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Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education Heersink School of Medicine

Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education

Current & Past Trainees

  • Current Trainees

    Elliott Botelho, BA

    Elliott Botelho, BA

    Mentors: Kaylee Crockett, PhD and Christina Muzny, MD
    Predoc; Psychology
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Elliott is a student in the Medical/Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working with Drs. Kaylee Crockett and Christina Muzny. Their research primarily focuses on HIV, eating disorders, and healthcare access and quality within transgender adults. They are a mixed-methods researcher, primarily studying individuals from the Southern U.S.

    Jeffrey Franks, PhD, MSPH

    Jeffrey Franks, PhD, MSPH

    Mentors: Gabrielle Rocque, MD MSPH, Kelly Kenzik, PhD and Andres Azuero, PhD
    Postdoc; Hematology & Oncology
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Jeffrey is a quantitative methodologist who earned both his MSPH and PhD in epidemiology from the UAB School of Public Health. Before and during his doctoral training, he worked as a staff statistician on a health services research team in the UAB Division of Hematology & Oncology. Broadly, his research focuses on the impact of comorbid conditions in patients with cancer. He also has extensive expertise applying advanced epidemiologic methods to clinical data, including large administrative, patient-reported, and electronic medical record databases.

    Jordi Garcia-Diaz, MD

    Jordi Garcia-Diaz, MD

    Mentors: Lauren Walter, MD, Ellen Eaton, MD, Karen Cropsey, PsyD, and Davis Bradford, MD
    Postdoc; Emergency Medicine
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Jordi Garcia-Diaz MD is a Birmingham native and attended the local school systems before attending UAB for college, medical school, and residency. Upon finishing Emergency Medicine residency in 2024, he will start a Research Fellowship under the Primary Mentorship of Dr. Lauren Walter. With the support and funding from the AHRQ T32 program, his research will focus on the efficacy of Naltrexone for patients suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder presenting to the Emergency Department

    Hannah Kumarasamy, MSN, MPH, CNM, WHNP-BC

    Hannah Kumarasamy, MSN, MPH, CNM, WHNP-BC

    Mentors: Patricia Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN and Felesia Bowen, PhD
    Predoc; Nursing
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Hannah is a Nurse-Midwife and Women’s Health/Gender-related Nurse Practitioner who graduated from Lakeview College of Nursing in Charleston, IL with a BSN in 2010, Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, IN with an MPH in 2012, and the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 with an MSN (CNM/WHNP). She served with the U.S. Peace Corps/USAID Global Health Service Partnership in Tanzania for 2-years before then transitioning to global maternal health development work in multiple countries throughout Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Since returning to the U.S. in 2020, she has been practicing at a public safety-net hospital and working with the GA Department of Public Health on maternal mortality. As a third-year PhD student in the School of Nursing, her research is focused on understanding what pregnancy burden is and its contributors and characteristics, to guide the development of a community-informed pregnancy burden model.

    Anais Mahone, PhD, MSW

    Anais Mahone, PhD, MSW

    Mentors: Latesha Elopre, MD, MSPH, Tina Kempin Reuter, PhD, and Donald (Donny) Gerke, PhD, MSW
    Postdoc; Infectious Diseases
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Anais earned her PhD in Social Work from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, following completion of an MSW from Temple University and her undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Anais is interested in investigating and evaluating the policy and political barriers to equity in HIV/STI prevention and care for Black communities in the Deep South. As a doctoral student, Anais supported studies investigating the effects of social networks and stigma on HIV prevention care for Black women. Additionally, she served as project coordinator for an innovative training program designed to increase providers’ knowledge of Black women’s HIV care needs. In her spare time, Anais enjoys being in nature and visiting museums.

    Abigail Poe, PhD

    Abigail Poe, PhD

    Mentor: Frank Puga, PhD and Karen Heaton, PhD
    Postdoc; Nursing
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Abigail (Abbey), originally from Atlanta, Georgia, attended Samford University for undergraduate studies earning a BSN. Prior to beginning her PhD program, she became a registered nurse with a focus on adult and pediatric behavioral health. Abbey has since completed her PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she focused on the relationship between decision-making involvement and daily anxiety and depressive symptoms among Hispanic & Latinx dementia caregivers. Her current research focuses on facilitating improved communication during medical care decision-making processes among the healthcare provider, caregiver, and individual living with dementia.

