SROP Faculty Research Public Health - Graduate College

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Public Health

UI graduate faculty research projects in Public Health currently available to SROP scholars. This list does not represent all faculty interested in being mentors. Please check the Public Health faculty website for additional research interests.

Persuasion, Campaigns and Health Communication

Principal Investigator	Dr. Shelly Campo, Assistant Professor, Department(s): Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health Interdisciplinary Program(s): Communication Studies
Research Description	To conduct empirical research on communication to change beliefs, attitudes, behaviors and norms surrounding health behaviors related to any of the following topics: alcohol use and violence prevention among college students, occasional/social smoking, and colorectal cancer screening campaigns.
Undergraduate Role	Assistance with data collection, data analysis, literature reviews and other tasks as needed.
Minimum Qualifications	3.0 gpa, basic statistics and/or research methods; social science related theory course preferred; majors in social sciences (e.g., communications, psychology, sociology) or health related disciplines welcome.
Contact Information	(Telephone) 319-384-5393 (Fax) 384-5385 (Email address) shelly-campo@uiowa.edu University website for Dr. Shelly Campo

Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases

Principal Investigator	Gregory Gray, Professor, Department(s): Epidemiology, College of Public Health Interdisciplinary Program(s): Director, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Research Description	Learn about viral risk factors of disease; Epidemiological field opportunities, viral culture techniques, viral RNA and DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction, and gel electrophoresis.
Undergraduate Role	Work with and learn from Center team in the field and in the laboratory with the possibility of an independent project.
Minimum Qualifications	Biological science major with a desire to learn laboratory and field epidemiology techniques.
Contact Information	319-384-5008 gregory-gray@uiowa.edu Professor Gregory Gray

Assessment of Nanoparticles in the Workplace

Principal Investigator	Patrick O'Shaughnessy, Associate Professor Department(s): Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health
Research Description	Determine whether nanoparticles are found in concentrations high enough to be a hazard to workers' health.
Undergraduate Role	Help with design and administering lab-based experiments to aerosolize nanoparticles, compare instruments, and test filters.
Minimum Qualifications	Willing to be interested in the project to the point of developing your own ideas of how the research should be performed.
Contact Information	319-335-4202, (Fax) 335-4225 patrick-oshaughnessy@uiowa.edu Patrick OShaughnessy

Assessment Methods for Nanoparticles in the Workplace

Principal Investigator	Patrick O'Shaughnessy, Associate Professor Department(s): Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health
Research Description	Determine which instruments are most useful for assessing nanoparticles in workplaces. Determine whether respirators are effective capturing devices for nanoparticles.
Undergraduate Role	Help with laboratory work. Generation and measurement of nanoparticles (particles in the air with diameter less than 1 micron).
Minimum Qualifications	Willing to be inquisistive, energetic, and detailed.
Contact Information	319-335-4202, (Fax) 335-4225 patrick-oshaughnessy@uiowa.edu Patrick OShaughnessy

Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center

Principal Investigator	Anne Helene Skinstad, Director, Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center Department(s): Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health
Research Description	Conduct empirical research related to issues of substance use, abuse, and dependence. Specific interests are: substance abuse in women, prevention and treatment with substance abusing women. Assessment of workforce development issues in substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Undergraduate Role	Participate in on-going research projects.
Minimum Qualifications	Interest in prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.
Contact Information	(Telephone) 319-384-5394, (Fax) 384-5385 (Email address) anne-skinstad@uiowa.edu University website for Dr. Anne Helene Skinstad

Analysis of Hyper-variable Genes in Streptococcus Agalactiae (group B streptococcus)

Principal Investigator	Tara Smith, Assistant Professor Department(s): Epidemiology, College of Public Health
Research Description	Learn about bacterial causes of disease; gain experience with bacterial culture and identification,DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis.
Undergraduate Role	Work together initially with other members of the laboratory to learn methods and read important articles; thereafter, continue with an individual project under supervision.
Minimum Qualifications	Coursework in biology, specifically molecular biology. Knowledge of microbiology preferred.
Contact Information	319-384-5775, (Fax) 384-5004 tara-smith@uiowa.edu Tara Smith

Additional research opportunities in Public Health

Dr. Rachel Anderson, Health Management and Policy
Work continues on the development of evaluation strategies for children's mental health services focusing on the integration of health systems. Students could be involved in a variety of research and policy-related activities.

Dr. Barry Greene, Health Management and Policy
Dr. Greene is interested in studying the relationship between geographic factors and the use of promotion and preventive health services. There are different ways or methodologies for studying these variables, and he is particularly interested in testing some of these alternative methods. This involves studying people who are from Iowa and will eventually examine people from other states as well. Health care by its very nature is a relational variable in that it involves patients and providers who are separated by many types of spatial factors. Those factors are what will be studied as they relate to different forms of cancer.

Also, Dr. Greene is the PI on a project that relates to the referral relationships between chiropractors (DCs) and conventional medical doctors (MDs). The majority of DCs see themselves as "primary care providers" as do certain types of MDs such as family practice physicians. These relationships are particularly important in light of implications for primary care services in general and some of the legislation that is being proposed in the Veterans Affairs medical systems where DC would be admitted to the staff as direct contact providers

Dr. Corinne Peek-Asa, Injury Prevention Research Center, Occupational and Environmental Health
Dr. Peek-Asa conducts a broad research program in injury control and prevention through the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center. The Center examines all aspects of injuries as a health issue, including unintentional (e.g. motor vehicle crashes) and intentional (e.g. domestic violence) injuries and ranging from critical care to disability. Dr. Peek-Asa has specific opportunities in the areas of workplace violence, domestic violence, rural traumatic injury, and geographical mapping applications.

Dr. Paul Romitti, Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders, Epidemiology
Dr. Paul Romitti directs the Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders. The Registry is a statewide program to monitor the occurrence of selected disorders, to investigate genetic and environmental risk factors for these disorders. Ongoing projects in the Registry provide students the opportunity to participate in epidemiologic, laboratory, and education-based research.

Dr. Robert Wallace, Center on Aging, Epidemiology
There are opportunities to work in the area of the study of aging processes and their effects on the causes of disease and disability. Conditions include cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia (Alzheimer's disease). Activities include doing analyses of data that will search for disease causes, participating in the conduct of clinical trials related to the prevention of osteoporosis, fractures, and breast and colon cancer.

Students interested in research fellowships in public health are encouraged to contact individuals listed.