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MCPHLT Research

Goal III To enhance MCH research and research training
To increase the MCH section's research infrastructure, capabilities, and productivity in MCH-relevant research, and to develop research skills among masters and doctoral students
Promoting MCH research is a crucial component of the MCPHLT Program. Creating supportive linkages between faculty and students fosters a greater understanding of research techniques and awayness of national research priorities in future public health professionals. Our diverse body of student and faculty provide a stimulating and innovative environment for MCH research.

Faculty Research Interests                                  Dr. Tom Farley, CHS Department Chair

Current Faculty Research

Student Research



Faculty Research Interests                                  TUXCOE 2004 HRSA Site Visit

MCH Core Faculty

Neil Boris, MD
Associate Professor
Expertise: Child Development, Child Health, Family Centered Preventative Research

Research: University-Early Head Start Partnership Trial, Nurse-Family Partnership Randomized Controlled Trial, Maltreated Young Children Follow-Up Study 

Tom Farley, MD, MPH
Professor and CHS Department Chair
Expertise:
Pediatrics, Epidemiology, HIV/STD, Environmental Approaches to Health Promotion
Research: Director of CDC-funded Prevention Research Center, HIV/STD, infant mortality, obesity, environmental approaches to health promotion

Carolyn Johnson, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
Expertise:
Psychology, behavioral science, theory, chronic disease risk, health promotion
Research: Tobacco and alcohol, teen pregnancy, physical activity, nutrition, stress, women's health

Jeanette Magnus, MD PhD
Professor and Head of MCH Section
Expertise:
Breastfeeding, Women's Health, Chronic diseases, Epidemiology, Faculty Development
Research: Breastfeeding, Osteoporosis, CVD and Self reported health in minority populations, health education in low literacy populations

"Section without Walls" Extended Faculty

Sue Ellen Abdalian, MD
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Head Pediatrics Section of Adolescent Medicine
Expertise
: Adolescent Medicine
Research
: HIV prevention and Intervention

Juan Acuna, MD
CDC MCH Medical Epidemiologist, Assigned to the OPH MCH Program
Adjunct Faculty, Tulane University School of Public Health

Expertise: OB/GYN, Clinical Genetics, Fetal Medicine, Clinical-Field Epidemiology
Research: Fetal Growth, Breastfeeding, Smoking in Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Perinatal Mortality, Program Evaluation, Weight Gain in Pregnancy

Maya Begalieva, MD, PhD, MPH
Part-time Clinical Assistant Professor, MCH Section
Expertise: Academia-Practice Partnership, Workforce Development 

Pierre Buekens, MD, PhD
Dean, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Professor of Epidemiology, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Expertise: MCH Epidemiology
Research: Immigrant health, evaluation of perinatal interventions


Claudia Campbell, PhD
Professor, Health Systems Management, Health Economist
Expertise: Access to health services, costs, utilization and economic evaluation
Research:
Utilization and costs of untreated psychiatric disorders during pregnancy, labor force attachment of low income women with psychiatric disorders

Stuart Capper, DrPH
Organization Theory Professor
Expertise: Public Health systems Leadership and Management
Research: Case research in interagency coordination and communication during multi-state disease outbreaks

Ronald Clisham, MD
Associate Professor, Department of OB/GYN, Tulane University School of Medicine, Chief, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Director, Tulane Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Director, Bone Health Clinic
Expertise:
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Research:
Co-investigator with David Martin(LSU) examining Chlamydia/mycoplasma and its role in tubal infertility, principal investigator for pharmaceutical treatment of uterine fibroids, examined bone density in African-Americans to develop standard values

James Farrow, MD
Professor, Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Section of Adolescent Medicine; Director, Student Health, Adjunct in MCH Section
Expertise:
Adolescent health, former director LEAH/MCH program in adolescent health training at the University of Washington
Research:
Health services for adolescents and young adults, substance abuse and homeless populations

