2021 FRONTERA
summer internship June 1 - August 6, 2021
Time 9:00 am
Closing Program
9:15 am
10:05 am
11:05 am
12:00 pm
Activity OPENING REMARKS Cecilia B. Rosales, MD, MS Associate Dean, Community Engagement and Phoenix Programs Leila Barraza, JD, MPH Director, Arizona Area Health Education Centers TRAINEES PRESENTATIONS Armando Romero-Garma Project: Effectiveness of family centered (parent/siblinginvolvement) interventions in the reduction of children’s BMI levels Allison Michelle Rascon Project: Examining the organization of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in southern Arizona Airam Mellisa Arce Parra, BS Project: Impact Perceived Stress has on Women’s Health Conditions Ashley Monique Hernandez Project: Examination of Health care communication preferences among Latinx women Xavier Chaidez Sevilla Project: Prognostic factors associated with worse outcomes following chemoradiation therapy in patient with anal carcinoma Brittany Marie Grantham Project: Identifying potential associations between sleep and diet at the U.S.-Mexico Border Sylvia Nyaboke Zakayo Project: Effects of lack of sleep on different cognitive functions like executive function, memory and decision making. Abraham Gerardo Sanchez, BS Project: Sensitivity and specificity of digital photography in identifying wounds and severity of burn injury BREAK (2 mins) Jeanette Chavez Save Project: Familial support and decline related to Alzheimer’s Disease: A literature review Nina Diane Almodova Project: The Impact of ovarian hormones on cigarette smoking and cessation: A literature review in process Carlos Daniel Calvillo Project: Correlation of Doppler echocardiography for left atrial filling pressure assessment in patients with Pulmonary Hypertension. Aisha Junet Fregoso Project: Analyzing the effectiveness of the current risk evaluation for type 2 diabetes mellitus Anissa Bryana Delgado Project: Relationship between tobacco use and type 2 diabetes mellitus Miriam Yamileth Heras Project: Assessing frailty in heart failure patients based on heart rate behavior Nadia M. Flores Hoyos, BS Project: Examining factors that Influence parental acceptability of Covid-19 vaccine literature review Christian Alexis Gomez Project: Is Eczema a risk factor for developing asthma? Stephanie Salvador Dimas Project: The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resilience on infant and adolescent health. Rosa Alexa Vasquez, BS Project: The influence of infant caregiving activities on the risk for maternal substance use relapse Iriana Munoz Project: Types of trauma and PTSD: an exploration and comparison of the clinico-demographic characteristics of sexual assault survivors and motor vehicle accident survivors Jorge Milliam Trujillo Project: Utilization of abbreviated protocol for the detection of deep vein thrombosis in COVID-19 positive patients Alex Singh Parmar Project: Success of FRONTERA interns; a unique pipeline program for health related graduate schools Adam Anthony Fernandez, BS Project: Scoping Review: Policies for Ethical Governance of Indigenous Peoples’ Data AWARDS CEREMONY- MC- Miriam Heras & Xavier Chaidez, FRONTERA interns CLOSING REMARKS Alejandra Zapien-Hidalgo, MD, MPH FRONTERA, director.
Table of Contents Closing Program..................................................................inside cover
Miriam Yamileth Heras, Trainee
Program Background......................................................................................... ii
Michael Grandner, PhD,FAASM, Mentor...................... 23
Activities Schedule................................................................................................ iii
Ashley Monique Hernandez, Trainee
2021 FRONTERA Trainees & Mentors.......................................
Ilana Addis, MD, Mentor......................................................................... 25
Nina Almodova, Trainee
........................................................................
iv
Iriana M Munoz, Trainee
..............................................
.............................
......................................................................
22 24 26
Alicia Allen, PhD, Mentor........................................................................... 1
Jordan Karp, MD, Mentor...................................................................... 27
Airam Mellisa Arce Parra, BS, Trainee..................................... 2
Alex Singh Parmar, Trainee
Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, Mentor
Lilah Morris-Wiseman, MD, FACS, Mentor................. 29
...........................
3
.............................................................
28
Carlos Daniel Calvillo, Trainee........................................................... 4
Allison Michelle Rascon, Trainee
Tushar Acharya, MD, MPH, Mentor .........................................5 Xavier Chaidez Sevilla, Trainee......................................................... 6
David Garcia, PhD, Mentor................................................................ 31
Valentine Nfonsam, MD, MS, FACS, Mentor................ 7
Jessie Pettit, MD, Mentor....................................................................... 33
Jeanette Chavez Save, Trainee......................................................... 8
Stephanie Salvador Dimas, Trainee
John Ruiz, PhD, Mentor.............................................................................. 9
Sydney Rice, MD, MS, Mentor......................................................... 35
Anissa Bryana Delgado, Trainee................................................. 10
Abraham Gerardo Sanchez, Trainee
Kathleen Rodgers, PhD, Mentor ................................................11
Lourdes Castanon, MD, FACS, Mentor............................. 37
Adam Anthony Fernandez, BS,Trainee......................... 12
Jorge Milliam Trujillo,, Trainee
Stephanie Carroll, DrPH, MPH, Mentor............................13
Hina Arif-Tawari, MD, Mentor........................................................ 39
............................................
Armando Romero-Garma,Trainee
.......................................
...................................
................................
...................................................
30 32 34 36 38
Nadia M Flores Hoyos, Trainee ....................................................14
Rosa Alexa Vasquez, Trainee
Martha Monroy, MA, Purnima Madhivanan
Alicia Allen, PhD, Mentor........................................................................ 41
........................................................
40
MBBS, MPH, Ph.D., Mentors............................................................. 15
Sylvia Nyaboke Zakayo, Trainee
Aisha Junet Fregoso, Trainee.......................................................... 16
Michael Grandner, PhD, FAASM, Mentor...................... 43
Kathleen Rodgers, PhD, Mentor ............................................... 17 Christian Alexis Gomez, Trainee................................................ 18 Stefano Guerra, MD, PhD, MPH, Mentor....................... 19 Brittany Marie Grantham, Trainee
........................................
20
Michael Grandner, PhD, FAASM, Mentor.................... 21
.............................................