    Nicole Rademacher, MD

    Nicole Rademacher, MD

    Mentor: Kristy Broman, MD, MPH
    Postdoc: Surgery
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Nicole Rademacher is a general surgery resident interested in health services research. She attended Medical College of Wisconsin for medical school before completing two years of general surgery residency at UAB. She will be pursuing a dedicated research fellowship in surgical oncology health services research under the mentorship of Dr. Kristy Broman and with the support of the AHRQ T32 program. Her research foci include understanding the factors that drive quality of cancer care within regional cancer care markets and health system-level strategies to address regional variation in cancer mortality. During her research fellowship, she will also pursue an MSPH in Outcomes Research.

    Petra Sprik, MPH, MDiv

    Petra Sprik, MPH, MDiv

    Mentors: Larry Hearld, PhD
    Predoc; Health Services Administration
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Petra Sprik is a doctoral student in the Health Services Administration program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). A recent transplant to Alabama, she previously completed her undergraduate studies at Duke University, a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina. Petra’s primary research goal is to improve healthcare quality, outcomes, and affordability by studying the intersection of healthcare worker well-being and patient-centered care. She is informed by seven years of clinical experience as a healthcare chaplain, and the patient experience of living with Type-1 Diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, a competitive Peloton ride, and spending time with her family.

    Rebecca Williams, M.A.

    Rebecca Williams, M.A.

    Mentors: S. Justin Thomas, PhD and Gabriela Oates, PhD 
    Predoc; Psychology
    University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)

    Rebecca is a student in UAB’s Medical/Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. Her research focuses on sleep, circadian rhythms, and health equity. Her dissertation project is assessing neighborhood-level moderators (ADI and EJI) of behavioral sleep medicine treatment response.

  • Past Trainees

    Elizabeth Skipper (Keith), BSN, RN

    Mentor(s): Wendy Landier, PhD, RN, and Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH
    Year Appointed: 2023
    Predoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods research study design, in the setting of a large pediatric oncology service at a major children’s hospital, we propose to examine health literacy and social determinants of health in parents of children with cancer, and how those concepts may affect parental experience receiving education related to their child’s cancer care.

    Noon Eltoum, MD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Anna Sorace, PhD, and Gabrielle Rocque, MD
    Year Appointed: 2023
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Breast cancer and imaging, effects of novel radiological approaches on patient outcomes, and improving healthcare access and quality globally.

    William Bradford, MD

    Mentor(s): Latesha Elopre, MD, MSPH and Ronnie "Matt" Gravett, MD, MSPH
    Year Appointed: 2023
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Research focuses on improving care for patients with co-occurring addiction and infectious diseases. I’m a study clinician on an RCT (HI-SIRI) evaluating a crosstrained ID-addiction team for injection-related infections and the PI of the SEARCH study on the health impacts of drug adulterants. Other work includes HIV care outcomes, opioid use disorder detection via natural language processing, telehealth in HIV care, endocarditis quality improvement, and HIV PrEP use in hospitalized SIRI patients.

    Joshua C.J. Lewis, BA

    Mentor(s): Patricia Drentea, PhD, David Warner, PhD, Verna Keith, PhD, Myles Moody, and Olivio Clay, PhD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Predoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Successful Aging of Black Women from Midlife into Late Life.

    Andrea Davis, MA

    Mentor(s): Gareth Dutton, PhD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Predoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Acceptability of an acceptance-based workshop for weight management.

