Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Addressing Nonignorable Missing Data And Heterogeneity In Prognostic Biomarker Assessment, Xinran Huang, Ruosha Li, Jing Ning, For The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Covariate-specific and time-dependent area-under-curve (AUC) is often used to evaluate the discriminative performance of biomarkers with time-to-event outcomes, particularly when certain covariates influence biomarkers' accuracy. In biomarker research, despite extensive efforts, missing data remain unavoidable, with nonignorable missingness posing significant challenges. This article focuses on estimating the impact of covariates on time-dependent AUC in the presence of nonignorable missing biomarkers. Assuming a parametric model on the missing probability, we leverage instrumental variables to address the identifiable issue and estimate the unknown parameters. We integrate the inverse probability weighting approach into the score equation of a pseudo partial likelihood for estimation …

A Bilingual Ai-Based Chatbot For Nutrition Education In A Food Is Medicine Intervention For High-Risk Pregnant Women: Design And Development Study, Lorena Macias-Navarro, Nalini Ranjit, Gregory W Bounds, Brendon A Providence, Yesmeena Shmaitelly, Naomi M Tice, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Conversational agents (artificial intelligence [AI]-based chatbots) offer a novel approach to health interventions by providing personalized, adaptive interactions that improve over time based on user engagement. In nutrition education, given the wide variation in knowledge, skills, and abilities across participants, AI-based chatbots have the potential to enhance accessibility, engagement, and behavior change. Food is Medicine (FIM) interventions, which aim to improve food security and diet quality among multicultural, at-risk populations, often face challenges related to sustained engagement and use.

Objective: This paper describes the design, development, and iterative refinement of a bilingual AI-driven nutrition chatbot integrated into an FIM …

Leading With Hope: A Clinical Communication Campaign To Promote Partner Hiv Testing In Assisted Partner Notification And Antenatal Care Programs In Uganda., Emily A. Hurley, Violet Gwokyala, Linda Kisaakye Nabitaka, Jolly Beyeza Kashesya, Mercylynn Agasha, Florence Namaganda, Nikolaus Schuetz, J Nalubega Ross, Joseph K B Matovu, Rhoda Wanyenze, Glenn Wagner, Kathy Goggin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Among heterosexual couples in sub-Saharan Africa, fears of relationship dissolution and inability to bear healthy children following an HIV-positive result remain barriers to HIV testing. Recently expanded availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) affords a critical opportunity to promote HIV testing with reassuring communication that highlights use for relationship preservation and healthy childbearing. We aimed to develop a theoretically-grounded communication intervention to promote partner HIV testing within assisted partner notification (APN) and antenatal care (ANC) programs in Uganda. Through an 18-month iterative co-creation process, we developed the HOPE Clinical Communication Campaign (HOPE-CCC) in collaboration with a project advisory board (PAB) of …

Treatment And Interventions For Sexual Assault In Humanitarian Contexts: Addressing Gaps In Refugee And Idp Camp Care In Myanmar, Erin Nash

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) remains a pervasive yet under-addressed issue in humanitarian settings. Refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) camps along the Thai– Myanmar border represent a complex nexus of protracted displacement, ethnic conflict, and limited access to medical and psychosocial care. Although the prevalence of sexual assault in these contexts is well-documented, there is a critical gap in the literature regarding effective, context-specific treatment and intervention strategies. This capstone project conducts a comprehensive review of existing research on sexual assault care in humanitarian crises worldwide and assesses its applicability to displaced ethnic minorities from Myanmar. The analysis considers …

Plan To Develop A Theory-Based Diabetes Social Media Campaign For Spanish-Speaking Adults In Finney County, Ks: Integration Of A Promotora, Focused Discussion Groups, And Community Feedback To Ensure Cultural Appropriateness, Julevi P. Bernido

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) shows that over 11% of adults in Finney County, Kansas, have diabetes, which surpasses both state and national averages. Census data from 2016-2020 indicate that 42.6% of residents ages five and older speak a language other than English at home, and 36.1% speak Spanish (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). The CHNA further highlights concerns about language and cultural barriers to care, especially among the Spanish-speaking population. Notably, 21.74% of residents have limited English proficiency—much higher than the state’s 12.1% (CHNA, 2025).

This capstone will develop a theory-based social media campaign plan to support …

Gestational Diabetes And Social Determinants Of Health In Black Women, Darianne Greenwood

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) poses significant health risks, specifically increasing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes post-delivery, as well as increasing the risk of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. Black women, in particular, experience disproportionately higher rates of GDM incidence, severity, and complications in comparison to White women. Biological factors alone do not account for these disparities, necessitating a deeper examination into how systemic factors, particularly the social environment, influence these inequitable health outcomes. The purpose of this comprehensive literature review is to answer the question: “How do the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), such as residential segregation, food …

A Literature Review Of Estrogen Synthesis And Metabolizing Enzymes Produced By The Human Gut Microbiome And Their Correlation With Cancer, Rebecca Cederberg

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The link between estrogen and cancer initiation or progression has been well established; such that the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO IARC) has classified several estrogen therapies and estrogenic compounds as group 1 carcinogens. Estrogen and/or its receptors have been associated with reproductive cancers such as breast, ovarian, endometrial, and prostate, as well as lymphomas, lung, and colon cancers. Additionally, elevated levels of estrogen and altered gut microbiomes are also associated with increased rates of breast cancer. More recently, microbial genes that are capable of synthesizing estrogen and deconjugating estrogen metabolites have been identified, and …

Social Correlates Of Trauma And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Importance Of Context, Lukoye Atwoli, Linnet Ongeri