42
Alumni Stories................................................................................................. 44-45 Activity Photos............................................................................................... 46-48 Special Thanks................................................................................................ 49-51 Contact Information......................................................... back cover
All contents © 2021 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved. The University of Arizona Medical Center is part of the Arizona Health Sciences Center at the University of Arizona, which also includes the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine (Tucson and Phoenix campuses), Nursing and Pharmacy, and the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. AHSC’s mission is to serve the Southwest as a center for education, patient care, research and community service. The University of Arizona is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution. The University prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and is committed to maintaining an environment free from sexual harassment and retaliation. COVER PHOTO Interns’ photo collage Developed by Alejandra Zapien Hidalgo, FRONTERA director
Program Background The UAHS-Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with AzAHEC offered a eigthweek summer internship: Focusing Research on the Border Area (FRONTERA). FRONTERA Summer Internship providing undergraduate and graduate students with preparation to apply to graduate programs, research experience, and an increased understanding of public health disparities in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. Participants were matched, according to their area of interest, with faculty mentors engaged in biomedical and public health research that has an impact on the health of border residents. Working with faculty mentors, interns developed their own shortterm research projects or assisted mentors in completing key tasks or activities, like conducting literary reviews, facilitating focus groups, designing data collection instruments, among other scholarly activities, that contributed to the overall success of the research project. Interns also had presentations about the City of Nogales, health care facilities and public health agencies on both sides of the border. Concurrently, internship participants developed an in-depth understanding of the pathway to medical school; learned study and test-taking skills; prepared to take the MCAT & GRE; and received feedback on their personal statement in preparation to apply to medical school. On the final week, interns presented the outcome of their research at the FRONTERA closing ceremony. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, AZ, is unique in its ability to expose our FRONTERA Interns to hands-on research experience, border health disparities immersion, and preparation to successfully apply to graduate programs. In addition to being located within the border region, our institution possesses an incredible wealth of committed and world renowned faculty; a network of organizations committed to improve the health of border communities; and community leaders interested in developing the next generation of culturally competent and research savvy health professionals, all of which work cohesively to tackle important public health issues. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the program was delivered online this summer. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with our motivated future health professionals!
ii
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Activities Schedule Date
Time
Activity/Tour
Presenter
June 1
09:00 – 10:00
Opening Ceremony
Karen Begay
June 2
09:00 –11:00
Arizona Health Sciences Library
Yamila EL-Khayat
June 3
11:00 - 13:00
Mentoring Training
Lydia Kennedy
June 3
13:00 - 14:00
Health Disparities in the Border area
Jill de Zapien
June 4June 27
17:30 - 21:00
GRE prep course/MCAT
Princeton Review Think Tank
June 5
12:00 - 14:00
Research 101
Eliza Yellow Bird Tiffany Sorrell
June 10
13:00–14:00
Applying to Med school
Tejal Parikh
June 12
10:00 –11:00
Mental Health in the Border
Francisco Moreno
June 15
09:00 –11:00
COM-Financial Aid
Yamne Callejas
June 15
10:00 –12:00
Personal Statement
Tiffany Sorrell
June 16
10:00 -12:00
MCAT Bootcamp
Eliza Yellow Bird Tiffany Sorrell
June 18
09:00-10:00
COVID-19 and Public Health in AZ
Kacy Ernst
June 24
13:00-15:00
Scholarly writing
Eliza Yellow Bird Tiffany Sorrell
June 24
08:30 - 10:30
Design thinking
Kasi Kiehlbaugh
MedStart panel
FRONTERA interns
June 8, 15, 22, 29
13:00 - 14:00
July 2
13:00 –14:00
Research Poster
Tiffany Sorrell
July 6-8
09:00 - 12:00
SEAHEC border workshops
SEAHEC/Gail Emrick
July 23
11:00 - 12:00
PSP presentation
Maria Manriquez
July 13 August 12
08:30 - 12:00
JuneAugust
12:00 - 12:00
Public Speaking workshops
Kathryn Kellner
August 6
09:00 - 12:00
Closing Ceremony
Cecilia Rosales
August 9
09:00 - 11:00
UROC poster session
Donna Treloar
Health Disparities course
Martha Monroy
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
iii
TRAINEE
Nina Almodova
University of Arizona Student ninaalmodova@email.arizona.edu
NINA ALMODOVA is an upcoming senior at the University of Arizona studying Neuroscience with an emphasis in development and aging. Nina is from Yuma, Arizona and has lived in several border towns throughout her life. She hopes to go to medical school to eventually help underserved communities that she once was a part of. She currently has an Associate of Science degree from Arizona Western College. In her free time, Nina enjoys hiking, playing video games, or hanging out with her friends.
Project THE ROLE OF OVARIAN HORMONES ON SMOKING CESSATION EFFORTS
This research project is a meta-analysis literature review which seeks to answer the question “Can ovarian hormones contribute to smoking cessation efforts?” Based on current studies, there seems to be a relationship with progesterone reducing drug-taking behaviors. However, estrogen seems to have the opposite effect, which inhibits drug-taking behaviors.If there happens to be a significant connection between ovarian hormonesand quitting smoking, this may have the potential to be used to help women quit smoking.
iv
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Alicia M. Allen, PhD, MPH
MENTOR
Assistant Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine Assistant Professor, Public Health aliciaallen@email.arizona.edu
ALICIA M. ALLEN, PHD, MPH, began working in clinical research on substance use disorders in 2001 as an undergraduate student. This experience prompted her to obtain her masters in community health education, graduate certification in addiction studies and doctorate in social and behavioral epidemiology, all from the University of Minnesota. She also completed a fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the area of prenatal smoking. As an behavioral epidemiologist, she is particularly interested in research study design and evaluating causality. She has conducted randomized clinical trials, controlled cross-over trials, and cross-sectional online surveys, as well as analyzed data from large epidemiological datasets. Dr. Allen’s current research focuses on topics that occur in the intersection between substance misuse (e.g., nicotine/tobacco, cannabis, opioids) and women’s health (e.g., pregnancy, postpartum, hormonal contraceptive use). Alicia has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, ClearWay Minnesota, and University of Arizona. She has published 35 manuscripts to-date, primarily with Addictive Behaviors, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Addiction, and Journal of Addiction Medicine. She is an associate editor with Nicotine Tobacco Research (NTR), the clinical director with Society for Research on Nicotine Tobacco University (SRNT-U), and co-director of the Resident Scholarly Project Program (RSPP). Dr. Allen has also recently served on an expert panel for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Research Interests: Addiction Postpartum Substance Misuse
Women’s health
Substance Use Disorders
Hormonal contraceptives
Health behavior change
Research methodology
Sleep Epidemiology Stress Ovarian hormones Pregnancy UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
1
TRAINEE
Airam Mellisa Arce Parra, B.S. University of Arizona Graduate
aarce24@email.arizona.edu
AIRAM MELLISA ARCE PARRA, BS is from Tucson, AZ but her entire family is from Culiacan, Sinaloa and considers herself 100% Sinaloense. Upon completing this internship,she will be a first-generation graduate with a BS in Public Health with an emphasis in Global Health and double minors in French and Pre-Health Thematic. Her professional goals include going to medicine school and become an OBGYN or a Pediatrician. However, she is also reflecting and considering Physician Associates school due to the flexibility in changing specialties and having a well-rounded understanding of multiple specialties and subspecialties. Being fluent in Spanish and English and decent in French, she wants to help limit language barriers within the underserved communities and healthcare services. She currently volunteers at Clinica Amistad that targets the underserved Latinx community and anyone that is uninsured. She hopes to continue working in aiding this community. With the pandemic, she also had the opportunity to volunteer at UA SAFER and was able to do contact tracing and case investigations for COVID-19. There she reflected on the importance of contact tracing to limit the spread of COVIDthrough public awareness by phone interviews and surveys. Outside of volunteer work and completing this internship, she enjoys dancing, soccer, watching movies with family as
well as playing boardgames, doing puzzles and Legos with them.