    Reed Bratches, PhD, MPH, MALS

    Mentor(s): Nick Odom, PhD, MSN, MA, RN, ACHPN, FPCN
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project:

    Joanna Hobson, PhD

    Mentor(s): Burel Goodin, PhD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Predoctoral Fellow
    Research Project:

    Bayley Jones, MD

    Mentor(s): Daniel Chu, MD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project:

    Kelsey Montgomery, MD

    Mentor(s): Herbert Chen, MD, and Kristy Broman, MD, MPH
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project:

    Jaclyn Wall, MD

    Mentor(s): Marie Bakitas, DNSc, CRNP, and J. Michael Straughn Jr., MD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Utilization of Palliative and Supportive Care in Gynecologic Cancer

    Mackenzie E. Fowler, PhD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, and Grant Williams, MD, MSPH
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Focuses on cancer survivorship and how cancer affects the aging process, specifically as older adults continue to age and develop aging-related diseases and sequelae

    Kelly W. Gagnon, PhD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Ellen Eaton, MD
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Implementation of screening and evidence-based practices to address the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

    Courtney E. Sullivan, PhD, APRN, CPNP-AC, CPHON

    Mentor(s): Patricia A. Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN, Wendy Landier, PhD, MSN, and Adelais Markaki, PhD, MSN, MA-Med Anthropology
    Year Appointed: 2022
    Research Project: 

    Tiffany Tucker, MA

    Mentor(s): Smita Bhatia, MD, and Donna Murdaugh, PhD
    Year Appointed: 2021
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project:

    Alena Borgatti, MA

    Mentor(s): Gareth Dutton, PhD and Sarah-Jeane Salvy, PhD
    Year Appointed: 2020
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Social networks, obesity, and stigma

    Juliet Blakeslee-Carter, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Emily Spangler and Adam Black
    Year Appointed: 2020
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Type 3 Endoleaks in Complex Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair within the Vascular Quality Initiative

    Connie Shao, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Daniel Chu and Michael Mugavero
    Year Appointed: 2020
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Disparities in telemedicine and surgical outcomes

    Rachel Skains, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Richard Kennedy, Erik Hess, Alayne Markland, Christopher Carpenter, and Michael Mugavero
    Year Appointed: 2020
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Risk of Delirium with Opioid Use Among Older Adults in the Emergency Department

    Olivia Van Gerwen, MD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Christina Muzny and Nicholas Van Wagoner
    Year Appointed: 2019
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Sexual health promotion and HIV/STI prevention in the transgender population of the Southeastern U.S

    Kathleen Weden, MS, OTR/L

    Mentor(s): Brooks Wingo, Elizabeth Barstow, and Dawn DeCarlo
    Year Appointed: 2019
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Typical Plan of Care for a Child with Cerebral Visual Impairment, Objective Acuity Measure in Children with Cerebral Visual Impairment

    Rachel Wells, PhD, MSN, RN, CNL

    Mentor(s): Marie Bakitas and J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom
    Year Appointed: 2019
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Does One Size fit Everyone (ENABLE DOSE)?: Exploring the Role of Intervention Dose in an Early Palliative Care Intervention

    Ronnie Gravett, MD

    Mentor(s): Jeanne Marrazzo and E. Turner Overton
    Year Appointed: 2018
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Impact of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Sexual Minority Persons Living with HIV in the Era of Treatment as Prevention.

    Yulia Khodneva, MD, PhD

    Mentor(s): Andrea Cherrington, Monika Safford, Elizabeth Jackson, and Emily Levitan
    Year Appointed: 2018
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Understanding and Preventing Heart Failure Decompensations with focus on mental health

    Demario Overstreet, PhD

    Mentor(s): Burel Goodin
    Year Appointed: 2018
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Racial and Socioeconomic Differences in Low Back Pain

    Justin Owensby, PharmD, PhD

    Mentor(s): Jeffrey Curtis and Maria Danilla
    Year Appointed: 2018
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Rheumatology focused topics associated with health outcomes, health behavior change, and information technology

    Kaylee Crockett, PhD

    Mentor(s): Janet Turan and Bulent Turan
    Year Appointed: 2017
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Stigma and its impact on mental health, and physical outcomes among people living with HIV

