Research

The productivity of CPH faculty/staff in the extramural funding arena is important and impressive. CPH faculty/staff research efforts range from bench research activities to community-based research. These efforts are directed at issues that present significant challenges to the health and well-being of Kentuckians including research on; aging-related issues, cancer, injury prevention, occupational safety and health, HIV, and public health systems. In addition, these significant research activities result in numerous opportunities for CPH students to actively engage in the conduct of research during their time at UK.

  • Awards & Grants
  • College Based Centers
  • Faculty Research Interests
  • Assistance with grants/manuscript

Record Year for College of Public Health Research

In the fiscal year just ended (June 30, 2009), the research/extramural funding productivity of the College faculty and staff reached new heights (see table below)!! Three senior members of the College shared their own personal views this record year.

Fiscal Years
Direct
Collaborative
FY03 5,039,673 8,125,668
FY04 4,508,019 6,039,367
FY05 5,932,275 11,462,199
FY06 6,633,278 14,841,330
FY07 7,753,385 19,508,972
FY08 6,835,179 19,408,817
FY09 8,561,908 25,081,955
Awards & Grants

The College of Public Health is achieving outstanding success in the competitive arena of research grants & contracts. College faculty and staff are awarded funding from various agencies and foundations.

Research Procedures
Grant Opportunities

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Faculty and staff associated with the centers are highly involved in research endeavors that complement the educational goals and objectives of the College of Public Health. Research activities conducted by the centers generated over 25 million dollars in 2008-2009 and provided financial support for over thirty student assistantships.

Center for Public Health Systems & Services Research

The Center for Public Health Systems & Services Research (CPHSSR) seeks to explore the impact of specific public health strategies on the quality and performance of the United States public health system. PHSSR is distinct, but related to, the established field of Health Services Research (HSR), which has traditionally focused on the delivery of medical services.

The Center for PHSSR at UK offers grants for researchers, sponsors an annual conference for the discipline, publishes papers and manuscripts and increases the data available for researchers to use in this area. This developing field of research focuses on the organization, staffing, financing and management of public health. Ultimately, the answers uncovered through this body of research will help us be more effective and productive in our mission to improve health status.

Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Research and Policy

In response to the need for organized research efforts directed at issues surrounding the public health workforce, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided, through their Office of Workforce and Career Development in collaboration with the Public Health Foundation, a Center of Excellence in Public Health Workforce Research and Policy (COEWRP) at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

The Center’s mission is to initiate and coordinate strategic efforts to improve the public health workforce through research. The Center identifies workforce databases and catalogues them at the National Library of Medicine’s Public Health Systems and Services Research Resources website, and it provides technical assistance to those wishing to use those databases for public health workforce research. The Center also participates in other scholarly activities concerning workforce research, including data harmonization, providing a venue and support for presentation of research results, and coordination with the current efforts of the University of Kentucky’s Center for Public Health Systems and Services Research.

The Center envisions research outcomes will provide a basis for relevant enhancements and changes in public health policy related to the nation’s public health workforce and the delivery of the essential services. To assist in these efforts, the Center has established a national advisory committee composed of prominent public health leaders and researchers who recognize the importance of strategic research in achieving Essential Public Health Service #8: Assure a competent public and personal health care workforce.

Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center

The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) works with Kentucky communities and the state’s Department for Public Health to promote the reduction of injuries along with related disabilities and deaths. In addition to the state’s injury prevention program and CDC-funded core injury surveillance, KIPRC activities include an occupational injury and fatality program funded by grants from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; pediatric and adolescent injury prevention programs funded by state, federal, and foundation grants; a broad-ranging community outreach program that includes full-time staff in Rowan and Whitley Counties; a CDC-funded program to foster and evaluate injury coalition development; and the development and implementation of Kentucky’s Violent Death Reporting System, another CDC-funded initiative. KIPRC is located at 333 Waller Avenue and welcomes inquiries from injury community stakeholders, College of Public Health students, and area residents with an interest in reducing the toll of injury statewide.

Rural Cancer Prevention Center

A CDC-supported research center and part of the national Prevention Research Centers program, guided by CPH faculty, with assistance from faculty in other academic units, including UK’s College of Medicine. The research focus in the UK RCPC is cancer prevention and control, with an emphasis upon community-based participatory research. The Center’s primary research project will focus on cervical cancer prevention, through increasing dissemination of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine.

Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention

The mission of the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention is "to develop and sustain an innovative program of research, education, and health services to prevent work-related illness, injury and to improve the safety and health of agricultural workers and their families in the Southeastern United States." The Center works in conjunction with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on many projects, including the farmer suicide survey, the ROPS project, or Rollover Protection Structures, and the nurses' agricultural education project. The Center also distributes injury prevention information and offers educational programs to the community designed to address a specific public health issue.