Project IMPACT PERCEIVED STRESS HAS ON WOMEN’S HEALTH CONDITIONS
WStress has a profound impact on the physiology of the body and may contribute to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes in general. However, there is limited information on how perceived stressaffects the development and/or progression of specific women’s health conditions. The objective of this project was to evaluate the current literature available in the PubMed database that measured the impact that perceived stress has on the women’s health conditions. Out of 606 articles that were available, 77 articles evaluated stress using a perceived stress scale (PSS) in the context of various women’s health conditions including endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer, PCOS, endometriosis and infertility, as well as, vaginal microbiota, STIs and BV. The literary review utilized a bidirectional approach and articles were included that measured the extent to which these women’s health conditions affect stress levels. Overall, this literary review focused on identifying the frequency and breadth of women’s health conditions that have been studied to date, the data instruments utilized by these studies to measure stress, cohort sizes of these studies and racial/ethnic distribution of the participants. This literary review identified gaps in the available literature evaluating the impact that stress has on women’s health conditions and vice versa, as well as, guide future studies in this arena related to perceived stress and women’s reproductive and gynecologic health. 2
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD Associate Professor & Director, Women’s Health Research Program Associate Professor - Basic Medical Sciences Associate Professor - Obstetrics & Gynecology Director, Women’s Health Research Program - Obstetrics & Gynecology
MELISSA HERBST-KRALOVETZ, PHD, is an associate professor of Basic Medical Sciences, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. She is also the director of the Women’s Health Research Program and Microbiome Initiative. Her research is focused on studying host-microbe interactions in the female reproductive tract, particularly vaginal bacteria in the context of women’s health outcomes. Her lab is studying the lower female reproductive tract’s mucosal barrier, which plays an important role on the frontlines of the immune system by protecting the body from microbes. Specifically, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is interested in studying how vaginal bacteria interact with the reproductive mucosal barrier to set the stage for inflammation, tissue damage and ultimately cancer. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction and her doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She is an associate professor in basic medical sciences and obstetrics & gynecology at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
3
TRAINEE
Carlos Daniel Calvillo University of Arizona Student
c
danielc0409@email.arizona.edu
CARLOS DANIEL CALVILLO, is a fourth-year college student majoring in Physiology and Medical Sciences, also seeking a minor in Biochemistry. Although he was born in Tucson, Arizona, he was raised in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. He has a deep interest in tackling issues related to marginalized communities, like the U.S -Mexico border. He aspires to become a cardiologist and practice medicine in the border region. Carlos is a first-generation college student and has volunteered with several organizations at campus like the Mobile Health Unit –College of Public Health and the Shubitz Clinic as part of FACES Conversantes, mainly working under-served communities. Carlos became interested in medicine due to his family working at a hospital in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, where he was able toexperience health care from a young age. Once he started at the University of Arizona, he became interested in cardiology. He enjoys playing soccer and tennis during his free time and his plan after graduation is to continue his studies at the University of Arizona.
Project CORRELATION OF DOPPLER ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR LEFT ATRIAL FILLING PRESSURE ASSESSMENT IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY HYPERTENSION. Under the guidance of Dr. Tushar Acharya, the study aimed to determine a correlation between diastolic dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, mainly looking at the E/e’ ratioto determine diastolic function. Data was collected from information given by cardiac MRI, echocardiogram, and both resting and exercise catherization. The study compared patients with pulmonary hypertension, patients suffering from other risk factors andhealthy patients.
4
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Tushar Acharya, MD, MPH Clinical Assistant Professor Division of Cardiology UA Sarver Heart Center tacharya@shc.arizona.edu
TUSHAR ACHARYA, MD, MPH, is a clinical assistant professor in the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Division of Cardiology, a member of the UA Sarver Heart Center, and a practicing cardiologist with Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. Dr. Acharya received his MBBS from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bengaluru, India, in 2007. At the University of California, San Francisco campus in Fresno, Calif., he completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine in 2013, followed by a fellowship in cardiovascular disease in 2016. He then completed an advanced cardiovascular imaging fellowship in 2018 at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md., and is completing a master’s in public health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Dr. Acharya is board certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, and internal medicine. He is a member of American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. He is currently serving a second term on the American Heart Association’s Diabetes Committee of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. Research Interests: Dr. Acharya’s clinical interests include integrating multi-modality cardiovascular imaging into routine patient care, practicing evidence-based medicine with an emphasis on preventative cardiology. His research interests include evaluating the clinical applications of advanced cardiovascular imaging modalities like cardiac CT and cardiac MRI, population-based studies, clinical effectiveness and implementation research, study design, and statistical methodology. He has authored and co-authored multiple original research publications and presented his research at national and international scientific meetings.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
5
TRAINEE
Xavier Chaidez Sevilla, B.S. University of Arizona Graduate chaidezx@email.arizona.edu
XAVIER CHAIDEZ SEVILLA, is a graduating senior at the University of Arizona studying Neuroscience & Cognitive science. He is a first-generation Arizona-Assurance scholar. Xavier’s next step is to obtain his Master’s Degreein Public Health from the University of Arizona and wants to continue learning about increasing access to quality healthcare to those in underserved communities. Xavier’s ultimate goal is to become an emergency medicine doctor. Outside of School Xavier enjoys trying new places to eat, is selfteaching himself how to cut hair, and hiking with his pug named Albert.
Project PROGNOSTIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE OUTCOMES FOLLOWING CHEMORADIATION THERAPY IN PATIENT WITH ANAL CARCINOMA
Chemoradiotherapy( CRT) is considered as the first line of treatment forpatients with squamous cell carcinoma of anal canal.Following initial CRT, patients who present with either persistent or locally recurrent disease are treated by surgical intervention. The aim of ourstudy was to evaluatethe prognosticfactorsassociated with failure of CRT in patients with anal cancer.
