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National Public Health Week Showcase of Research and Innovation

The SPH Research, Practice and Innovation Poster Session and Student Poster Competition recognized student innovations and new research directions

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David Hawthorne poses with his poster during the 2022 UMD SPH Poster Session

Every year, the University of Maryland School of Public Health hosts a Poster Session and Student Poster Competition as part of the annual Public Health Research at Maryland conference, which occurs during National Public Health Week through a partnership between the University of Maryland School of Public Health (in College Park) and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (in Baltimore).

Departing slightly from the past conference format, this year’s SPH Research, Practice and Innovation Poster Session and Student Poster Competition was held separately from the main conference in the SPH Building on April 5.

As part of the poster session, students, faculty and community partners were invited to share innovations and new research directions. Those interested in the new poster prize for Innovative Solutions to Public Health Challenges were asked to identify a major public health challenge; propose a creative, cutting-edge solution (approach) using a tool, program, and/or policy to explore and address this challenge; and project estimated health and well-being outcomes. 

Another poster competition category, Research on Health Disparities, in memory of Mitchell Stewart (son of SPH staff member Cynthia Kershaw), was added this year.

It was the first time that faculty, staff and students at all levels throughout the School of Public Health gathered in person for lively interaction and discussion of new and emerging public health issues since 2019. We are proud of the participants that contributed to the richness of the 2022 SPH Research, Practice and Innovation Poster Session and Student Poster Competition. We especially appreciate and thank student participants for the time and effort they expended in conducting their studies, preparing their posters, and presenting their work.

We congratulate the following students who earned awards and distinctions as part of the 2022 Student Poster Competition.

Student Poster Competition Awardees

First Place Winner: ​​Lisa Anoruo

Second Place Winner: Kimberly Tan

  • Poster #: 6
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Public Health Science
  • Title: Mitigating Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in UMD Students Through Education, Awareness, and Harm Reduction Approaches
  • Co-Authors: Grace Kelly, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, Student; Sejal Sinha, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, Student; Britney Perndreca, School of Public Health, Student; Caroline Kelly, A. James Clark School of Engineering, Student
  • Faculty Mentor: Courtney Butler
  • Primary Category: Behavioral Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse

Third Place Winner: Nikki Emamian

  • Poster #: 2
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Public Health Science
  • Title: Mindfulness for Families Managing Chronic Disease
  • Co-Authors: Kristen Rawlett, Brook Harmon, Chad McGehee, Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein, Amarachi Ugboh, Dalya Kamil, Nate West, Sarah Short, Robin Puett, PhD
  • Faculty Mentor: Robin Puett, PhD
  • Primary Category: Behavioral Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse

First Place Winner: Cameron Smith

  • Poster #: 24
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health
  • Title: Baltimore City Irrigation Water Quality: Current Use and Needs From Baltimore City Farmers and Gardeners
  • Co-Authors: Emily Healey, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health, Student; Esha Saxena, University of Maryland College Park, Student; Mya Smith, University of Maryland College Park, Student; Emily Speierman, University of Maryland College Park, Student; Marcus Williams, University of Maryland Extension, Extension Agent; Kelsey Brooks, University of Maryland Extension, Extension Agent
  • Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein
  • Primary Category: Environmental Health, Occupational Health, Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Second Place Winner: Natasha Robinson

Third Place Winner: Darya Soltani

  • Poster #: 32
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health
  • Title: The Design and Pilot Implementation of a Family-Skills Training in Rural Honduras: An International Collaboration
  • Co-Authors: Ali Hurtado, UMD, Faculty; Patrocinio Sarmiento, OCHO, community partner; Zasha Banegas, OCHO, community partner; Javiera Monardez, UMN,other; Silvia Alvarez de Davila, UMN, faculty; Dina Borzekowski, UMD, faculty
  • Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dina Borzekowski
  • Primary Category: Family, Child, Adolescent Health (Includes Maternal and Child Health)

First Place Winner: Suhana Chattopadhyay

Second Place Winner: Jianyu Lai 

  • Poster #: 14
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Title: Comparison of Saliva and Midturbinate Swabs for Detection of SARS-CoV-2
  • Co-Authors: Jennifer German,; Filbert Hong, ; S.-H. Sheldon Tai; Kathleen M. McPhaul, Donald K Milton, all in Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donald Milton
  • Primary Category: COVID-19

Third Place Winner: David Hawthorne

  • Poster #: 3
  • Institutional Affiliation: UMD School of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health
  • Title: Sexual Risk Behavior and Lifetime HIV Testing: The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences
  • Co-Authors: Typhanye Dyer, SPH Faculty; Rodman Turpin, SPH Faculty; Mona Mittal, SPH Faculty; Vardhmaan Jain, Cleveland Clinic; Sonica Sayam, SPH Student
  • Faculty Mentors: Mona Mittal, PhD; Typhanye Dyer, PhD; Rodman Turpin, PhD
  • Primary Category: Behavioral Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse

First Place

Project Title: iRAM, an AI-based Screening Tool That Redefines the BMI Scale To Include Black and Latino Patients in Disease Risk Assessments

Presenting Author: Maya Hatoum, Undergraduate Student, Public Health Science

Second Place

Project Title: Leveraging Social Networks and Spatial Analysis to Uncover Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases

Presenting Author: Weijun Yu, Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Third Place 

Project Title: Evaluating Indicator Bacteria and Heavy Metal Presence and Concentration in Irrigation Water on Urban Farms in Baltimore City, MD

Presenting Author: Emily Healey, Doctoral Student, Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health

Honorary Mention

Project Title: Comparison of Saliva and Midturbinate Swabs for Detection of SARS-CoV-2

Presenting Author: Jianyu Lai, Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Honorary Mention

Project Title: Group Sequential Design Without Proportional Hazards Assumption

Presenting Author: Yiming Chen, Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

First Place

Project Title: Multilevel Factors Influencing the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Female Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Presenting Author: Katelyn Reynolds, Undergraduate Student, Department of Biology

Second Place

Project Title: Race-based Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Self-rated Health/Life Satisfaction Among the People of Color: The Role of Financial Difficulties During COVID -19

Presenting Author: Isha Chawla, Doctoral Student, Department of Family Science

Third Place

Project Title: Mitigating Substance Use Disorder (SUD) In UMD Students Through Education, Awareness, and Harm Reduction Approaches

Presenting Author: Kimberly Tan, Accelerated BS/MPH Student, Public Health Science

Epidemiology and Biostatistics:

Maryland Institute of Applied Environmental Health:

Kinesiology:

Family Science:

Health Policy and Management:

Behavioral and Community Health: 

About the Ninth Annual Public Health Research at Maryland Conference

This year, the event was hosted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine on Thursday, April 7 and included a co-keynote conversation between Dr. Joseph Wright and Dr. Roderick King, both from the University of Maryland Medical System and three panels:

  1. Community Engagement to Improve Public Health: Initiatives from Across the State;
  2. Applying Health Literacy Research to Educate Health Professions Faculty and Students in Clear Communication; and
  3. Global Learning to Advance Health Equity: Lessons from the Field.

As part of the program, select students from across Maryland were invited to share innovations and new research directions through the PHRM Student Poster Gallery.

  • Categories
  • Students
  • Research
  • Departments
  • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Department of Behavioral and Community Health
  • Department of Kinesiology
  • Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health
  • Public Health Science
  • School of Public Health
  • Department of Family Science