Public Health Showcase celebrates policy success stories, students’ research

More than 100 poster abstracts demonstrating a diverse array of public health topics were featured at the 2024 Public Health Showcase. The event, sponsored by the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, provided an invaluable platform for sharing research, innovative community practices, transformative teaching methodologies, and strategies for workforce development within the realm of public health.

The Public Health Showcase attracted a diverse audience, including University of Kentucky undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, community members, public health practitioners, health insurers, healthcare organizations, community organizations, and state agencies and organizations invested in advancing population health in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond.

"I was delighted by the abundance of abstract submissions covering a diverse array of topics,” said Dr. Svetla Slavova, interim associate dean for research at CPH. “What truly excites me is witnessing our students engage in networking and the benefits from the invaluable feedback provided by faculty, professional staff, and public health practitioners and leaders. It is through fostering such connections, mentorships, and unwavering support for their career aspirations that we empower our students to emerge as future health champions poised to enact meaningful change on a global scale."

Research poster participants could compete in either research or practice and service in Undergraduate or Graduate Masters categories and Doctoral and Post-Doctoral research. Following are the top three in each category.

Undergraduate Research

1. Olivia Allran, “Future Medical Providers' Attitudes And Knowledge About Naloxone”
2. Samantha Jones, “Community Input In Harm Reduction Kiosk Design”
3. Carly Meyers, “Building Bridges Initiative Theory Of Change For Residential Intervention Program Evaluation”

Undergraduate Practice and Service

1. Morgan DeChene-Arvin, “Disaster/Recovery Relief Trip To Puerto Rico”
2. Ashley Grospitch, “Creating A Social Needs Screening And Referral Experiential Learning Opportunity”
3. Julia Heller, “Exploration Of Income-Based Factors Association With Persistent Deficits From Birth” 

Master’s Research

1. Hanan Yusuf, “Examining the Association of Social Vulnerability with Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospitalizations and Mortality in Kentucky”
2. Christopher Otieno, “Association Between Community Racial Composition And Population Health Activities”
3. Orighomisan Agboghoroma, “Cardiovascular Disease Burden Among Adults With Type 1 Diabetes In The US” 

Master’s Practice and Service

1. Mary Elizabeth Pendergrass, “Team Up: CPH Bridging Academia And Practice”
2. Orighomisan Agboghoroma, “An Introduction To Performance Improvement In Public Health: A Practicum Experience”
3. Amanda Beckett, “The Role Of Evaluation In Strengthening Public Health Initiatives: Evaluating Colorectal Cancer Data -- A Public Health Practicum Experience”

PhD Research

1. Todd Burus, What We Missed: Quantifying Undiagnosed Cancer Cases In The Us During Covid-19, March-December 2020”
2. Qi Yan, “Advancing Salivary Biomarker Development with Logistic Regression - Machine Learning”
3. Drew Farr, “Elevated c-Reactive Protein and Difficulty Sleeping are Associated with Greater Likelihood of Depression”

Postdoctoral Research

1. Khine Zin Aung, “Investigating The Genetic Links Between Alzheimer's Disease And Cancer”
2. Jialin Hou, “The Association Between State Medical and Recreational Cannabis Laws and Cannabis Poisoning in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance”
3. Jordan McAllister, “Predicting child maltreatment in South Carolina using county-level indicators”

In addition, Dr. Rachel Hogg-Graham, Associate Professorin the Health Management and Policy department at CPH, was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Mentor for being the main mentor on seven student research posters.

The Department of Biostatistics received the Department Participation Award for the highest participation rate, as 42.4% of the department’s faculty and staff were co-authors on posters presented at the showcase.

The Department of Health, Behavior and Society received the Outstanding Student Mentorship Department Award, with 60% of faculty and staff acting as mentors to student posters.

Prior to the poster session, Dr. Julia Costich, interim Department of Health Management and Policy chair and faculty member, led a panel discussion on “Public Health Policies – Success Stories.” The panel consisted of Laura Eirich, Administrator of the Office of Community Health Workers at the Kentucky Department for Public Health; Dr. Swannie Jett, CEO of Park DuValle Community Health Center; and Dr. Connie White, who practiced OB/GYN in Frankfort before joining the Kentucky Department for Public Health as the Director of the Division of Women’s Health in 2009.

Click here for photos of all the winners; click here to see photos from the Panel Discussion; for photos from the Poster Session, click here for part 1 and click here for part 2. 

For more information on the Public Health Showcase, visit cph.uky.edu/showcase.

Office of Research

CPH’s Office of Research supports the growth of the multidisciplinary and applied research conducted by CPH faculty, staff, and students, leading to new discoveries and improved health of the population in Kentucky, the nation, and globally.

Whether you are an experienced independent investigator, early-career faculty, or a student, we believe you belong here, you can contribute, and you can become part of the growing public health research community. Learn more at cph.uky.edu/research.