6
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Valentine N. Nfonsam, MD, MS, FACS Professor, Surgery Interim Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology General Surgery Residency Program Director vnfonsam@surgery.arizona.edu
VALENTINE N. NFONSAM, MD, MS, FACS is an associate professor with the University of Arizona Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Section of Surgical Oncology. He specializes in colon and rectal surgery, colorectal oncology, and complex pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Nfonsam performs surgeries for inflammatory bowel disease, anorectal disease, and benign and malignant colorectal diseases. He is an expert in the surgical management of pelvic floor disease, especially fecal incontinence. He also performs colonoscopies and endoscopic treatment of polyps. Dr. Nfonsam is one of just a few surgeons in the nation using minimally invasive techniques for colon and rectal surgery, such as advanced laparoscopy, single-incision surgery, and robot-assisted surgery, which have been shown to reduce the patient’s wound infection rate, post-operative pain, length of stay in the hospital, and overall recovery time. A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, Dr. Nfonsam completed his surgery residency training at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park, New York. During his surgical training, he completed a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) research fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Nfonsam comes to the University of Arizona from the University of South Florida, Tampa, where he completed a two-year fellowship in colon and rectal surgery. He has taught a course in total mesorectal excision (TME) in rectal cancer treatment, which is an essential component in the management of rectal cancer. Dr. Nfonsam’s research focuses on colorectal cancer in young patients, inflammatory bowel disease, and the management of pelvic floor disorders. He has published articles on his research in peerreviewed journals and has presented at national and international meetings. Dr. Nfonsam’s longterm goal is to continue to establish the scientific foundation for targeted treatment for early onset colorectal cancer.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
7
TRAINEE
Jeanette Chavez Save University of Arizona Student jeanettec@email.arizona.edu
JEANETTE CHAVEZ SAVE, is an upcoming junior at the University of Arizona studying Neuroscience, Psychological Science, and Spanish. She was born in Tucson, but grew up in Hermosillo, Sonora. Her parents were born in and immigrated from Mexico, and she is a first generation student interested in applying to medical school after completing her undergraduate education. Jeanette’s goal is to pursue an MD/PhD degree with a specialty in psychiatry. She is particularly interested in combining research and medicine with her Spanish skills to help overcome the language and cultural barriers in health care and serve the underserved, non-English speaking Hispanic population in Arizona.
Project FAMILIAL SUPPORT AND DECLINE RELATED TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A LITERATURE REVIEW
This project is a literature review seeking to understand associations between familial relationships and cognitive decline among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Building and maintaining social relationships, such as supportive family ties,has been considered a protective factor against the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. However, field-level understanding of associations between various forms of social support and Alzheimer’sdisease outcomes remains unclear. To bring clarity to findings in this area, the currentproject aimed to describe the predominant methods used for measuring familial support and rate of decline from Alzheimer’s disease, as well assynthesize current field-level understanding of associations between these factors.
8
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
John Ruiz, PhD Associate Professor, Clinical Director, Social Risk and Resilience Factors (SuRRF) Lab Director, Health Psychology Track Chair, Diversity Committee johnruiz@email.arizona.edu
JOHN RUIZ, PHD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Arizona. Dr. Ruiz’s program of research focuses on psychosocial influences on health. His NIH-funded research examines relationships between individual level psychosocial factors, social behaviors, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk with an emphasis on biobehavioral mechanisms. In addition, Dr. Ruiz has recognized expertise in sociocultural aspects of racial/ethnic health disparities, particularly the epidemiological phenomenon referred to as the Hispanic Health Paradox. He is increasingly recognized for his efforts to advance health equity. Dr. Ruiz is on the editorial boards of several journals (Journal of Latina/o Psychology, Health Psychology, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of Behavioral Medicine), is an associate editor for 4 journals (PLOS One, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Journal of Research in Personality) including Senior Associate Editor of Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and has guest edited several special issues. He has active leadership roles in multiple professional societies including as Member at large for the Society for Health Psychology, Program Chair for the American Psychosomatic Society, and is a founding member and current President of the Behavioral Medicine Research Council (BMRC). Dr. Ruiz is also a leader in the push for health equity as Past Chair for APA’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status (CSES), appointment to the 2021 APA Presidential Task Force on Health Equity, and as a member of the inaugural APA Health Equity Committee. He is a permanent member of the NIH Behavioral Medicine Interventions and Outcomes (BMIO) study section, and he serves on the external advisory board for NIH’s Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) effort. At the University of Arizona he is the Director of the Health Psychology doctoral training program, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in the Department of Psychology, is a member of the Sarver Heart Center, Center on Health Disparities, Center on Aging, and the Hispanic Center of Excellence and has multiple adjunct/affiliate appointments across campus.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
9
TRAINEE
Annisa Bryana Delgado University of Arizona Student anissadelgado@email.arizona.edu
ANNISA BRYANA DELGADO, is a Tucson native and will be a senior at the University of Arizona in the fall. She is going to graduate with a degree in Molecular Cellular Biology and Spanish. After completing her undergraduate degree she plans on applying to medical school to continue her education. Her goal is to work in underserved and underrepresented populations in rural areas as a primary care physician. In her free time Anissa likes to read and spend time with friends
Project THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CIGARETTE SMOKING, DIABETES, AND ANTI-DIABETIC THERAPIES
Through the FRONTERA program Anissa was able to work with Dr. Kathleen Rodgers, who introduced her to her research project. The project Anissa worked on is a literature review and the purpose was to understand how cigarette smoking can lead to individuals developing type 2 diabetes and understanding why people who are exposed to anti-diabetic therapies also have a higher use of tobacco compared to those who are not exposed to anti-diabetic therapies.
10
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Kathleen Rodgers, PhD Associate Professor Associate Director, Translational Neuroscience Center for Innovations in Brain Science. Professor, Pharmacology krodgers@email.arizona.edu
KATHLEEN RODGERS, PHD, Dr. Rodgers’ research over the last 30 years has evaluated the ability of angiotensin peptides and small molecule Mas agonists to mitigate injury and regenerate injured tissues and product development. Stimulation of Mas through endogenous peptides, analogues and peptidomimetics has been shown to increase stem cells/progenitors in a number of disease states with a deficit regenerative cells and to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. By targeting these three fundamental processes, a platform leading to clinical development from laboratory observations has led has been generated. Current disease targets include vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Rodgers has deep domain knowledge in therapeutic development that spans discovery, INDenabling pharmacology and toxicology, clinical trial design and regulatory submissions. She has designed and conducted numerous clinical trials and holds over 50 US patents with expanded coverage in major therapeutic indications.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
11
TRAINEE
Adam Anthony Fernandez, B.S. University of Arizona Graduate Student aaf225@email.arizona.edu
ADAM FERNANDEZ, B.S. is a Chicano student originally from Walnut, CA; his family descends from the states of Chihuahua and Guanajuato, Mexico. Adam received his Bachelors of Science from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2017; his major was Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Anthropology. While at NAU his focus was primarily on exercise sciences, Mexican American studies, and American Indian studies. During his senior year, he began getting involved in public health research through the Partnership for NativeAmerican Cancer Prevention (NACP) where he was mentored by Dr. Julie Baldwin at the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER). After graduating, received his certification as an emergency medical technician in California to gain clinical experience and pursue a career in medicine. However, in 2020 he began his transition back into academia under the supervision of his current mentor Dr. Stephanie Carroll. He has since applied and been accepted into the Masters of Public Health, Health Services Administration program at the University of Arizona, and plans to earn a position with either Indian Health Services or with the Peace Corps. Upon completing approximately two years of service he will decide on transitioning back into patient care as a physician or in the field of nursing.
