Epidemiology and Public Health
All Departments
Research Portfolio

Project Highlights

Behavioral Health & Problem Gambling Research

Support the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling through data collection, management, analysis and reporting to inform programming strategy and policy decisions:

  • Conduct statewide Gambling Prevalence Study and related analysis to inform policy and prevention strategies
  • Analyze data for the Maryland Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP)
  • Produce quarterly and annual reports for Gambling Helpline and Peer Support services

Program Evaluation

Conduct rigorous process, outcome, and impact evaluation of programs in a variety of community-based settings:

  • Evaluate CATALYST Training Program to assess effectiveness, measure outcomes, and identify opportunities for program improvement
  • Evaluated Maryland Department of Aging (MDoA) programs:
    • Evaluated the Community for LifeSM program to enhance service delivery
    • Evaluated the Maryland Access Point Hospital Transition Program to improve care coordination and outcomes; conducted ROI analysis
    • Evaluated Aging in Place initiative FY25 grantees and provided recommendations for expansion

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research conducted including in-depth interviews and systematic coding to generate actionable insights for the:

  • “Employment and Potential Outcomes of Working through Cancer Treatment” Project

Randomized Clinical Trials (RCT) & Data Management

  • Age-descending, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in three sites in sub-Saharan Africa to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a parenteral Trivalent Salmonella (S. Enteritidis/S. Typhimurium/S. Typhi Vi) Conjugate Vaccine (TSCV) versus placebo
  • Phase 1 Randomized Trial Assessing the Safety, Reactogenicity, and Immunogenicity of a Combination HTNV and PUUC DNA Vaccine Candidate
  • Measuring the Effectiveness and Impact of Typhoid Vaccine Introduction in Malawi (MITIMA)
  • A Phase II Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial of the Safety and Immunogenicity of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (Vi-TCV) among Children Younger than 2 Years in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
  • A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial of the Clinical Efficacy of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (Vi-TCV) among Children Aged 9 Months through 12 Years in Blantyre, Malawi
  • A Phase IIb randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of azithromycin to eradicate Ureaplasma respiratory tract infection in preterm infants