Anastasia Gage, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of International Health and Development
Expertise: Monitoring and Evaluation, Reproductive Health
Research: Gender and reproductive health; adolescent reproductive health

Carl Kendall, PhD
Professor and Chair, Dept of International Health and Development, Tulane School of Public Health
Expertise:
Evaluation, medical Anthropology, Qualitative Research, Program design, Health Communication
Research:
HIV/AIDS, Health Seeking Behavior, Community research, Social Networks, Medical Anthropology, Primary Health Care

Joseph Kimbrell, MA, LCSW
CEO, Louisiana Public Health Institute, Executive Director, National Network of Public Health Institutes and Public Health Leadership Society, Adjunct Faculty, Tulane School of Public Health
Expertise:
Public health practice, policy administration school health, coalition and partnership building
Research: alternative organization structures

Patricia Kissinger, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Expertise:
HIV/STI and women's health
Research: Association between STIs and HIV, behavioral research in HIV/STIs, also working in malaria and pregnancy and West Nile virus and pregnancy

Myra Kleinpeter,MD, MPH
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Tulane School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor in CHS
Expertise:
Internal medicine, Nephrology, Women's Health, Health Literacy
Research:
Health Literacy, Clinical Nephrology, Tobacco Cessation Program Initiatives, Shared Medical Visits

Cathy Lazarus, MD
Professor of Medicine, Tulane School of Medicine, Adjunct Faculty, MCH section of Tulane School of Public Health
Expertise: Cultural Competence, communication skills, women's health
Research: Cultural competence, women's health, communication and professionalism, medical education

Francis Mather, PhD
Associate Professor and Assistant Dean Academic Information Systems, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Expertise:
Biostatistics, Data Management, GIS
Research:
MCH epidemiology with Office of Public Health in collaborations with Researchers in areas of Depression, Low-Birth Weight, Pre-term birth and Infant Mortality

Marain McDonald, DrPH, MPH, MA
Association Director for Minority and Women's Health, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Adjunct Associate Professor in MCH Section
Expertise:
Cultural Competency, Women's Health. Minority Health with a focus on Latinos/as, Community Health Organizing
Research:
Women and infectious diseases, Latina health, Women's occupational health, Migrant health, using the arts in health promotion

Donald (Diego) Rose, PhD
Associate Professor and Head of the Nutrition Section, Dept of Community Health Sciences
Expertise:
Nutrition Assessment, food and nutrition policy, international nutrition
Research:
Determinants of overweight in young school children, meal preparation time, food security, and diet quality among low-income women, work-site obesity prevention program

Karis Schoellmann, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor in Department if Community Health Sciences, Director Partner for Healthy Babies
Expertise:
Health Communication, Social Marketing
Research: Formative and evaluative Health Communication research

Gabriella Pridjian, MD
Professor and Chairman, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Geneticist
Expertise: High-risk pregnancy, preeclampsia, genetic disorders
Research: Preeclampsia, volume expansion in a rat model and in human disease, West Nile and pregnancy effects

Mark VanLandingham, PhD
Associate Professor, Dept of International Health and Development, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Expertise: Demography: survey methodology,
Research: Impacts of AIDS, sexual behavior, Migration and health

Larry Weber, PhD
Professor, Department of Biostatictics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Expertise: research design, evaluation, school and community intervention programs
Research: Cardiovascular risk Factors in Childhood, School-based Health Promotion Programs

Joan Wightkin, DrPH
Director, Maternal and Child Health Section, Louisiana Office of Public Health, Adjunct Assistant Professor, MCH Section
Expertise: Public Health Practice, Policy and Administration
Research: Failure to thrive

Xu Xiong, MD, DrPH
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Expertise: Perinatal/reproductive epidemiology
Research: Perinatal health

Paula Zeanah, PhD, MSN, RN
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Neurology and Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Expertise: Pediatric psychology, infant mental health
Research: Prevention/early intervention; sexual self-esteem


Current Faculty Research

Student Research

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Maternal and Child Public Health Leadership Training Program
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