Project AN INDIGENOUS DATA GOVERNANCE APPROACH FOR ENHANCING ETHICAL RESEARCH POLICIES AND PRACTICES
This project is a scoping review, which is a portion of a greater NSF-funded project that is being led by Dr. Stephanie Carroll’s lab: The Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance. Furthermore, the research question of the scoping review is focused around: “What policies [or structures/mechanisms/processes] exist to support ethical governance (or management) of Indigenous data across various institutional settings?”. Institutions (for purposes of the scoping review) include government agencies, academia, commercial, and various private sector entities. The goal of this research is to advance university policies to improve research and data cultures; therefore advancing Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which “reaffirms the rights of Indigenous Peoples to control data about their people, lands, and resources”. This summer project is stage one which will be a comparative document analysis; the following stages will include an institutional analysis, expert and community panel engagement, ending with resource development and dissemination. 12
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Stephanie Russo Carroll, Dr.PH, MPH (Ahtna-Native Village of Kluti-Kaah) Associate Director and Manager, Tribal Health Program Assistant Research Professor, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy Assistant Professor, Public Health and American Indian Studies Graduate Program Co-Director, Center for Indigenous Environmental Health Research stephaniecarroll@arizona.edu
STEPHANIE RUSSO CARROLL, DR.P.H., M.P.H., is Assistant Research Professor, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy (UC); Associate Director and Manager – Tribal Health Program, the Native Nations Institute (NNI) in the UC; Assistant Professor in the Public Health Policy and Management Program at the Community, Environment and Policy Department, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (MEZCOPH); Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Program; and Co-Director, Center for Indigenous Environmental Health Research, MEZCOHP at the University of Arizona (UA). Stephanie’s research explores the links between Indigenous governance, data, the environment, and community wellness. Her interdisciplinary lab group, the Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance, develops research, policy, and practice innovations for Indigenous data sovereignty. Indigenous data sovereignty draws on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that reaffirms the rights of Indigenous nations to control data about their peoples, lands, and resources. The lab’s research, teaching, and engagement seek to transform institutional governance and ethics for Indigenous control of Indigenous data, particularly within open science, open data, and big data contexts. The lab primarily collaborates with Indigenous Peoples and nations in the US Southwest and the Arctic, as well an international network of Indigenous data sovereignty and governance experts. Lab members also often partner with communities to which they belong, including Indigenous communities. The Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance is affiliated with the Native Nations Institute and the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, and the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University, and works in collaboration with the US Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network, the Global Indigenous Data Alliance, and New York University’s Equity in Indigenous Research and Innovation Coordinating Hub (ENRICH). Stephanie offers Indigenous women-led mentoring of undergraduate through junior faculty and research staff with the goal of producing policy-relevant research through skill and knowledge acquisition. The lab’s disciplinary breadth includes public health, law, business, geography, sociology, social work, public policy, and environmental and climate sciences. Stephanie co-founded the US Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network and the International Indigenous Data Sovereignty Group at the Research Data Alliance, and is a founding member and current chair of the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA). Stephanie was also a founding member of the UAs American Indian and Indigenous Health Alliance Club at MEZCOPH and the UA Native Faculty, working to support the recruitment and retention of Indigenous students and faculty at the UA. She is on the faculty advisory board for the UA’s Center for Digital Society and Data Studies and the Executive Committee for the American Indian Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. Stephanie is a founding board member for the Copper River Tribal College in Chitina, Alaska. UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 13
TRAINEE
Nadia M. Flores Hoyos, B.S.
University of Arizona Graduate ndflores3@email.arizona.edu
NADIA FLORES, was originally born in Sonora, Mexico but was raised in the small town of Bisbee, Arizona. She is currently a senior at the University of Arizona, expected to graduate in August 2021 with a B.S in Public Health with an emphasis in Global Health. After graduation, Nadia aims to continue her education to obtain a master’s degree in Public Health with a focus in data science and aspires to work for an international health organization. When Nadia is not working at the hospital or studying, she enjoys traveling and trying local cuisines, watching Marvel movies, or reading.
Project EXAMINING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PARENTAL ACCEPTABILITY OF COVID-19 VACCINE LITERATURE REVIEW.
Vaccine hesitancy (VH) can be defined as the mental state of holding back in doubt or indecision regarding vaccination, VH may or may not lead a person to refuse or delay vaccinations for themselves or their children. It has contributed to large outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in several countries, including the United States.Understanding the contributions of vaccine hesitancy, among other vaccination barriers, is needed to inform improvements to vaccination programs. In the Substudy we are focusing on parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine for their children as a sub-study to examine factors that will predict vaccine hesitancy among parents to vaccinate their children.
14
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Martha Monroy, MA
MENTOR
Lecturer / Program Manager Health Promotion Sciences Department mmonroy@arizona.edu
MARTHA MONROY, M.A, is a Lecturer and Program Manager in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. The primary focus of Ms. Monroy’s professional career is community led participatory research and action(CBPR) to develop interventions to improve health in underserved communities. Her work utilizes a health equity lens to improve health outcomes in underserved communities through community led and engaged interventions, development of policy and environmental change. The work is based on community assessments that identify the relevant barriers and assets to develop culturally and community tailored interventions. The methodology ensures that the intervention builds on community assets, addresses gaps and is community and culturally relevant. These projects have had local, regional and national foci. Ms. Monroy is the Vice Chair of the National REACH Coalition Board of Directors. Her work with the National REACH Coalition focuses on supporting national health equity efforts through technical assistance and advocacy.
Purnima Madhivanan MBBS, MPH, Ph.D. Associate Professor & Program Director Family and Child Health & Global Health Health Promotion Sciences Department pmadhivanan@arizona.edu PURNIMA MADHIVANAN, MBBS, MPH,PHD, is an Associate Professor with Tenure in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. She holds joint appointments in the College of Medicine, Bio5 Institute and is a member of the UA Cancer Center. She completed her medical training in India and received a MPH/PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California Berkeley. She completed her postdoctoral training at San Francisco Department of Public Health on Clinical Trials Management. She is currently the Director of the NIH funded Global Health Training Program at UA and serves as a co-PI for the GHES consortium in collaboration with Stanford, Yale and University of California, Berkeley.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
15
TRAINEE
Aisha Junet Fregoso University of Arizona Student aishajfregoso@email.arizona.edu
AISHA J. FREGOSO, is from Arizona; but was raised in many states in Mexico, including Veracruz, Tabasco, Guanajuato,and Sonora. She is a first-generationstudent and started her college journey in community college. She then transferred to the University of Arizona in 2019 to complete a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Her dreams are to become a physical therapist and work with disadvantaged populations specifically in the home health setting. While at UA she had the opportunity to work as a mentor for underserved transfer students, specifically she helped them with academic, professional, personal, and financial challenges and connected them to resources that could further facilitate their growth journey. The opportunity to work with students from all over the world, with such different backgrounds, beliefs and aspirations was by far her favorite college experience. Her main take away from this was that we all have much more in common that we think. On her free time, Aisha enjoys spending time with her family and friends, creating art, and cooking the vegan version of iconic recipes.