University of Kentucky Center For Prevention Research

The Center for Prevention Research at the University of Kentucky was established in October 1987 with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was the first such center funded by NIDA. The Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation is still funded by NIDA. The Center is a nationally recognized multi-disciplinary social science institute focusing on rigorous scientific investigation into the effects, predictors, and prevention of social behaviors whose abuse carries health costs. The Center is grant-supported and annually conducts a number of research projects on the local, state, and national levels for public and private agencies. The Center for Prevention Research is sponsored by the University of Kentucky, one of only 42 Carnegie Research I institution in North America. As a multi-disciplinary research institute, the Center employs experts drawn from the fields of public health, agriculture, geography, planning, psychology, sociology, and other social science fields.

Faculty Research Interests are listed by department.

  • Biostatistics
  • Epidemiology
  • Gerontology
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Services Mgmt.
  • Preventive Med. & Envi. Hlth.

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Branscum webpageDr. Adam Branscum

Development of Statistical Methodology
Evaluating diagnostic tests for classification and prediction
Prevalence estimation
Bayesian nonparametrics

Link to Dr. Breheny webpageDr. Patrick Breheny

Analysis of high-dimensional data
Systems biology
Statistical computing

Link to Dr. Bush webpageDr. Heather Bush

Higher dimensions with data
Registry data
Large observational studies

Link to Dr. Charnigo webpageDr. Richard Charnigo

Methods in Mixture Modeling
Curve estimation as applied to public health

Link to Dr. David Fardo websiteDavid Fardo

Statistical genetics
Genome-wide association studies
Gene-by-environment interaction
Causal inference and statistical methodologies in public health applications

Link to Dr. Kryscio webpageDr. Richard Kryscio

Clustering of disease in space and time

Link to Dr. Mendiondo webpageDr. Marta Mendiondo

Data management and biostatistical analysis in PREADISE, a multicenter Alzheimer's Disease prevention trial

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Browning webpageDr. Steve Browning

Cardiovascular disease epidemiology
Chronic kidney disease
Predictors of CVD in patients with chronic kidney disease
Factors that predict escalation of kidney disease
Previous Interest-Occupational and Environmental Health

Link to  Dr. Figgs webpageDr. Larry Figgs

Cancer epidemiology
Exposure Assessment
Environmental and occupational disease

Link to Dr. Fleming webpageDr. Steve Fleming

Cancer epidemiology: specifically breast and prostate cancer
Effect of co morbidity illness on cancer screening
Treatment patterns for cancer

Link to Dr. Hopenhayn webpageDr. Claudia Hopenhayn

Lung and cervical cancer
HPV
Arsenic
Global Health
Environmental Health
Reproductive Epidemiology

Link to Dr. Mannino webpageDr. David Mannino

Epidemiology of COPD
Asthma
Lung cancer
Health effects related to active and passive smoking

Link to Dr. Tucker websiteDr. Thomas Tucker

Cancer epidemiology
Cancer Surveillance
Social Epidemiology

Photo of Dr. WalshDr. Sabrina Walsh

Suicide: Gender differences in suicide, Teen suicide
Homicide
Intimate partner violence & violent death
Drug and alcohol related violence & violent death
Gun related fatalities
Sudden unexpected infant death
Child abuse and neglect, sudden infant death syndrome, intentional injuries.

Link to Dr. Stephen Wyatt websiteDr. Stephen Wyatt

Cancer prevention & control
Chronic disease prevention and health promotion

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Guttmann webpageDr. Rodney Guttmann

Traumatic brain injury
Alzheimer's
General neural injury

 

Link to Dr. Jacobs-Lawson webpageDr. Joy Jacobs-Lawson

Life planning decision making
Cancer

Link to Dr. Rowles webpageDr. Graham Rowles

Institutional permeability
How nursing home residents are linked to outside
Meaning of place for older people
Affects of separation from home
Ethical issues of separation
Kentucky Elder Readiness Initiative

Link to Dr Symon webpageDr. T. Brock Symons

Preservation of lean body mass through the promotion of skeletal muscle anabolism, the restoration of skeletal muscle function, the enhancement of functional daily performance, and the development and refinement of methods used for such studies in older adults.
Potential benefit of high force eccentric contractions on the debilitating effects of sarcopenia
The use of essential amino acids to prolong the time to exhaustion.

Link to Dr. Teaster webpageDr. Pamela Teaster

Rights of vulnerable adults
Abuse of older adults
Public guardianship
Women who were government girls of WW II

Link to Dr. Watkins webpageDr. John Watkins

Population Aging
Life course dynamics
Theoretical and Mathematical Demography

Link to Dr. Zanzani webpageDr. Faika Zanjani

Health promotion and mental illness
Health outcomes for people with mental illness
Health services utilization and adherence to appointments

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Alexander webpageDr. Linda Alexander

Influences of cultural nuances on health behaviors
Health disparities
Protective factors of cultures

Photo of Dr. ClaytonDr. Richard Clayton

Tobacco control
Smoking cessation
Etiology of tobacco use and dependence
Etiology of drug abuse
Prevention

Link to Dr. Crosby webpageDr. Richard Crosby

Prevention of sexually transmitted disease among high-risk populations
HIV among African American
Pregnancy prevention

