025;17:3561.
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/17/24/3561
Pickering, EV*, Jia, C., Naser, AM. (2024). Drinking Water Quality in Delta and Non-Delta Counties along the Mississippi River. Water. 16(18), 2622. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/18/2622

*UofM SPH graduate student

BRIDGE Innovate initiative

Lead PI: Xinhua Yu

Sponsor: Rehabilitation Services Agency, Department of Education

Brief: This TPSID project is collaborating with University of Memphis Institute on Disability. It is designed to enhance, sustain, expand, and strengthen institutional services for its model Inclusive Higher Education (IHE) or Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IHE) programs, TigerLIFE, and the College Campus Transition Program. One key component is to develop an AI-enabled disability informatics platform through which youth with disability, family members, and professionals can access knowledge and resources for improving the employment opportunities and quality of life of people with disability. Dr. Yu will take lead in developing the disability informatics platform.

Does Military Traumatic Brain Injury Increase the Risk for Developing Early Onset Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Lead PI: Xinhua Yu

Sponsor: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)/US Department of Defense (DoD)

Related student publications:

Adhikari, B.*; Neupane B.; Rice, J; Jha, N; Dahal K; Sapkota P.M.; Shrestha A; Yu J.; Yu X. (2025) Determinants of Co-existence of Undernutrition and Anemia among Children aged 6-59 Months in Nepal: Evidence from the 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. PLOS One. 21(1)
Shafqat, S*., Adhikari, B., Yu, X., Mou, X., Levy, M. C., Zhang, H., & Naser, A. M. (2025). Fluoride Exposure Among U.S. Children Aged ≤ 19 Years: Findings from NHANES 2013–2016. Water, 17(24), 3561. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17243561
Roy, S*.; Mzayek, F.; Joshi, A; Yu, X. (2025). Spatiotemporal Disparities in Stroke Mortality From 1969 to 2020, by Race and Sex, in Tennessee. Medical Care. 10.1097

My own publication:

Yu, X.; Schiro-Geist, C.; Zhang, X.; Krolik, P.; Cai, J; Harms, B. (2025). Association Between Case Volume of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Their Clients’ Employment Rate at Closure. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. 56(4). JARC-2025. 10.1891/JARC-2025-0027.

TN Sickle Cell Disease Surveillance Program

Lead PI: Matthew Smeltzer

Sponsor: Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Brief: The Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program is a multi-state collaboration to build state-level surveillance programs for sickle cell disease. The UofM research team for this project includes two doctoral students, two MPH students, and three faculty from the SPH. The study team is combining newborn screening data, claims data, and electronic health records to identify and study individuals with sickle cell disease. The TN program is collaborating with 14 other SCDC states to combine data under a common data model to conduct national-level research.

Lung Cancer Staging and Clinical Outcomes

Lead PI: Matthew Smeltzer and Meredith Ray

Sponsor: International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Brief: Dr. Smeltzer and Dr. Ray have a thriving research program studying lung cancer staging and clinical outcomes. Baptist Cancer Center and UofM have collaborated to establish and maintain the Mid-South Quality of Surgical Resection (MSQSR) cohort. Researchers at both institutions work together, including numerous MPH and doctoral students to study the quality of care delivery for lung cancer which has led to high impact scholarly publications and been supported by numerous grants. There work has been influential in the revisions to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) / Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) staging system for lung cancer. Dr. Smeltzer currently serves as Chair of the Methodology Committee and on the Executive Committee of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Staging and Prognostic Factors Group for development of the 10th edition AJCC/UICC worldwide staging system for lung cancer, thymic tumors, and mesothelioma.

The A.C.C.E.S.S study A prospective qualitative exploration of multilevel factors affecting outcome disparities among Black women with or at high risk for breast cancer in the U.S. Mid-South region to develop responsive interventions for high-priority patient populations. (Ongoing)

Lead PI: Fawaz Mzayek

Sponsor: West Cancer Clinic

Brief: The goal of this study is to identify and explore the impact of structural vulnerability and multilevel factors that influence access to and receipt of cancer care and other preventive health services for Black women diagnosed with or at high risk for advance-stage or de novo mBC.