Project ANALYSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CURRENT RISK EVALUATION FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS
The objective of this study is to assess whether the relationship between prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and BMI is similar across different ethnic and racial groups. Obesity which is commonly defined as a BMI > 30 in the clinical setting is deemed to be the most important risk factor for Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, many health care professionals state that the best way to prevent disease is to avoid excessive weight gain. Yet significant prevalence of this disease has been observed among normal and even low weight individuals, especially in ethnic and racial minorities. This can potentially be explained by the theory of limited expandability which suggests that some individuals are more predisposed to have a limited healthy fat storage capacity in the subcutaneous adipose tissue. This leads to the storageof fat in the visceral adipose tissue as well as in the liver and muscles which culminates in several metabolic problems. This demonstrates the need tohigh lightthe ethnic/racial differences involved in the risk for T2DM and tailor current preventive strategies according to the individual.
16
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Kathleen Rodgers, PhD Associate Professor Associate Director, Translational Neuroscience Center for Innovations in Brain Science. Professor, Pharmacology krodgers@email.arizona.edu
KATHLEEN RODGERS, PHD, Dr. Rodgers’ research over the last 30 years has evaluated the ability of angiotensin peptides and small molecule Mas agonists to mitigate injury and regenerate injured tissues and product development. Stimulation of Mas through endogenous peptides, analogues and peptidomimetics has been shown to increase stem cells/progenitors in a number of disease states with a deficit regenerative cells and to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. By targeting these three fundamental processes, a platform leading to clinical development from laboratory observations has led has been generated. Current disease targets include vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Rodgers has deep domain knowledge in therapeutic development that spans discovery, IND-enabling pharmacology and toxicology, clinical trial design and regulatory submissions. She has designed and conducted numerous clinical trials and holds over 50 US patents with expanded coverage in major therapeutic indications.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
17
TRAINEE
Christian Alexis Gomez
University of Arizona Student christiangomez1@email.arizona.edu
CHRIS GOMEZ, a first generation college student attending U of A majoring in Physiology. He is a rising junior from Mesa, Arizona. His ultimate goal is to get accepted into medical school and work on becoming a dermatologist. After becoming a dermatologist, he hopes to give back to the communities near the Mexico U.S. border/ low-income households where there are great health disparities. He also hopes to open his own dermatology clinic in Arizona where he can help a lot of people against Arizona’s harsh sun.
Project IS ECZEMA A RISK FACTOR FOR DEVELOPING ASTHMA?
This research focuses on Pulmonary Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Directed with the help of Dr. Guerra Stefano and Debra Stern who are engaged in multiple studies that use bio-specimens and phenotypic information from dependentepidemiological cohorts to identify the natural history, risk factors and new biomarkers of lung diseases. This research works with multiple variables like children attending daycare, owning dogs, having siblings, being male or female, having parents withasthma, to identify how they affect children developing asthma in their childhood. This research has an emphasis on a new variable to this research which is researching if eczema (itchy inflammation of the skin) has a relation to children developing asthma in childhood. Hopefully this research can help predict and protect children who would be vulnerable based on the studies done on these variables.
18
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Stefano Guerra, MD, PHD, MPH Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, UA Department of Medicine The Henry E. Dahlberg Chair in Asthma Research, UA College of Medicine – Tucson Director, Epidemiology Unit, UA Health Sciences Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center Professor, UA Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Professor, UA BIO5 InstitutE stefano@email.arizona.edu
STEFANO GUERRA MD, PHD, MPH is a professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, director of the Population Science Unit at the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, and a leading expert in the natural history and biomarkers of obstructive lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He also is a member of the UArizona BIO5 Institute. As principal investigator, he is engaged in the leadership and coordination of multiple studies that use biospecimens and phenotypic information from independent epidemiological cohorts to characterize the natural history, profile the risk factors, and identify novel biomarkers of lung diseases. Dr. Guerra’s work includes an epidemiologic study, which used a household-based approach to assess prevalence and longitudinal changes in respiratory health. Other biomarker projects include a study on molecular biomarkers of asthma and COPD from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
19
TRAINEE
Brittany Marie Grantham
University of Arizona Student bgrantham@email.arizona.edu
BRITTANY M. GRANTHAM, is a junior at the University ofArizona studying Public Health with a minorin Business Administration. She grew up as a militarybrat but now calls Colorado Springs home.Her future aspirations include graduate school anda career in Healthcare Administration. Herpassion is to make a more equitable healthcare systemfor people of all backgrounds. At UofABrittany is President of the Women’s Ultimate Frisbeeteam, works as a Supplemental InstructionLeader for Introduction to Nutrition and is on thediversity, equity, and inclusion committee ofher sorority.
Project IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN SLEEP AND DIET AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER
The research project conducted was a literature review. Dr. Grandner allows FRONTERA interns to pick any topic of interest related to sleep to research. Brittany’s interest in underserved communities and nutrition led her to conduct a literature review on the associations (if any) between sleep and diet at the U.S. Mexico border region. The main topics reviewed include socioeconomic status, food insecurity, acculturation, and diabetes. Sleep and diet are important parts of life for all people so studying the association between them at a place where health disparities are exacerbated was the aim of the literature review. Brittany is excited to continue in Dr. Grandners lab during the fall semester.
20
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM Assistant Professor, Neuroscience - GIDP Assistant Professor, Physiological Sciences - GIDP Associate Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences Associate Professor, Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology Member of the Graduate Faculty grandner@email.arizona.edu
MICHAEL A. GRANDNER, PHD, is the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine - Tucson, with joint appointments in the Department of and Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomat in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. His research focuses on how sleep and sleep-related behaviors are related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, neurocognitive functioning, mental health, and longevity. Current and recentlycompleted research projects were funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and other organizations.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
21
TRAINEE
Miriam Yamileth Heras University of Arizona Student miriamh1@email.arizona.edu
MIRIAM Y. HERAS, is originally from Sinaloa, Mexico and is an upcoming third-year student at the University of Arizona. She is expected to graduate in May 2023 with a B.S in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science and a B.S. in Business Administration with anemphasis on Management Information Systems. After graduating, Miriam aspires to attend medical school and become a pediatrician. Her goal as a medical doctor is to work with underserved communities and create a non-profit that holistically cares for vulnerable children across American continents. Miriam currently volunteers at Clinica Amistad, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides medical services for the underserved, uninsured,and poverty stricken community of Tucson. She also is a founding memberand current Chief Financial Officer of Giving a Little Arizona Magic, a 501(c)3 student-led organization that provides vulnerable children with magical experiences by interacting with admirable characters. Miriam works as a personal assistant and tutor for a student with Cerebral Palsy and at the Early Academic Outreach office at the University of Arizona.
