My Projects
Current Project - Emergency Disaster Response Initiative
Primary Prevention
Wildfires, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and tornadoes change the lives of thousands every year. While the disaster itself is unstoppable, what happens in the days following lies largely in the hands of government and local organizations. Populations are vulnerable and their needs - food, shelter, medications, financial support - are ever increasing. All too often a lack of coordination in response to disasters results in countless unmet needs and unnecessary suffering and even loss of life.
Current Project - Unraveling Genome, Culture, and Religion to Better Understand the Identity of Ashkenazi Jewish Populations
Genetics and Sociology
By exploring the multifaceted relationship between religion, ethnicity, race, and genetics in the identity of AJ populations, the importance of understanding and untangling the aspects of identity may be further illuminated. As all humans have both chosen and inherited aspects of their identity, crises in the understanding of identity affects not just Jewish populations, but all of humanity. While the genome of Jewish populations tells a clear story of the necessity of research to lessen the burden of genetic mutation related diseases, understandings of the complexities of human identity is fundamental to the manner in which modern researchers approach disease prevention and management. Thus, this problem relies on the collaboration of sociologists, biologists, and humanity alike.
Best Practices for Reducing Physician Burnout: A Narrative Review of Program Successes and Institutional Change
Undergraduate Research with Ameena Batada
Despite quantitative and qualitative research revealing the high prevalence and serious consequences of physician burnout in the United States, little is known about the approaches for reducing or eliminating burnout. While burnout reduction programs are vital for providing support, services, and informations to physicians who are experiencing burnout, the effects of the programs are temporary and limited by participation. This study aims to explore the causes of burnout, program successes, and institutional changes through a narrative review of the literature...
Asthma in Black Children: Addressing the Disparity
Academic Research
When a child is born, the child has no control over their skin color, their family, their economic status, their location, or even their early lives. It could be argued that the single greatest indicator of life success is randomly selected for all of us. It is not how hard a person works in school nor how healthy they are. The single greatest determinant of health is - both shockingly and appallingly - skin color (Fauth, 2004). This is particularly true when it comes to the prevalence and severity of illnesses and diseases (Akinbami & Schoendorf, 2002). A black child is twice more likely to develop asthma and three times more likely to dying from it than a white child (Liu & Pearlman, 2012)...
Race, Gender, and Socioeconomic Status and Doctor-Patient Relations
The Power Balance
Race, gender, and socioeconomic status have all been found to play a role in altering the power balance in doctor-patient relationships and impacting the quality of care a patient receives. In circumstances where the doctor is of overall higher status, it has been noticed in high frequency that the doctor dominants conversations and changes the relationship to being more parental than collaborative. Since this type of relationship limits the amount that the patient is willing to discuss issues and ask questions, it considered to be a less desirable type of doctor-patient relationship as it is less likely the patient will get better in a timely fashion. Doctor-patient relations affect everyone and are highly important in living a healthy productive lifestyle, however it is often seen that based on a patient’s appearance they will receive different treatment.
Depression in New Moms
Academic Research
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mental health issue in new mothers. A combination of the high stress, hormonal and physical changes, and new demands experienced through pregnancy and childbirth cause can take a toll on a new mother (Association, 2016). The symptoms of postpartum depression are nearly identical to those of depression, however since this form of depression is paired with childbirth, PPD is often misunderstood by sufferers and society (Romito, 2017)...
Invalidating Racism Through Huckleberry’s Journey
Humanities Writing
When Mark Twain first wrote Huckleberry Finn in 1884, racism was not a rare artifact in the United States. While the slaves had been emancipated in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th amendment, institutional racism was widespread and socially acceptable. Not only were whites considered superior, but perhaps more importantly the notion remained that blacks were less than human. This notion is perpetuated from the black slaves previously being viewed “property”. As differences in skin color are based on variations in skin pigmentation, the concept of race and placing meaning in race is an artifact in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that functions to challenge the culture of 17th century America. Through this novel, “Mark Twain interrogated his culture’s categories and conventions of what it meant to be ‘black” or ‘white’” (Fishkin 79).
Depression Stigma Reduction, "Take Two"
Decreasing Social Isolation
Our intervention was centered around making our campus community feel more together through a have-one-share-one program. Students were ask to grab a treat and take a second to pass on to someone else later in the day. On each treat was additional mental health information and resources.
For more examples of my work, don’t hesitate to reach out.