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Understanding trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a contextual perspective that considers historical legacies, social environments, and cultural realities. This paper draws on empirical evidence from Kenya and Uganda to demonstrate the limitations of applying trauma frameworks developed in high-income countries to African contexts. Findings from the Orphaned and Separated Children’s Assessment Related to Their Health and Well-Being (OSCAR) study challenge assumptions about care environments. The study reveals higher PTSD rates among orphans in family-based settings compared to institutional care, and highlights the protective roles of religion and social support. The Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations-Psychosis (NeuroGAP-Psychosis) study provides …

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Food Access, Housing, Religious Community, And Health Care Access Reflection, Celene Philip, Michaela Kizy, Haley Montgomery, Akash Dantuluri, Josh Hailo, Abdel Kareem Hilo, Shadi Charara, Sarah Schenck

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Financial And Transportation Barriers, Hassan Hachouche, Matthew Spaulding, Mark Garmo, Michael Hwang, Alondra Prado, Abigail Margolis

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Social Determinants Of Health: Food, Transportation, Healthcare Facilities And More, Eboni Sawyer, Jesse Hawkins, Sephora Dafinescu, Andrew Robinson, Dev Patel, Sara Mccurry, Lauren Collins, Brandon Rogers

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Education Access/Quality, Economic Stability, Built Environment/Infrastructure And Team Reflection, Alan Carbajo, Samiollah Mohammad, Muhammed Zahriyeh, Grace Drexel, Aster Disbrow, Reagan Recchia

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Employment, Education, Fitness, Healthy Food, Pharmacies, And Reflection, Annika Tekumulla, Vamsi Gollapalli, Sebastian Reczek, Alston Prabhu, Matthew Haerens, Ashna Mehra, Susan Dong, Madison Martin

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Observation And Reflection Of Food Availability, Housing, Public Spaces, Recreation, And Healthcare In The Community, Celestino Mangulabnan, Melanie Kajy, Gabriel Hay, George Naguib, Arya Mohanty, Schednah Laraque, Charles Dickson

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Education, Access To Healthy Foods, Neighborhood & Physical Environment, Economic Stability, Taylor Brown, Tanya Bhardwaj, Sara Komaiha, Duncan Mcleod, Jonah Harman, Jai Kukreja, Dominic Marsalese, Elizabeth O'Brien

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Neighborhood & Built Environment, Social & Community Context, Health Care Access & Quality, Courtney Alexander, Sarah Okeke, Bashar Jawich, Joshua Weiss, Shoshana Leflein, Mitchell Finesilver, Liz Ana Palacios

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Food Insecurity, Transportation, And Educational Scarcity, Cindy Shkembi, Adithi Voleti, Sumayah Ahmed, Amogh Govind, Rafid Farjo, Ravel Ray, Jerick Kim, Chidera Orabueze

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Sdoh Needs: Food And Community Spaces Reflection, Mohamed Attie, Katie Gahn, Maggie Lomasney, Emerson Woodbury, Muhammad Hatim, Justinas Sapiega, Isaac Agranoff, Braysila Ford

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Income, Education, Food Insecurity And Reflection, Tonia Jones, Habib Serhan, Shriya Karmarkar, Arham Kaiser, Mohammad Turaani, Andre Yazhbin, Jacob Kroll, Jennifer Park

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: The Employment Of Residents In 48203 & Its Impact, Mahmood Sanad, Michelle Wang, Steven Katzman, Nikhil Uppal, Alvin Dong, Yuting Ruan, Makayla Hickmon, Dhara Patel

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: A Reflection On The Limited Resources Available For A Healthy Lifestyle, Jana Hatahet, Steven Jones, Laila Shatela, Pegi Laci, Anushka Dalvi, Michael Becker, Albert Oh, Anthony Marquez

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Provider Availability, Healthcare Coverage, Access To Healthy Food Options, Income, Neighborhood Walkability, And School/Education Reflection, Kayla Hogan, Elizabeth Ajaero, Muhammad Hashem, Alina Ciesielski, Amanda Elashoff, Erik Pedersen, Hamza Mohammad, Tyler Dawson

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Social Determinants In Action: A Field Reflection On Community Health, Jamaica Jordan, Razanne Zaghloul, Raj Khuperkar, Lissette Valdez, Nathan Morren, Cole Duvall, Alexis King

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Education, Environmental Conditions, And Food Insecurities Reflection, Skylar Hall, Badruddin Mahamed, Jenna Andersen, Evan Robyns, Andrew Singh, Julia Correll, Yousef El-Magharbel, Tiffany Adam

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Observation And Reflection Of Transportation Needs, Aaron Crump, Mohamed El-Souri, Rawan Antar, Sriram Garapati, Olivia Fras, Jai Patel, Lucy Zhang, Laya Dasari

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Neighborhood And Built Environment: Facilitating Safety, Community, And Preventative Health, Zachary Hart, Batoul Dabajeh, Maaz Munawar, Josie Mclearen, Theodore Belecciu, Laura Zvinys, Tarek Harhash, Emily Critchfield

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Food Insecurity, Transportation, Healthcare Access, And Reflection, Mariann Hayek, Noah Weslock, Arya Mashraghy, Mahathi Krothapalli, Abhishek Thakur, Fatima Alemam, Kyle Kramer

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Neighborhood, Environment, And Reflection, Olma Tadesse, Kush Amin, Devon Roe, Anjie Dinakin, Matt Minasian, Arisha Arain, Dave Sreedhar, Ashley Yuran

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Food Desert, Walking Infrastructure, And Primary Care Access Observed In 48203, Christina Barchini, Jad Fawaz, Brayden Moore, Emma Pastoor, Samuel Rest, Hamed Selemani

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: 48219 Beyond The Zip Code, Justin Darragh, Adhithi Keerthana Athikumar, Muaaz Akhtar, Dania Zeidan, Nathaniel Edwards, Trina Alimi, Jonah Brand, Beatrice White

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.