    Julien Fabrice, PhD

    Mentor(s): Patricia Drentea
    Year Appointed: 2017
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Health Care Utilization Disparities among Immigrant Children: An Interdisciplinary Examination of How Unmet Mental Health Needs Stem from Parent Educational Expectations

    Matthew Mefford, PhD

    Mentor(s): Emily Levitan and Paul Muntner
    Year Appointed: 2017
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Using REGARDS to analyze adjudicated heart failure hospitalizations and classify heart failure subtypes

    Sandhya Mudumbi, MD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Cynthia Brown and Marie Bakitas
    Year Appointed: 2017
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Rate of palliative care and hospice utilization and factors that impact likelihood to receive palliative care: Identifying Palliative Care Needs in End-Stage Liver Disease

    Audrey Wallace, MD

    Mentor(s): Gabrielle Rocque
    Year Appointed: 2017
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Outcomes of patients treated with definitive and palliative intent radiation therapy and patterns of guideline concordant care

    Anthony Campbell, PhD

    Mentor(s): Julie Locher and Andrea Cherrington
    Year Appointed: 2016
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Preventive Health Screening Use among Older Men

    Justin Lord, PhD

    Mentor(s): Robert Weech-Maldonado
    Year Appointed: 2016
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: An Exploration of Nursing Home Financial Distress: Predictors, Causes and Outcomes

    Whitney Rice, DrPH

    Mentor(s): Janet Turan and Bulent Turan
    Year Appointed: 2016
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Pathways in the Effects of HIV-related Stigma on Health Outcomes

    Sarah Rutland, PhD

    Mentor(s): Gabriela Oates and Raegan Durant
    Year Appointed: 2016
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Race Effects of Perceived Weight Status and Its Relationship with Unmet Health Care Need

    Colm Travers, MD, MBBS, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Waldemar Carlo and Meredith Kilgore
    Year Appointed: 2016
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Comparative Effectiveness Trials and Observational Studies of Preterm Infants

    C. Tory Hogan, PhD

    Mentor(s): Larry Hearld
    Year Appointed: 2015
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Hospital Vertical Integration into Sub-Acute Care

    Anand Iyer, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Mark Dransfield and Marie Bakitas
    Year Appointed: 2015
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Psychological comorbidity and Life Space Mobility in COPD; Palliative Care and Caregiver intervention

    Tyler Wahl, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Mary Hawn
    Year Appointed: 2015
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Reduces Disparities in Length-of-Stay for Colorectal Patients

    Ellen Eaton, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Michael Mugavero and Meredith Kilgore
    Year Appointed: 2014
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Clinical Comparative effectiveness of Contemporary antiretroviral therapy

    Haley M. Kendrick, PhD

    Mentor(s): Magdalena Szaflarski
    Year Appointed: 2014
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Religiosity and health among people living with HIV

    Mercedes Morales-Aleman, PhD

    Mentor(s): Isabel Scarinci
    Year Appointed: 2014
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Sexual health promotion among Latina adolescents

    Allyson Varley, PhD

    Mentor(s): Burel Goodin
    Year Appointed: 2014
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Implementation of evidence-based chronic pain management

    Michelle Williams, PhD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Gareth Dutton
    Year Appointed: 2014
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Impact of cervical cancer stigma

    John Donnelly, PhD

    Mentor(s): Henry Wang and Paul Muntner 
    Year Appointed: 2013
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Novel statistical analysis techniques and methodologies to infectious disease-related health services research

    Carla Holcomb, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Mary Hawn
    Year Appointed: 2013
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Identifying and improving quality of care and safety measures of surgical patients

    Kelly Kenzik, PhD

    Mentor(s): Maria Pisu and Wendy Demark-Wahnefried 
    Year Appointed: 2013
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Impact of clinical, demographic, and psychosocial factors and interventions on health outcomes among cancer patients and survivors

    Melissa Mannion, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Kenneth Saag and Jeffrey Curtis
    Year Appointed: 2013
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Long-term outcomes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis

    Kristi Stringer, PhD

    Mentor(s): Janet Turan
    Year Appointed: 2013
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Impact of HIV and addiction stigma on HIV medication adherence and retention in care

