Highlighting Children’s Health Research 2014 Photo Gallery » Institute for Child Health Policy » College of Medicine

The Institute for Child Health Policy’s 2014 Highlighting Children’s Health Research Event brought together more than 100 faculty members, staff and students to discuss research findings, network, and gather new ideas as they all strive to improve children’s health. — The Institute for Child Health Policy’s 2014 Highlighting Children’s Health Research Event brought together more than 100 faculty members, staff, and students to discuss research findings, network, and gather new ideas as they all strive to improve children’s health. The evening began with a series of speakers from ICHP, including opening remarks from Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., director of the ICHP, with an overview of the Institute’s work and special remarks from Bill Hogan, M.D., M.S., professor of health outcomes and policy and director of biomedical informatics, with a presentation entitled “Not Just Big Data—Better Data: The Future of Biomedical Big Data at UF.”

More than 100 people gathered together for the Institute for Child Health Policy’s second annual research event, Highlighting Children’s Health Research, on Tuesday, Nov. 4 in the Clinical and Translational Research Building. As noted by Kelli Komro, Ph.D., associate director of the Institute for Child Health Policy, the work of 28 different departments, programs, institutes, and centers at the University of Florida and a total of 18 organizations from across the United States and world were represented in the event’s poster session.

“It was inspiring to see the amount of energy surrounding children’s health research at the University of Florida,” said Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Child Health Policy (ICHP) and chair of the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy. “This event turned out beautifully and provided an excellent backdrop for discussing potential collaborations and our research agendas with faculty members across the university.”

The speaker lineup included opening remarks from Shenkman and closing remarks from Komro. Bill Hogan, M.D., M.S., professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy and director of biomedical informatics for the UF CTSI, presented special remarks: “Not Just Big Data—Better Data: The Future of Biomedical Big Data at UF.” In addition, three ICHP faculty members gave brief presentations on their research interests in a segment called ICHP in Clinics and Communities:

“Increasing HPV Vaccination Rates Among Low-Income Adolescents in Florida” by Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., MSPH, assistant professor
“Childhood Adversity and Health: What We Know and What Comes Next” by Melissa Bright, Ph.D., assistant research scientist
“Florida Trends in Pain Reliever Prescriptions and Mortality Among Adolescents” by Chris Delcher, Ph.D., adjunct research assistant professor

“This speaker lineup provided attendees with a flavor of the types of research within the Institute for Child Health Policy,” said Komro. “I also found it enjoyable to catch up with some of our affiliate faculty across campus in a more informal environment and discuss our efforts to improve children’s health.”

After the speakers’ presentations, faculty, staff, and students gathered downstairs for an evening of networking, chatting, and snacking. Spanish guitar music was provided by local musician Karl Weismantel and several ICHP affiliates came out for the event.

“It was energizing to spend an evening seeing and hearing about the diligent efforts of health researchers working across the university to address the pressing problems facing youth and families” said Abigail Fagan, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, criminology and law and ICHP affiliate. “I appreciated the cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas facilitated by the research symposium, and I was very impressed by the turn-out, especially given how busy everyone is conducting their own research and supporting the work of their own departments.”

For a complete list of research abstracts click here, or browse the photo gallery below of the Institute for Child Health Policy’s 2014 Highlighting Children’s Health Research Event, which included faculty members, students, and staff from around the University of Florida who are working to improve children’s health.

Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., MSPH, assistant professor and Institute for Child Health Policy faculty, presented on growing research portfolio surrounding HPV vaccination. Her presentation was entitled “Increasing HPV Vaccination Rates Among Low-Income Adolescents in Florida.” — Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., MSPH, assistant professor and Institute for Child Health Policy faculty, presented on her growing research portfolio surrounding HPV vaccination. Her presentation was entitled “Increasing HPV Vaccination Rates Among Low-Income Adolescents in Florida.”

Melissa Bright, Ph.D., assistant research scientist and Institute for Child Health Policy faculty, discusses data about pediatricians’ screening practices for adverse childhood events in her presentation, “Childhood Adversity and Health: What We Know and What Comes Next.”

