Graduate
December 21, 2022
Evaluating the impact of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Policies in California Jails
Approximately 130 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Those exposed to the criminal legal system (CLS) through arrests and/or incarcerations have high rates of opioid use disorders (OUD) and associated adverse outcomes. Access to medications for OUD treatment (MOUD) during incarceration and post-release increases community engagement in treatment and reduces opioid use and…
Preterm Birth and Cofactors of Survival Time and Time to First Hospitalization in Western Kenya
Abstract: Preterm Birth and Cofactors of Survival Time and Time to First Hospitalization in Western Kenya Olivia Dietz Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Grace John-Stewart, MD, PhD Department of Epidemiology, Medicine, Global Health, and Pediatrics BackgroundAn estimated 10.6% of all births globally are preterm, rising to an estimated12% in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the influence…
Effects of HIV exposure, TB and HIV treatment, and isoniazid preventive therapy on prognosis and growth trajectories of children
Introduction: Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services (PMTCT) have enabled the vast majority of pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH) to give birth to HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children. Evidence suggests that birth weight and birth length are lower in HEU than in HIV unexposed uninfected (HUU) children,…
Integrating epidemiologic and molecular methods to improve vaginal health
Challenges measuring the microbiome and limited incorporation of epidemiologic methods in microbiome science have hindered the progress of vaginal microbiome research, and major questions in the field remain unanswered despite decades of work. This dissertation seeks to address these gaps by describing measurement error and resulting bias in vaginal microbiota research; evaluating the state of…
Correlates of infectious complications of injection drug use among individuals who use drugs in Washington State: An analysis of the 2021 Washington State Syringe Exchange Health Survey
Objectives: Increased use of injection drugs across the United States has likely increased the burden of complications from abscess or skin infections, blood clots or blood infections, and infectious endocarditis (IE) among people who inject drugs (PWID). Among PWID who attended syringe services programs (SSPs) in Washington State, we assessed the prevalence of complications from…
Associations between green space and depressive symptoms in young adults: a longitudinal study
As the number of people living in urban areas rises, it is becoming increasingly important to quantify the relationship between exposure to green space and physical and mental health. Young adulthood in particular is a critical period with profound impacts on health, and often has implications for health outcomes later in life. Our study population…
The association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and HPV vaccination coverage in US young adults: a cross-sectional study
Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect more than half of all children in the United States, and people with ACEs are more prone to various unhealthy situations in adulthood. Access to preventive healthcare services, including HPV vaccinations, may help reduce the impact of ACEs on adverse health outcomes. Our objective was to assess the prevalence…
Association Between Sleep Duration and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in United States Adults and Veterans
INTRODUCTION: Adequate sleep and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are essential components of a healthy lifestyle. A growing body of evidence suggests an association between sleep duration and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption, but it has not been well established in U.S. adults. It’s unclear if this association differs for groups at higher…
Novel Estimation of Genetic Relationship Matrix (GRM) and Comparisons of Different GRMs in Mega- and Meta- GWAS, in the NHLBI TOPMed Program
This dissertation is a collection of statistical tools developed to create genetic relationship matrices for genome-wide association studies, and their application to epidemiological studies of sleep duration in the NHLBI TOPMed program. In chapter one, we proposed a Bayesian method to estimate inbreeding and kinship coefficients, thereby creating a novel Bayesian genetic relationship matrix. In…
Evaluation of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) Study on Population Level Antipsychotic Initiation: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis
Background: Atypical antipsychotics carry a high risk profile and may be prescribed for youth with conditions where other first line treatments are more appropriate. This study aimed to evaluate the population-level effectiveness of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) intervention, which aimed to reduce inappropriate atypical antipsychotic prescribing. Methods: We conducted an interrupted…
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