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Chen WH, Barnes RS, Sikorski MJ, et al. A combination typhoid and non-typhoidal Salmonella polysaccharide conjugate vaccine in healthy adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1 trial. Nat Med. 2025;31:4256-4264. doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04003-z
  • Mitchell BD, Onyenobi E, Lewis JP, et al. Exonic variation and its clinical impact in 7221 Old Order Amish. Am J Med Genet A. 2025;197(12):e64212. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.64212
  • Rathbun A, Dong Y, Beamer B, Luborsky M, Shardell M, Campbell C, Lo G, Ryan A. Duloxetine plus exercise for knee osteoarthritis: targeting pain and depression using combined treatment. Innov Aging. 2025;9(suppl 2):igaf122.3919. doi:10.1093/geroni/igaf122.3919
  • Schluterman NH, Billioux VG, Brown JP, Al Hadidi A, Tracy JK. The relationship between gambling disorder, physical and mental health, and substance use in Maryland. J Gambl Stud. 2025;41:1293-1304. doi:10.1007/s10899-025-10382-2
  • Woodward MR, Brown JP, Kittner SJ, et al. Super refractory status epilepticus diagnosis, management, and prognostication: an international survey study. Neurol Clin Pract. 2025;15(5):e200520. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200520
  • Himelhoch SS, Koech E, Omanya AA, et al. Efficacy of smoking cessation interventions among people with HIV in Kenya. NEJM Evid. 2024;3(11):EVIDoa2400090. doi:10.1056/EVIDoa2400090
  • Nampota-Nkomba N, Nyirenda OM, Mapemba V, et al. Single and two-dose typhoid conjugate vaccine safety and immunogenicity in HIV-exposed uninfected and HIV-unexposed uninfected Malawian children. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2024;20(1):2384760. doi:10.1080/21645515.2024.2384760
  • Patel PD, et al. Efficacy of typhoid conjugate vaccine: final analysis of a 4-year, phase 3, randomised controlled trial in Malawian children. Lancet. 2024;403(10425):459-468. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02031-7
  • Schrank GM, O’Hara LM, Pineles L, et al. A survey of healthcare workers on the acceptance and value of personal protective equipment for patient care. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2024;45(12):410-414. doi:10.1017/ice.2024.157
  • Shere-Wolfe KD, George N, Al Kibria GM, Silk R, Alexander CS. A multimodal Ayurveda and mind-body therapeutic intervention for chronic symptoms attributed to a postinfectious syndrome: a pilot study. J Integr Complement Med. 2024;30(5):450-458. doi:10.1089/jicm.2023.0234
  • Ouedraogo A, Diarra A, Nébié I, et al. Durable Anti-Vi IgG and IgA Antibody Responses in 15-Month-Old Children Vaccinated With Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine in Burkina Faso. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2023;12(9):513-518. doi:10.1093/jpids/piad058
  • Taylor SI, Montasser ME, Yuen AH, et al. Acute pharmacodynamic responses to exenatide: drug-induced increases in insulin secretion and glucose effectiveness. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023;25(9):2586-2594. doi:10.1111/dom.15143
  • Anderson C, Potts L. Physical health conditions of the Amish and intervening social mechanisms: an exhaustive narrative review. Ethn Health. 2022;27(8):1952-1978. doi:10.1080/13557858.2021.1968351
  • Nampota-Nkomba N, Nyirenda OM, Khonde L, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of a typhoid conjugate vaccine among children aged 9 months to 12 years in Malawi: a nested substudy of a double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10(9):e1326-e1335. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00275-3
  • Raffals LE, Saha S, Bewtra M, et al. The development and initial findings of a study of a prospective adult research cohort with inflammatory bowel disease (SPARC IBD). Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2022;28(2):192-199. doi:10.1093/ibd/izab071
  • Montasser ME, et al. Genetic and functional evidence links a missense variant in B4GALT1 to lower LDL and fibrinogen. Science. 2021;374(6572):1221-1227. doi:10.1126/science.abe0348
  • Patel PD, Patel P, Liang Y, et al. Safety and Efficacy of a Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine in Malawian Children. N Engl J Med. 2021;385(12):1104-1115. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2035916
  • Day B, Rosenthal G, Adetunji F, Monaghan A, Scheele C, Tracy JK. Evaluating for Differences by Race/Ethnicity in the Association Between Income and Gambling Disorder. J Gambl Stud. 2020;36(4):1093-1105. doi:10.1007/s10899-020-09941-6
  • Kufera JA, Al-Hadidi A, Knopp DG, et al. The impact of a new casino on the motor vehicle crash patterns in suburban Maryland. Accid Anal Prev. 2020;142:105554. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2020.105554
  • Tracy JK, Adetunji F, Al Kibria GM, Swanberg JE. Cancer-work management: Hourly and salaried wage women's experiences managing the cancer-work interface following new breast cancer diagnosis. PLoS One. 2020;15(11):e0241795. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0241795
  • Aram S, Levy L, Patel JB, Anderson AA, Zaragoza R, Dashtestani H, Chowdhry FA, Gandjbakhche A, Tracy JK. The Iowa Gambling Task: a review of the historical evolution, scientific basis, and use in functional neuroimaging. SAGE Open. 2019;9(3). doi:10.1177/21582440198569
  • Meiring JE, Laurens MB, Patel P, Patel P, Misiri T, Simiyu K, Mwakiseghile F, Tracy JK, Masesa C, Liang Y, Henrion M, Rotrosen E, Gmeiner M, Heyderman R, Kotloff K, Gordon MA, Neuzil KM. Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium Malawi: a phase III, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of the clinical efficacy of typhoid conjugate vaccine among children in Blantyre, Malawi. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;68(suppl 2):S50-S58. doi:10.2307/26614201
  • Reyes-Soffer G, Sztalryd C, Horenstein RB, et al. Effects of APOC3 heterozygous deficiency on plasma lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2019;39(1):63-72. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.118.311476
  • Ndungo E, Randall A, Hazen TH, et al. A novel Shigella proteome microarray discriminates targets of human antibody reactivity following oral vaccination and experimental challenge. mSphere. 2018;3(4):e00110-18. doi:10.1128/mSphere.00110-18
  • Christian KE, Jambaulikar GD, Hagan MN, et al. Predictors of early readmission in hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017;23(11):1891-1897. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000001213

Magazine Articles

  • Lee L. Rebuild, overcome & rise: center helps crime victims become survivors. Maryland Carey Law Magazine. Fall 2019.

Reports

  • Finigan-Carr N, Steward RK. Evaluating the implementation of Baltimore City’s teen pregnancy prevention initiative for youth in out-of-home placement: a Personal Responsibility and Education Program (PREP) baseline evaluation. Published 2017.