Chris Delcher, Ph.D., adjunct research assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, presents data on rates of prescription drug use without prescriptions in his presentation “Florida Trends in Pain Reliever Prescriptions and Mortality Among Adolescents.” — Chris Delcher, Ph.D., adjunct research assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, presents data on rates of prescription drug use in his presentation, entitled “Florida Trends in Pain Reliever Prescriptions and Mortality Among Adolescents.”

Mildred Maldonado-Molina, Ph.D., associate professor of health outcomes and policy and ICHP faculty member, chats with Keith Muller, Ph.D., professor of health outcomes and policy and ICHP affiliate faculty member, and Yi Guo, Ph.D., assistant professor of health outcomes and policy and ICHP faculty member, during the poster session and networking hour following the speaker lineup.

Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., professor of health outcomes and policy, and Kelli Komro, Ph.D., professor of health outcomes and policy and associate director of the Institute for Child Health Policy discuss their research with Abigail Fagan, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, criminology and law and ICHP affiliate. “It was energizing to spend an evening seeing and hearing about the diligent efforts of health researchers working across the University to address the pressing problems facing youth and families” said Fagan, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, criminology and law and ICHP affiliate. “I appreciated cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas facilitated by the research symposium, and I was very impressed by the turn-out, especially given how busy everyone is conducting their own research and supporting the work of their own department.” — Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., professor of health outcomes and policy, and Kelli Komro, Ph.D., professor of health outcomes and policy and associate director of the Institute for Child Health Policy, discuss their research with Abigail Fagan, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, criminology and law and ICHP affiliate. “It was energizing to spend an evening seeing and hearing about the diligent efforts of health researchers working across the university to address the pressing problems facing youth and families” said Fagan. “I appreciated the cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas facilitated by the research symposium, and I was very impressed by the turn-out, especially given how busy everyone is conducting their own research and supporting the work of their own departments.”

Gina Eubanks, MPH and current doctoral student in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy, discusses her research poster, “Assessing the Needs of The Community in Linden, Guyana: A Community Opinion Survey” with Bill Hogan, M.D., M.S., professor of health outcomes and policy and director of the biomedical informatics program at the UF CTSI.

The work of 28 different departments, programs, institutes and centers at the University of Florida was on display during the evening’s poster session, including the College of Journalism and Communication, the UF Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, the College of Dentistry, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Health and Human Performance. In addition, 18 organizations from across the United States and world were represented in in ICHP’s poster session, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the NIH, Duke University, Temple University, University of Bristol, University of Melbourne, and the University of London. — The work of 28 different departments, programs, institutes, and centers at the University of Florida was on display during the evening’s poster session, including the College of Journalism and Communications, the UF Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, the College of Dentistry, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Health and Human Performance. In addition, 18 organizations from across the United States and world were represented, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the NIH, Duke University, Temple University, University of Bristol, University of Melbourne, and the University of London.

Karl Weismantel, a local guitarist, played Spanish music throughout the evening, which also included a catered meal and cocktails.

Sarah Lynne-Landsman (center), Ph.D., assistant professor and ICHP faculty, discusses her research with the event’s attendees as the sun sets behind the Clinical and Translational Science Building. — Sarah Lynne-Landsman (center), Ph.D., assistant professor and ICHP faculty, discusses her research with the event’s attendees as the sun begins to set behind the Clinical and Translational Science Building.

Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy and director of the Institute for Child Health Policy discusses children’s health research with Patricia Snyder, Ph.D., ICHP affiliate faculty member, director of the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies, professor in the school of special education, school psychology and early childhood studies and affiliate professor of pediatrics. — Betsy Shenkman, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy and director of the Institute for Child Health Policy, discusses children’s health research with Brian Reichow, Ph.D., BCBA-D, associate professor in the School of Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, and Patricia Snyder, Ph.D., ICHP affiliate faculty member, director of the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies, professor in the school of special education, school psychology and early childhood studies, and affiliate professor of pediatrics.