A Phase II Trial of Niraparib and Dostarlimab Combination Therapy in Patients with Somatic Homologous Recombination Deficient Advanced or Metastatic Cancer.

Lead PI: Fawaz Mzayek

Sponsor: West Cancer Center

Brief: This is an open-label, single-arm, Phase 2 study which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of niraparib and dostarlimab (TSR-042) combination in patients with metastatic, recurrent, or unresectable solid tumor with a pathogenic, or presumed pathogenic, somatic homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) gene mutation.

Biostatistics

Optimizing HIV prevention for highly vulnerable methamphetamine-using sexual minority men

Lead PI: Meredith Ray

Sponsor: (New) Research Foundation of CUNY/National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Brief: This grant is a collaboration between Drs. Grov (CUNY) and Carrico (University of Miami) which focuses on methamphetamine (meth) use in sexual minority men (SMM) that we have shown to be a primary driver of HIV incidence. The overarching goals are two-fold: 1) identify multi-level and bio-behavioral determinants of amplified HIV seroconversion risk in meth-using SMM; and 2) test the effectiveness and scalability of telehealth motivational enhancement interventions for promoting entry or re-entry of SMM who use meth into the PrEP care continuum. Dr. Ray serves as biostatistician, working on analyses upon data collection.

CPT Analysis

Lead PI: Yu Jiang

Sponsor: University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)

Brief: Collaboration with UTHSC on data management, cleaning, and analyses for VA data.

Bayesian sparse learning and its applications in cancer and infectious disease research

Lead PI: Yu Jiang

Sponsor:

Brief: Bayesian hierarchical modeling and sparse learning approaches for high-dimensional biomedical data, with emphasis on variable selection and feature extraction. Applications include biomarker discovery, risk prediction, and mechanistic investigation in cancer and infectious disease studies.

Machine learning and neural networks

Lead PI: Yu Jiang

Sponsor:

Brief: Broad experience applying classical statistical methods, machine learning techniques, and neural network models to large and complex datasets for variable selection, prediction, and classification, particularly in biomedical and public health data.

Conditional independence in pool testing

Lead PI: Xichen Mou

Sponsor:

Brief: Pool testing is an efficient strategy for large-scale disease screening, where samples are tested in groups before individual follow-up testing. A key assumption in the modern pool testing literature is the conditional independence between pooled test results and subsequent individual tests. However, this assumption may be violated due to the underlying mechanism of measuring continuous biomarkers to classify positive or negative outcomes. In this project, we propose a hypothesis testing framework to assess the validity of the conditional independence assumption.

Causal random forest for time varying covariates

Lead PI: Xichen Mou

Sponsor:

Brief: In epidemiology, traditional approaches such as marginal structural models primarily focus on estimating average treatment effects. In this work, we implement causal random forests to estimate conditional average treatment effects in the presence of time-varying covariates. The proposed approach is expected to reduce bias and variance while heterogeneity across individuals.

Clustering and joint clustering

Lead PI: Hongmei Zhang

Sponsor: NIAID/NIH

Brief: Use probability models to (jointly) group subjects and variables such that those variables have a similar association with an external variable of interest, e.g., age or time. The goal is to improve the homogeneity in clusters with respect to the association of allergic sensitization over time, as well as DNA methylation patterns at different loci.

Graphical modeling

Lead PI: Hongmei Zhang

Sponsor:

Brief: Develop methods to construct Bayesian network and compare directed and undirected networks from multiple populations. The concert work of genetic variants and of epigenomic features on health outcomes and its connection to the identification of genetic/epigenetic markers motivated this project.

