Past Trainees

Mentor(s): Mentors: S. Justin Thomas, PhD and Gabriela Oates, PhD
Year Appointed: 2025
Predoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Frank Puga, PhD and Karen Heaton, PhD
Year Appointed: 2025
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Patricia Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN and Felesia Bowen, PhD
Year Appointed: 2025
Predoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Gabrielle Rocque, MD MSPH, Kelly Kenzik, PhD and Andres Azuero, PhD
Year Appointed: 2025
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Kristy Broman, MD, MPH
Year Appointed: 2024
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Larry Hearld, PhD
Year Appointed: 2024
Predoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Renee Heffron, PhD
Year Appointed: 2024
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Lauren Walter, MD, Ellen Eaton, MD, Karen Cropsey, PsyD, and Davis Bradford, MD
Year Appointed: 2024
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Mentors: Kaylee Crockett, PhD and Christina Muzny, MD
Year Appointed: 2023
Predoctoral Fellow
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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Mentor(s): Nick Odom, PhD, MSN, MA, RN, ACHPN, FPCN
Year Appointed: 2022
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Burel Goodin, PhD
Year Appointed: 2022
Predoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Daniel Chu, MD
Year Appointed: 2022
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Herbert Chen, MD, and Kristy Broman, MD, MPH
Year Appointed: 2022
Postdoctoral Fellow
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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

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

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)

Mentor(s): Patricia A. Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN, Wendy Landier, PhD, MSN, and Adelais Markaki, PhD, MSN, MA-Med Anthropology
Year Appointed: 2022
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Mentor(s): Smita Bhatia, MD, and Donna Murdaugh, PhD
Year Appointed: 2021
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Mentor(s): Gareth Dutton, PhD and Sarah-Jeane Salvy, PhD
Year Appointed: 2020
Predoctoral Trainee
Research Project: Social networks, obesity, and stigma

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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. 

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