Project ASSESSING FRAILTY IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS BASED ON HEART RATE BEHAVIOR
Through the FRONTERA program, Miriam was mentoredby Dr. Nima Toosizadeh, anassociate professor of the College of Medicine andthe Department of BiomedicalEngineering at the University of Arizona. The projectaimed to pre-assess patients’frailty by evaluating weight-loss, exhaustion, slowness,weakness, and low activityfollowed by physical tasks of free walking and armextensions. A comparison of databetween non-frail and pre-frail/frail patients aimsto showcase the difference inperformance of daily physical activities in olderadults in correlation to their level offrailty. The design of this experiment was to attachsensors to the lower extremities ofthe patients for the free walk and to the right armfor the extension test. Patients wereasked to walk for 6 minutes or extend their arm attheir highest frequency possible for20 and 60 seconds.The significance of assessing frailty is to designpreventative technology or habits todecrease fall risk in older adults. The border regionhas a population with prominence ofhyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and heart failure. Thisresearch is imperative for thewell-being and health of the underserved geriatricpopulation in the border region.
22
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Nima Toosizadeh, PhD Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor of Medicine ntoosizadeh@arizona.edu
NIMA TOOSIZADEH, PHD, is an Assistant Professor of the College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, with a co-appointment with the Division of Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine and Palliative Medicine in the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Research Interest: Biomechanical modeling, measuring methods of physiological and biomechanical properties, and finite element modeling using traditional motion analysis lab equipment, as well as innovative body-worn-sensor technology in healthy and geriatric patients.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
23
TRAINEE
Ashley Monique Hernandez University of Arizona Student ashleymhernandez@email.arizona.edu
ASHLEY M. HERNANDEZ, is an incoming senior at the University of Arizona. She is majoring in Physiology with minors in Spanish and Biochemistry through the Honors College. Ashley is originally from El Paso, Texas –a border city with a high Latinx population. Her career goals include applying to medical school and studyingto become a trauma surgeonor an ER doctor. She is passionate about serving underrepresented minority groups, specifically in border regions, and working to closevarioushealth disparities in communities. Her life goal is to return to thecity of El Paso and have the opportunity to serve her community as a health care professional. Outside of school, Ashley is a licensed and certified pharmacy technician where she gets firsthand health care experienceand interacts with patients. Ashley is on the Board for Tucson’s Project Sunshine chapter, where she volunteers at local pediatric clinics and hospitals to do activities with pediatric patients. She also has experience in being a medical interpreter for local non-profit clinics, like UA Women’s Health Clinic and Clinica Amistad.It is these experiences that continue to motivate Ashley to pursue a health care profession and be in a position to help people in underserved communities.
Project EXAMINATION OF HEALTH CARE COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES AMONG LATINX WOMEN
The purpose of this literature review study was to investigate the different methods of communication available to Latinx women in a health care setting. Themain goal of the study was to determine how Latinx women receive education/information from various communication outlets and whichmethodsare most effective in achieving both comprehension and comfort for the patient. Understanding communication factors that restrict Latinx women and improving upon them may provide better health care access and use of servicesfor this growing demographic.
24
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Ilana B. Addis, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Division Director, Generalists Division iaddis@obgyn.arizona.edu
ILANA ADDIS, MD, MPH, is a Board Certified specialist in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery with Banner University Medical Center/ University of Arizona Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has over 12 years of experience in surgical and nonsurgical treatment of pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. She also practices general gynecology. Prior to joining the faculty at Banner University Medical Center / University of Arizona in Tucson, Dr. Addis completed her fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco and residency training at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. Dr. Addis had NIH funding to research minimally invasive methods of treating overactive bladder.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
25
TRAINEE
Iriana M. Munoz University of Arizona Student
irianamunoz@email.arizona.edu
IRIANA M. MUNOZ, is a daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico who grew up in Tucson, Arizona. She is a first-generation student who is entering her senior year this fall at the University of Arizona. She is double majoring in Family Studies and Human Development (FSHD) and Spanish with a Hispanic literature emphasis. Thanks to her studies she has had the opportunity to intern at Casa Alitas and The Inn. Both are migrant shelters that have assisted migrant populations with hospitality and guiding them to seek asylum. She mainly worked in hospitality, travel assistance, and English/Spanish translation for the medical teams. This experience as well as her experience as a Spanish major and in FRONTERA, has allowed her to learn about the careers needed to help the migrant community, and has influenced the potential paths she wants to take. Currently, Iriana works at the SALT Center as a tutor for other UA students with learning disadvantages or disorders. She tutors math, Spanish, and writing and psychology courses. She is also volunteering virtually at Latina SafeHouse (LSH) as a community-based advocate. At LSH she works in the program “Tu Communidad” which is a multilingual crisis hotline for individuals that are dealing with DV and IPV issues. Her job is to provide any needed resources and safety planning if applicable. Due to her FSHD major she has had the opportunity to become QPR certified and has created an interest in suicide prevention. After Undergraduate school, she plans to take a year off to get more work or interning experience. After that, she plans to go back to school to either pursue a Master’s in Public Health or Ph.D. in Psychology. Her interests are in border/migrant health issues and she hopes to work in public and mental health fields. She also wants to help to go into higher education to help future college students, specifically students that have experienced disparities in necessities like health and education.
Project TYPES OF TRAUMA AND PTSD: AN EXPLORATION AND COMPARISON OF THE CLINICO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS AND MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT SURVIVORS.
The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) results from different kinds of trauma. Exploring the characteristics of patients who have experienced different kinds of trauma, such as sexual assault and motor vehicle accidents, may inform personalized prevention and treatment approaches. The goal of this project was to describe and compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who experienced these two types of trauma within the previous 10 years. This hypothesis-generating project will guide personalized interventions for patients with a trauma history that may be tested in future clinical research.
26
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Jordan Karp, MD Chair, Psychiatry Member of the Graduate Faculty Professor, Psychiatry karpjf@email.arizona.edu
JORDAN KARP, MD, is the Department Chair, Professor of Psychiatry, and Medical Director for Behavioral Health Technology. He is an expert in the fields of geriatric psychiatry, depression treatment, and suicide prevention. Dr. Karp’s priorities for the Department include: providing the best care possible to our patients and their families today; preparing the next generation of psychiatrists to provide better care in the future; produce the advancements in knowledge required to improve our ability to diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent mental illness; and engage with diverse stakeholders to assure our workforce represents and meets the needs of our community and promotes social justice. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Dr. Karp served as a professor of psychiatry, anesthesiology and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he directed the Late-Life Depression Prevention and Treatment Research Program, served as Director of Medical Student Mental Health Services, and was program director for the geriatric psychiatry fellowship. Dr. Karp has authored more than 130 peer reviewed publications and has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) since 2006. Research Interests: Geriatric Psychiatry, Residency Training, Depression Treatment, Suicide Prevention
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
27
TRAINEE
Alex Singh Parmar University of Arizona Student aparmar@email.arizona.edu
ALEX PARMAR, is a first-generation Punjabi-American intern from Tucson, Arizona and is a student at the University of Arizona, majoring in Physiology & Medical Sciences, with a minor in Spanish. His work with the Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion has allowed him to gain a further understanding of the medical disparities which plague the community he was raised in. Through volunteering as a medical scribe and a Spanish language interpreter with the University of Arizona’s CUP Clinics, Alex has gotten to realize the extent of the hardships his surrounding population faces in receiving basic healthcare needs. For this reason, after graduation, Alex seeks to earn admission into medical school, from which he hopes to utilize his training in order to give back to and strengthen the rich, deserving Tucson community that raised him.