Network-based clustering

Lead PI: Hongmei Zhang

Sponsor: NIAID/NIH

Brief: Develop methods to cluster observations based on topology.

Variable selections

Lead PI: Hongmei Zhang

Sponsor: NHLBI/NIH

Brief: Develop variable selection methods with the ability to select variables in linear regressions via improvement of Zellner’s g-prior. Data collected in various studies are sometimes accompanied by measurement errors or misclassifications, e.g., gene expression data or self-reported smoking status. Incorporating the errors into the analytical model has the potential to improve the analysis quality.

Areas that the above methods applied to:

Allergic diseases including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis, lung function, and their related risk factors.
Obesity and related risk factors.
DNA methylation patterns and its change over time (DNA methylation is basically an addition of a methyl group, a chemical group, to a DNA molecule).
Single nucleotide polymorphisms, DNA methylation, and gene expressions with respect to their joint effects.

All the projects could not succeed without tremendous contribution from the great graduate students. Related publications can be found on the CV (students authors are marked by *)
CV Link: https://www.memphis.edu/publichealth/pdfs/hongmei-zhang-cv.pdf

Environmental Health

Hope House HOPWA

Lead PI: Debra Bartelli

Sponsor: Hope House Day Care Center Inc./ US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Brief: Hope House will provide tenant-based rental assistance and wrap-around, intensive case management services to HIV+ individuals to improve health outcomes and increase viral suppression. Dr. Bartelli provides data analysis and program evaluation.

Field Validation Mini Thermal Desorption Samplers

Lead PI: Chunrong Jia

Sponsor: Shelby County Health Department/ US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Brief: The overall goal is to validate low-cost, miniature thermal desorption (TD) samplers for sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), two major organic pollutants, in the ambient air and demonstrate their applicability for community-scale air toxics ambient monitoring (CSATAM) programs.

Establishing a "Birth Cohort" of Homes: Investigating Changes in VOC Composition of Indoor Air in New Housing as it Becomes Occupied

Lead PI: Chunrong Jia

Sponsor: Harvard University (HU)/The JPB Foundation

Brief: This project aimed to investigating changes in VOC composition of indoor air in new housing as it becomes occupied.

Memphis Child Advocacy Center Counseling Services Outcome Evaluation

Lead PI: Debra Bartelli

Sponsor: Memphis Child Advocacy Center (MCAC)

Brief: The Memphis Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is contracting with The University of Memphis to conduct an analysis of the CAC's counseling center data, including both process (number and type of services, participant demographics) and outcome (NCATrak, parent knowledge, parent satisfaction) data. The analysis will be compiled into a report in two formats: written narrative (PDF) and presentation (PowerPoint).

Effect of Ambient Heat and Meteorological Variables on Chronic Kidney Disease Progression among US Veterans

Lead PI: Abu Mohammed Naser Titu

Sponsor: NIH

Brief: Several epidemiological studies have identified links between high ambient heat and chronic kidney disease (CKD) globally, particularly in Central America, South and Southeast Asia. Epidemiological studies have also explored the association between ambient heat and CKD or acute kidney injury-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and mortality in the US. Nevertheless, these studies provide limited understanding of 1) whether the ER visit or hospitalization is due to new-onset CKD or deterioration of existing CKD, 2) if other meteorological variables such as humidity and precipitation modify the relationship between ambient temperature and CKD development, and 3) mechanistic pathways of how ambient heat influences CKD.

Inhalational Exposure to Microplastics from Clothing Made from Synthetic and Natural Fabrics

Lead PI: Chunrong Jia

Sponsor: National Cotton Foundation

Brief:

Characterizing elemental signatures of tires

Lead PI: Chunrong Jia

Sponsor: Freedom Together Foundation/Harvard University

Brief:

Data and Impact Analysis for Greenwood Healthy Homes Production (GHHP) Grant Program

Lead PI: Chunrong Jia

Sponsor: HUD/City of Greenwood

Brief:

Cook Well, Be Well

Lead PI: Debra Bartelli

Sponsor:

Brief: An evaluation of Church Health’s program to introduce the Mediterranean Diet and the XX Model to improve participant’s health and well-being.

