Students and postdoctoral scholars from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health (CPH) showcased their work during CPH Research Day, held as part of the 20th Annual Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Spring Conference in early April. The event brought together hundreds of researchers, clinicians, students, and community members to exchange ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
The conference, which also featured Research Days by other UK health colleges and institutes, gave CPH students a platform to connect with peers and professionals across the campus while presenting research that spanned public health practice and healthcare access.
Among undergraduates, first place went to Emma Grace Hague for her project Exploring Changing Infant Health Outcomes in Kentucky. Isabel Schmitt was awarded second place for research on Identifying Barriers and Best Practices in Addressing Unmet Social Needs Influencing Health Outcomes. Third place was shared by Sophie Ciaverelli, who compiled a Cannabis Use Repository by comparing national survey questions, and Sophia Goodin, who did the same for alcohol use surveys.
Graduate student William Burrows earned first place for his exploration of Barriers and Facilitators to Treatment Adherence in patients with heart failure. Hyeeun Shin took second for her study on Caregiver Needs and Re-Entry Among Children in Out-of-Home Care. Mason Taylor and Brayden Ward won third for their work developing Resource Guides Connecting Kentucky’s Communities.
“I believe that integrating the CPH Research Day into the annual CCTS Spring Conference enhances our public health students' sense of belonging within the broader university research community,” said Svetla Slavova, PhD, who leads research efforts at CPH. “Personally, it is incredibly inspiring to witness the students' excitement as they share their findings and learn from others. It is a joy to see our students thrive in such a supportive environment.”
This year’s CCTS Conference featured keynote speakers Dr. Linda Collins of New York University and Dr. Chris Lindsell of Duke University, who spoke on optimizing intervention design and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in clinical trials, respectively.
The University of Kentucky College of Public Health is undergoing a review by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for re-accreditation. Part of this process includes the invitation to provide third-party comments. Anyone, including students, alumni, employers, community partners, etc., is allowed to share relevant information about the college directly with CEPH. If you would like to provide input to CEPH to inform their review, send your comments to submissions@ceph.org by May 4th, 2025.
