Dr. Concha is a public health researcher with a specific interest in psychological well being and diabetes prevention in ethnic minority and marginalized populations. She received her PhD in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Concha’s research interest in psychological well being and diabetes first began after hearing several people with diabetes share similar stories about their struggle with stress and diabetes management. It is because of these stories that Dr. Concha has worked toward studying the impact of psychological distress on diabetes outcomes and the cultural meaning of stress and diabetes in Hispanic and Latino populations. Her previous work experience includes academic quantitative and qualitative research, managing non-profit community oriented diabetes education and prevention efforts, and conducting diabetes community resource and needs assessments.

Dr. Concha proudly joins Dr. Mezuk’s research team in investigating the socio-cultural, psychological, and behavioral pathways that effectively reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes and promote the integration of mental health services in diabetes prevention and health care.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is featuring the work of Dr. Briana Mezuk on their Human Capital web page. The article is based on her recent papers, published respectively in Health & Place and The Diabetes Educator. For more information and to read the feature, go to http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/newsroom-content/2013/08/low-income-patients-face-added-challenges-in-managing-diabetes.html.

Dr. Mezuk spent two years as a Health & Society Scholar (2007-2009) with the Foundation. To read more about RWJF click here.

Congratulations to PhD Candidate Matt Lohman, who received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award fellowship. The title of Matt’s research is “Frailty and depression: A latent trait analysis”. Matt’s award, from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, will support his research for the next two years. The study focuses on the evidence that suggests that geriatric conditions such as frailty may signal elevated vulnerability to adverse health outcomes like falls and hospitalization. Matt will look at achieving a better understanding of frailty and how it is related to depression. His project aims to guide clinicians and researchers toward a more accurate definition and identification of frailty, and timely intervention to prevent adverse health events among older adults. Click here to read the VCU news feature.

Dr. Moon Choi, Ph.D. from Lexington, Kentucky credits her mentors with making all the difference in the world for her career. She had three key mentors who have walked with her throughout her journey, including Dr. Briana Mezuk of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health. Click here to read her member spotlight from the Gerontological Society of America.

WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station published an article entitle “Urban Debate Teams Motivate At-Risk Students to Succeed” highlighting the research of Dr. Briana Mezuk on the impact of participating in a policy debate program on academic achievement in the Greater Chicago area.

Click here to read the article. Click here to read the research paper.

Lauren Kelley (pictured) gave a poster presentation on her research, titled “Adverse Childhood Experiences and Subsequent Alcohol Use and Misuse.”

Elizabeth Do presented a poster titled “Gestational Age at Birth is Associated with Alcohol Use in Female Young Adults,” and Kristen Rice presented her poster, “Long-Term Care and Offspring Mental Health: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.”

Kristen Rice and Dr. Briana Mezuk

Matt Lohman

 

Dr. Mezuk, doctoral student Matt Lohman, and MPH student Kristen Rice presented research at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Mezuk participated in a session on “Frailty and Depression in Late Life: Phenomenology, Prognosis, and Pathophysiology.” Matt Lohman presented a poster titled “Depression and Frailty in Late Life: Evidence for a Common Vulnerability.” Kristen Rice presented a poster titled “Long-Term Care and Offspring Mental Health: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.”

Julia Foutz	Ashlee Moore
Natalie Bareis	Dr. Mezuk supporting the presenters

 

Doctoral student, Natalie Bareis, and graduate students, Julia Foutz and Ashlee Moore, presented their research at the American PsychoPathological Association annual conference. The conference took place March 6-8, 2014, in New York, NY.

Natalie presented a poster on her latest research, “Depression, anxiety, and telomere length: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Natalie’s co-authors on the abstract are Dr. Belinda Needham, Dr. Briana Mezuk, and Dr. Elissa Epel.

Julia presented her poster titled “Advanced paternal age and risk of psychotic like symptoms in offspring.” Ashlee presented her poster titled “Exploring Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy of Conduct Disorder: An Epidemiological Study of Childhood Predictors and Adult Outcomes of ‘Life Course Persistent’ and ‘Adolescence Limited’ Group Membership.”