Dr. Edmore Madondo, at the time a PhD student, was the data analyst for this project. The project resulted in an APHA paper presentation and a recently published article:

Madondo, E. (2025, Nov. 2-5). Evaluation of the Effectiveness of “Cook Well, Be Well” Nutrition Education and Cooking Class Program in Promoting Health Dietary Habits. [Conference Presentation]. APHA, Washington, DC.
Madondo, E., Moore, S., Huffstetler, G., Kaufman, E., Odom, B., Boone, K., ... & Bartelli, D. (2026). Evaluation of the effectiveness of nutrition education program in promoting healthy dietary habits in Memphis, Tennessee: a quasi-experimental pilot study. BMC Public Health.

Memphis Lead Scan and Accountability Map

Lead PI: Debra Bartelli

Sponsor:

Brief: An environmental scan of the network of organizations, agencies, policies and procedures related to lead exposure identification and abatement in Shelby County.

MPH student, Logan Longo assisted with data collection (structured interviews) and analysis. The project resulted in an oral presentation at a local conference.

Bartelli, D., Palarapu, N., Longo, L. (2025, June 23). Memphis Lead Coalition Environmental Lead Scan: An Overview of Key Findings and Insights. [Oral Presentation]. Healthy Homes Partnership Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN.

Division of Health System Management and Policy (HSMP)

Examining the impact on health and racial equity of states' preemption of workers' rights, with a focus on communities of color in the U.S. South

Lead PI: Courtnee Melton-Fant

Sponsor: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Brief: Preemption of worker’s rights policies is a racial and health equity issue, particularly in the American South where workers’ rights preemption is more prominent. This project utilizes mixed methods to examine the effects of workers’ rights preemption on community organizations, state and local policymakers, and citizens.

Applying a Critical Lens to use of Research Evidence in a State Policymaking

Lead PI: Courtnee Melton-Fant

Sponsor: William T. Grant Foundation

Brief: As scholarship on the use of research evidence grows, the use of critical lenses has largely been absent.1 Although we live in a racialized society, the previous literature insinuates that the development, translation, and use of research evidence is colorblind. This colorblind approach limits our ability to understand URE in the larger social, political, and cultural context that it takes place and may reinforce existing racial hierarchies.2 Guided by critical race theory and the theory of racialized organizations, the study will use observation and critical discourse analysis to examine deliberations on two pieces of legislation by the Tennessee state legislature - the TANF Opportunity Act and the Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program.

Structural and political impediments to improving health outcomes in the US South

Lead PI: Courtnee Melton-Fant

Sponsor: The Commonwealth Fund

Brief: The South has a unique political, cultural, and historical context that shapes its contemporary patterns in health. This project uses mixed methods to examine structural and political impediments to improving health equity and health systems in the US South with a particular focus on state fiscal capacity and state health planning.

Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)

Expanding Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Psychosocial Services for Homeless and Veterans with Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Tennessee (BVI-MAT)

Lead PI: Satish Kedia

Sponsor: Buffalo Valley Incorporated (BVI)/ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Brief: This project provides access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and psychosocial services for 340 rural, homeless, and veteren clients in Tennessee. Clients receive comprehensive care at a Buffalo Valley facility, including medication, counseling, recovery support, case management, and transitional housing. We collect critial intake and 6-months outcomes evaluation data using mixed-methods approach.

Enhancing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Services for Ex-Offender and Homeless Women with Opioid Use Disorder in Tennessee (MHI-MAT)

Lead PI: Satish Kedia

Sponsor: Mending Hearts, Inc./ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Brief: This project serves 500 ex-offender and homeless women in need of treatment for for opioid use disorder. Mending Hearts, Inc. will provide medication, behavioral therapy, counseling, and recovery support across a full continuum of care. We collect intake and 6-months outcomes evaluation data using mixed-methods approach.