Link to Dr. Jones webpageDr. Jeffery Jones

Child and adolescent health
HIV/AIDS care and prevention, and cultural competency, identity, and local communities

Link to Dr. Knight webpageDr. Evelyn Knight

Participatory methodologies
Professional development of change agents
Evaluation of state-level health promotion and prevention
Interface between academia and communities
Translation of academic concepts into practice

Link to Dr. Swanson webpageDr. Mark Swanson

Child obesity
Food systems
Farm to school programs
Dietary measurement
Community Based Participatory Research

Link to Dr. Vanderpool webpageDr. Robin Vanderpool

Cancer health disparities among rural and Appalachian populations
Dissemination research, tobacco control, preventative health behaviors, and cancer epidemiology Health services utilization and adherence to appointments

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Costich webpageDr. Julia Costich

Public health policy and law
Public health systems, focusing on public health finance
Injury control
Health information privacy law
Biosketch

 

Link to Dr. Scott Hankins webpageDr. Scott Hankins

Health economics
Government regulations and health
Program evaluation

Link to Dr. Hill webpageDr. Raymond Hill

Workforce development
Evidence based decision making
Biosketch

Link to Dr. Holsinger webpageDr. James Holsinger

Obesity
Decision making issues
Global health issues

Link to Dr. Ireson webpageDr. Carol Ireson

Health informatics
Community based research

Link to Dr. Patton webpageDr. Dana Patton

Reproductive health policy,
Public health systems and services research, and
Implementation and evaluation of health policies

Link to Dr. Pfeifle webpageDr. William Pfeifle

International curriculum design
Quality improvement
Designing materials and training

Link to Dr. Riddell webpageDr. Martha C. Riddell

Quality and performance improvement in public health delivery systems,
eHealth initiatives,
Leadership development and management education

Link to Dr. Scutchfield webpageDr. F. Douglas Scutchfield

Public health systems research
Infrastructure development
Accreditation of health departments
Putting the public back in the public's health
Health Education Extension Leadership (HEEL)
Patient safety
Quality improvement Referral process (how to facilitate the hand-off)
Certificate of need
Establish a professional patient safety organization at the Kentucky hospital association
Biosketch

Link to Dr. John Williams webpageDr. John Williams

Workforce development, particularly in the area of rural public health preparedness
Systems thinking/dynamics,
program monitoring and evaluation research
competency development

Click on the appropriate photo to view their webpage and on their name to send an email.

Link to Dr. Terry Bunn webpageDr. Terry Bunn

Surveillance of occupational injuries and illness
Injury prevention and control in the transportation and construction industries

 

 

Link to Dr. Curd webpageDr. Philip Curd

Corrections system health care
Wellness programs for inmates
Health care in corrections systems (disease mangement)
Wellness and health in prisons

Link to  Dr. Figgs webpageDr. Larry Figgs

Cancer epidemiology
Exposure Assessment
Environmental and occupational disease

Link to Dr. Garman webpageDr. Ray Garman

Hand/upper extremity rehabilitation in worker populations

Link tof Dr. Jessa webpageDr. Peace Jessa

Occupational Medicine, Toxicology, Pharmacology, Hazardous Exposures, Community health initiatives in medically undeserved population

Link tof Dr.Liu webpageDr. Youcheng Liu

Air pollution and cardiovascular disease in China
Indoor exposure to chemicals found in paint
Children's asthma risk
Organic solvent exposure in auto body shops (risk of toxicity)
Respiratory infection in hospital environments

Link to Dr. Mannino webpageDr. David Mannino

Epidemiology of COPD
Asthma
Lung cancer
Health effects related to active and passive smoking

Link to Dr. Prince webpageDr. Timothy Prince

Chronic low-level occupational exposure

Link tof Dr. McKnight websiteDr. Robert McKnight

Occupational injuries and illness among farmers, farm workers, and farm families
Occupational poisonings, injury prevention, and health care access among migrant farm workers

Link to Dr. Stephen Wyatt websiteDr. Stephen Wyatt

Cancer prevention & control
Chronic disease prevention and health promotion

 

Got Data?Graphic image of data analysis

We are pleased to announce the creation of a formal procedure to assist with grants and manuscript development through efforts jointly sponsored by the Dean’s Office and the Department of Biostatistics.

Biostats Consulting Request Form (pdf format)

Utilizing the consulting request form, faculty can receive consultation from research assistants whose primary assignments are in Biostatistics. You will note that in some cases, a request may exceed the skill level of the graduate students; in such cases, the supervising faculty member may redirect the request to a faculty member in the Biostatistics Department with an inquiry of whether a collaborative arrangement with the faculty member is possible.

Also, please bear in mind that there will be a learning curve for these newly accepted students in both their respective roles as a part of the graduate program and in their major research assignments with various faculty. To that end we hope that you will provide us feedback on what is working and/or what may need improvement as we move through the academic year. Please direct any inquiries about the consultants or your particular needs not captured on the form to: Dr. Richard Charnigo