Population Science and Policy has been making news!

February 18, 2020

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Message from the Chair

The Strength of Our Team

We, at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Department of Population Science and Policy (PSP), have started 2020 with an even deeper commitment to better understanding and advancing the health, wellness, and development of the residents of central and southern Illinois. I have used previous issues of the Pioneer to express our gratitude to the communities we serve for their innovative ideas and partnership. This appreciation only grows. However, as we unveil the first Pioneer of 2020, I wanted to thank and applaud a different group – our dynamic and talented PSP team.

The work we are doing here at PSP is innovative and exciting. However, the work can also be demanding and challenging. Our efforts require patience, understanding, and risk to ensure that we are working with our communities to truly make an impact. These endeavors demand a lot from our team, and I am proud to say that our PSP faculty and staff not only meet but exceed the highest of expectations. We all feel deeply committed to our socially minded work, and I feel deeply committed to my coworkers.

Each and every member of our PSP team is worthy of an entire page of accolades. Our individual divisions – Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Human and Community Development, Health System Science, and Education – all continue to excel with new projects, new awards, and new funding. However, I do want to highlight a few individuals who have received statewide or national recognition over the past few months.

Wiley Jenkins, PhD, MPH, FACE – Dr. Jenkins, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division Chief, has recently been asked to serve on the Scientific Planning Committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention Conference. Dr. Jenkins has also recently been asked to serve as a reviewer for the journal Translational Lung Cancer Research.

Heather Whetsell, MBA – Ms. Whetsell, PSP Administrative Director, has recently been appointed to serve on the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Congress.

Eric Adjei Boakye, PhD, MA – Dr. Boakye, PSP Assistant Professor, authored an article chosen as one of JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery's best articles of 2019.

Stacy Grundy, MPH – Ms. Grundy, PSP Assistant Instructor, was named an Institute Scholar in the Institute of Translational Research Education in Adolescent Drug Abuse, a collaborative research and education initiative between the University of South Florida and Northern Arizona University, and funded by the National Institutes for Health.

Personally, I have been privileged to be named to the Illinois State Board of Health and selected as a 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholar. Each of these personal accomplishments would not have been possible without the great work happening by the members of our Department.

I am fortunate every day to come to work with a group of innovative, dynamic, talented, and caring individuals. We look forward to continuing to work together, grow stronger, and partner with all of you to improve the health and wellness of central and southern Illinois.

Sincerely,

Sameer Vohra , MD, JD, MA, FAAP

Chair, Department of Population Science and Policy

GRANT NEWS

Curbing Disease among Illinois Opioid Users

PSP and University of Chicago have been awarded a three-year, $5.1 million federal grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project focused on addressing infectious disease transmission among rural residents who inject drugs.

“People living in rural areas are more vulnerable to the opioid crisis, and this project will help us learn why rural opioid use takes such a disproportionate toll,” said Wiley Jenkins , PhD, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division Chief at SIU Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy.

The state’s 16 southernmost counties, referred to as the Illinois Delta Region, share many of the characteristics of rural areas that have experienced recent HIV epidemics. “Based upon PSP’s preliminary work in 2017-19, the project can substantially expand the volume and accessibility of harm reduction services, and improve coordination for a continuum of care,” Jenkins said. “We can get those in need infectious disease screening, referrals to care and better treatment. We’re extremely grateful to NIH for supporting this research.”

The study will explore how factors such as place of residence and local culture affect infectious disease spread and treatment among people who inject drugs. Staff will work to coordinate linking the individuals to treatment and supportive services. The research is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UH3DA044829.

Contact Wiley Jenkins for more information about this project.

Addressing Children’s Knowledge about Nutrition and Nutrition-Related Diseases

PSP is the recipient of a $45,000 “Healthy Kids, Healthy Families” grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. This grant will be used to fund Phase II of a project designed to understand and shape children’s knowledge about nutrition in the summer meal programs in Arcola, Illinois.

The project, titled “Generation Health: A Qualitative Exploration of Food and Value Systems in Douglas County,” was initiated in 2018 through funding from the Lumpkin Family Foundation. In the project’s first phase, the Department of Population Science and Policy collected data from Arcola students and their adult caregivers. Responses showed that students are unfamiliar with consequences of nutrition-related diseases, often unaware of the Douglas County Summer Fun and Meals Program, and struggle to access fresh produce due to barriers like distance to the grocery store. The project is led by Department of Population Science and Policy Assistant Professor Nicole Summers-Gabr , a psychologist who specializes in community research and child development.

Thanks to the Blue Cross Blue Shield grant, the Department of Population Science and Policy will build on that research by working with the Douglas County Health Department to increase awareness of the growing summer meals program and develop educational activities for families in the program in both Spanish and English.

“Our initial research showed a lack of awareness of the growing Douglas County Summer Fun and Meals Program,” said Nicole Summers-Gabr, Ph.D. “We are honored to have been chosen by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. This funding will allow us to translate our previous research into action. Data gathered from last year will inform the direction of the educational activities created for the Douglas County Summer Fun and Meals program,” said Summers-Gabr. “We are excited to use the information we gathered to create innovative ways to reach children in Illinois and improve their health outcomes.”

The Douglas County Summer Fun and Meals program will receive $3,000 of the grant to continue the program in a way that meets the community’s needs. “There is no greater blessing than the time, effort and support the SIU Medicine team have invested in bettering the health outcomes of our participants through the Douglas County Summer Fun and Meals program,” stated Summer Phillips, Community Relations, Health Education and Media Manager of the Douglas County Health Department. “We are absolutely delighted and deeply grateful.”

Population Science and Policy faculty and staff have created a report of these findings, which is available upon request. Phase II of the project will begin in 2020. Education activities will be tested during summer 2020 and will be provided to the Douglas County Health Department to access for future use.

Contact Assistant Professor Nicole Summers-Gab r for more information on this project.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Dr. Vohra named to 2020 Presidential Leadership Program

PSP Chair Sameer Vohra has been selected as one of the 60 Scholars chosen for the program’s sixth annual class. Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. The sixth class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were selected based on their leadership growth potential and their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community.

Over the course of six months, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact in their communities.

The latest class joins an active network of 298 Scholars who are applying lessons learned through the program to make a difference in the U.S. and around the world. Dr. Vohra will be working on a project focused in the Illinois Delta Region aimed to align early childhood, public education and health care sectors to provide integrated, personalized and comprehensive services to rural children and their families.

“I’m thrilled to join this amazing group to hone my leadership skills and bring these lessons back to Illinois,” said Dr. Vohra. “I have chosen a project that will complement my work at the Department of Population Science and Policy and will provide rural Illinois children more comprehensive services and improved health outcomes. I’m honored to be selected and I’m excited to learn from these distinguished leaders and the impressive group of peers.”

Eric Adjei Boakye honored by JAMA Otolaryngology

PSP Assistant Professor Eric Adjei Boayke 's article, "Comparison of the financial burden of survivors of head and neck cancer with other cancer survivors," was selected for the best of JAMA Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery for 2019. Read more.

APPOINTMENTS

Dr. Vohra to Serve on the Illinois Board of Public Health

We’re proud to announce that PSP Department Chair, Dr. Sameer Vohra , has been appointed to the Illinois State Board of Health.

“I am honored to serve the citizens of Illinois on this important Board,” said Dr. Vohra. “I look forward to guiding statewide health objectives and policy development that build healthier environments and communities all across the state.”