Expanding substance abuse/co-occurring treatment and recovery support services for fentanyl overdose clients in rural middle Tennessee

Lead PI: Satish Kedia

Sponsor: Buffalo Valley Incorporated (BVI)/ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Brief: This project addresses the fentanyl overdose crisis in middle TN and will treat 240 rural clients at high risk for overdose. Buffalo Valley, Inc. will provide assessment and treatment for SUD/COD, including psychosocial therapies, harm reduction, and transitional housing. We collect intake and 6-months outcomes evaluation data using mixed-methods approach.

Expanding integrated housing, substance abuse/co-occurring treatment, and support services for homeless women in Tennessee by Mending Hearts (MHI-GBHI/Homeless)

Lead PI: Satish Kedia

Sponsor: Mending Hearts, Inc./ Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Brief: This project addresses a gap in access to SUD/COD treatment and housing in the project catchment area. The project serves 350 homeless women over five years. Project clients will receive comprehensive SUD/COD treatment, integrated psychosocial services and case management, transitional housing, and resources to obtain permanent housing. We collect intake and 6-months outcomes evaluation data using mixed-methods approach.

COVID-19 Health Disparities in Communities that are at High-Risk and Underserved

Lead PI: Marian Levy

Sponsor: Shelby County Health Department

Brief: The School of Public Health research team is partnering with the Shelby County Health Department, Leadership Memphis, and LeMoyne- Owen College as part of the CDC’s National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities. Researchers will measure the short-term impact of strategies to improve vaccine uptake among vulnerable populations in nine (9) zip codes of highest transmission and lowest vaccine uptake compared to other Memphis MSA zip codes. A mixed methods approach incorporates community leader interviews and interviewer-administered surveys to assess the impact of a culturally-tailored, multi-channel messaging campaign addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Ending the HIV and Stigma Syndemic: Re-framing Health Education Content for Southern Black Churches

Lead PI: Latrice Pichon

Sponsor: Center For Disease Control (CDC)

Brief: In collaboration with local faith leaders, local community and academic mentors, and the TN Department of Health (TDH), the objective of this proposal is to develop and evaluate the implementation of a faith-based intervention to increase testing (“diagnose”) and reduce HIV transmission (“prevent”) among racial/ethnic communities disproportionately affected by HIV in the Memphis area.

Collaborating with Faith Leaders of the Deep South to End the Epidemic of HIV Stigma

Lead PI: Latrice Pichon

Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Brief: Using community-based participatory research and personal accounts of internalized HIV stigma and how depictions of church hurt shape the perspectives of faith leaders and their call to action to address stigma through conducted planning meetings and hosted faith summit to address HIV stigma.

Implementation of Rapid HIV Testing and Linkage to HIV Treatment or Prevention Among Vulnerable Populations in Tennessee

Lead PI: Latrice Pichon

Core Component

Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center/Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Brief: Rapid ART intervention
The aims of this study are: 1) To construct a comprehensive process map of the steps between a positive HIV screening test and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for individuals newly diagnosed with HIV in Shelby County; 2) To refine the implementation of a rapid linkage to HIV care and ART initiation model and; 3) To iteratively measure implementation outcomes during the pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation periods.

Additional Component

Sponsor: Meharry Medical College (MMC)/Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Brief: Rapid PrEP and linkage to care at SSPs

This project is in collaboration with Dr. Cooper (Meharry) and the overarching goal of this project is to integrate HIV prevention (testing and PrEP; pre-exposure prophylaxis) in the continuum for care for people who inject drugs (PWID) attending syringe services programs (SSPs) that overcomes identified multi-level barriers.

More Info

Awarded Projects (Unpublished page to be reviewed)

Epidemiology

Biostatistics

Environmental Health