Research
Meaningful research to address real-world healthcare challenges.
At the core of the research done through the Institute for Public Health and Medicine’s Center for Community Health is the crucial, equal partnership between academia and community. This relationship creates an opportunity for meaningful, evidenced-based research and subsequent interventions, policies and practices that truly address real-world healthcare challenges. These experts in their chosen fields come together through our programs below.
Member Research Programs
Ronald T. Ackermann, MD, MPH
Goal of Research Program: Health system-community linkages to improve the care and prevention of type 2 diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions.
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: NIDDK R34 Award: Coordinating Pragmatic Primary care Population for Obesity (C3PO)
Michael C. Fagen, PhD, MPH
Goal of Research Program: Conduct impactful workforce development activities with public health practice partners
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: Launch of Public Health Practice Division in the Department of Preventive Medicine
Namratha R. Kandula, MD, MPH
Goal of Research Program: Addressing cardiovascular health disparities in the South Asian community.
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: Skokie Health Department and SAHELI partnership worked with Illinois Senator Ram Villavalam on SR0465; May 31 2019, 2020 and 2021 are South Asian American Health Awareness Day.
Marquita Lewis-Thames, PhD
Goal of Research Program: To identify relationship between social determinants of health, namely access to care and social support, and chronic and cancer disease management in rural and African-American populations using community-engaged approaches.
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: New faculty hire in the CCH; finalizing qualitative cancer resource needs assessment of Southern Illinois residents
Matthew J. O'Brien, MD
Goal of Research Program: Eliminate health disparities in U.S. Latinos by developing interventions to address them
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: Through our advocacy and research efforts, two of our sponsored research partners applied and received IPHI funding to independently deliver evidence based lifestyle intervention at their centers.
Lesli E. Skolarus, MD, MS
Goal of Research Program: Conduct translational research on cardiovascular disease and aging to promote health equity
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: Along with community partner, awarded the inaugural Flint Community-Academic partner award for being a catalyst for academic-community partnerships in Flint, MI.
Darius Tandon, PhD
Goal of Research Program: Improve the mental health of perinatal women and their families, with a focus on prevention of postpartum depression in low-income racially and ethnically diverse communities
Notable Impact/Accomplishment: Our Mothers and Babies intervention has been scaled nationally across 21 states and a recent project has funded our first international clinical trial.