    Karen Albright, DO, PhD

    Mentor(s): Nita Limdi and Virginia Howard
    Year Appointed: 2012
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Stroke systems of care, availability of diagnostic and treatment services, and access to acute stroke care

    Monica Aswani, DrPH

    Mentor(s): Meredith L. Kilgore and Nir Menachemi
    Year Appointed: 2012
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Advancements in healthcare delivery processes to improve quality outcomes

    David Buys, PhD, MPH

    Mentor(s): Julie Locher
    Year Appointed: 2011
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Effects of neighborhood on individual health outcomes and on health services utilization

    Megan Petrov, PhD

    Mentor(s): Virginia Howard
    Year Appointed: 2011
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Sociodemographic disparities in sleep health and their relationships to rheumatic illnesses and cardiovascular/metabolic disorders

    Laura Altom, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Mary Hawn
    Year Appointed: 2010
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Assess surgical outcomes of different surgical techniques to guide best practice and prevent surgical complications

    Sarah Ballard

    Mentor(s): Patricia Drentea and Michelle Morrisey
    Year Appointed: 2010
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Healthcare access and receipt of disability benefits

    Greer Burkholder, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Michael Mugavero and Kenneth Saag
    Year Appointed: 2010
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Chronic non-HIV related diseases, multi-morbidity, and aging in HIV-infected patients

    Gabriel Tajeu, DrPH

    Mentor(s): Meredith L. Kilgore and Monika M. Safford
    Year Appointed: 2010
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Identifying and improving current healthcare system limitations

    Caresse Campbell, PhD

    Mentor(s): Maria Pisu and Michael Morrisey
    Year Appointed: 2009
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Economic burden and cost-effectiveness of peer advisors for diabetes

    Charlotte Jones, MD, PhD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Kenneth Saag and Monika Safford
    Year Appointed: 2009
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Quality of care in children with neurological disorder; breakthrough seizures as a quality of care issue for children with afebrile seizure disorder

    Luceta McRoy, PhD

    Mentor(s): Meredith L. Kilgore
    Year Appointed: 2009
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: The effects of direct to consumer advertising on healthcare utilization among Medicaid children with asthma

    Kendra Sheppard, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Cynthia Brown
    Year Appointed: 2009
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Transitions in care in long-term care and nursing homes; advanced illness and multi-morbidity

    Janice Weatherspoon, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Jeroan Allison 
    Year Appointed: 2008
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Health disparities in chronic/end-stage kidney disease

    Joshua Argo, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Mary Hawn and Meredith Kilgore
    Year Appointed: 2007
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Analysis of 2 large data sets to explore decreased access to acute surgical care in rural areas resulting from a surgeon shortage in a complex reimbursement environment.

    Joe Gerald, MD, PhD

    Mentor(s): Norman Weissman and Deborah Levine
    Year Appointed: 2007
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Cost-effectiveness of multi-stage school- based asthma case detection program in an urban school system

    Candice Griffin, PhD

    Mentor(s): Jeroan Allison and Andrea Cherrington
    Year Appointed: 2007
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Association of targeted media messaging with health disparities

    Debra Whisenant, PhD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Meredith Kilgore
    Year Appointed: 2007
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Improving the frequency and process of organ donation after cardiac death

    Todd Brown, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Monika Safford
    Year Appointed: 2006
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Exploration of the geographic & racial differences in the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome using REGARDS Study data

    M.A Goudie, PhD

    Mentor(s): Norman Weisman and Richard Shewchuk
    Year Appointed: 2006
    Predoctoral Trainee
    Research Project: Advanced statistical modeling to determine the association of maternal behaviors such as smoking with higher childhood BMI. 

    Nathaniel Winstead, MD, MSPH

    Mentor(s): Charles Wilcox
    Year Appointed: 2005
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Research Project: Cost-effectiveness of use of erythromycin prior to endoscopy for acute upper GI bleeding; Impact on quality of life of painful chronic pancreatitis