Project SUCCESS OF FRONTERA INTERNS; A UNIQUE PIPELINE PROGRAM FOR HEALTH RELATED GRADUATE SCHOOLS
This study focused on the FRONTERA Summer Internship, and how it develops students to become better candidates for their preferred graduate school. Factors that the study considered included taking special interest to the types of students that participated in the program, and how the students felt about the vast, unique experiences and training the internship provided to the students as they prepared to apply to their respective graduate programs. The overall success of the program was determined by the students’ acceptance into their preferred graduate schools. This study seeks to use the success of the FRONTERA Summer Internship as a beacon for producing future leaders in the healthcare field, specifically in underserved border communities, in order to encourage and inspire other schools to develop such pipeline programs, to foster an environment to train future healthcare leaders to serve in their respective communities.
28
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Lilah F. Morris-Wiseman, MD, FACS Clinical Associate Professor, Surgery Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency lmorriswiseman@surgery.arizona.edu
LILAH MORRIS-WISEMAN, MD, FACS, joined the Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona in 2017 after practicing endocrine and general surgery practice in the Tucson community since 2014. After finishing her residency in general surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, she went on to complete a fellowship in endocrine surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. She has co-authored more than 40 peer reviewed publications, book chapters, and invited reviews. In her clinical practice, Dr. Morris-Wiseman performs a variety of general surgery procedures. She specializes in evaluating and treating surgical diseases of the endocrine system including: thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal grands utilizing advanced and minimally invasive endocrine surgical techniques. She works with a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and treat patients with neuroendocrine tumors. She has special expertise in treating endocrine diseases with a genetic component.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
29
TRAINEE
Allison Michelle Rascon
University of Arizona Student allisonrascon@email.arizona.edu
ALLISON RASCON, is an upcoming senior at the University of Arizona studying Public Health with an emphasis in Health Systems Theory and Practice. She is also pursuing minors in Spanish and Government & Public Policy. She was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona and is dedicated to serving her local community through working towards reducing health disparities in Southern Arizona. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue an MPH and work in the field of health policy. At UArizona, she serves as the president of Public Health Undergraduate Network (PHUN), a member of the Honors College, and a singer in Amplified A Cappella. She as works as a Community Coordinator with First Cats Initiatives, serving the First-Generation college student community on campus.
Project EXAMINING THE ORGANIZATION OF FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHCS) IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA
The project aims to identify the health systems that operate Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Sliding Fee Schedule Clinics in Southern Arizona. The Arizona Department of Health Services (AzDHS) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) online resources served as a basis for identifying state health centers to characterize their administration of health care services. Each FQHC in SouthernArizona was characterized in one-page documents that may serve as a resource for community members at large. In the future, this work may be used to pair underrepresented populations, specifically Hispanic and Indigenous communities, to services.
30
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
David Garcia, PhD Associate Professor, Public Health Health Promotion Sciences Department davidogarcia@arizona.edu
DAVID GARCIA, PHD, is an Assistant Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. He has extensive experience in short and long-term intervention trials in the areas of physical activity, diet, and weight management. He received his training from leading institutions and mentors in the field. Since 2006, Dr. Garcia has worked on numerous funded research projects, including research funded by industry, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foundations. This includes working as a lifestyle interventionist/exercise physiologist in several clinical trials with overweight and obese adults, morbidly obese adults (Class II and III obesity), and individuals with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Garcia’s current research focuses on the development of gender and culturally-sensitive weight loss interventions for Hispanic males. To support this effort, Dr. Garcia recently established “Nosotros Comprometidos a Su Salud -Committed to Your Health”, a program developed to support research through community service and partnering with underserved Tucson residents. Evidence from his preliminary research with this population group suggests that targeted, tailored behavioral programs are acceptable, sustainable and potentially efficacious. He is currently testing these approaches through on-going mixed method research among Hispanic males. The long-term vision of his research is to implement and evaluate large, multi-site trials to systematically influence community environments and eventually, policies in order to improve health among underserved populations. Cancer Focus Dr. Garcia is the Assistant Director for Community Outreach & Engagement for the University of Arizona Cancer Center. His current research focuses on the development of gender and culturallysensitive weight loss interventions for Hispanic males. Evidence from his preliminary research with this population group suggests that targeted, tailored behavioral programs are acceptable, sustainable and potentially efficacious. He is currently testing these approaches through on-going mixed method research among Hispanic males to burden of obesity-related disease and cancers, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatoceullar carcinoma.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
31
TRAINEE
Armando Romero-Garma
University of Arizona Student
aromerogarma@email.arizona.edu
ARMANDO ROMERO-GARMA, is a 5th year senior at the College of Public Health with an emphasis on Global Health as well as a double major in Global Studies with a concentration in Health Development. He is a native Arizonian that was born and raised in Nogales, AZ which allowed him the benefit of being able to experience both the American and Mexican culture as well as both ways of life. Through the opportunities presented of living in a border town, that is where Armando’s desire for medicine and public health arose since he had constant exposureto health disparities, knowledge gaps and other factors that tremendously impact one’s health. Especially chronic health disease (Diabetes, Hypertension, High Cholesterol and Poor Diet) that could be prevented if there were greater levels of education and intervention, as well as just greater constant awareness of the impacts that can be associated with these chronic health diseases.
Project EFFECTIVENESS OF FAMILY CENTERED (PARENT/SIBLINGINVOLVEMENT) INTERVENTIONS IN THE REDUCTION OF CHILDREN’S BMI LEVELS
Armando’s FRONTERA internship research project is in partnership with Dr. Jessie Pettit which will be focusing on “The Effectiveness of family centered (parent/siblinginvolvement) interventions in the reduction of children’s BMI levels”. Quite interestingly enough, most of the researchwill deal with literature review of successful programs that have resulted in lowering the child’s BMI and what has made them successful in comparison to programs/interventions that were not as successful. The comparison will allow the opportunity to learn from those instances so that those obstacles are not repeated/encountered. Eventually the information and data that is collected from the literature review of intervention programs will be shared with Dr. Jessie Pettit and her colleagues who are attempting to begin a “Family Centered Pediatric Weight Loss Program”.
32
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Jessie M. Pettit, MD
Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine jmpettit@email.arizona.edu
JESSIE PETTIT, MD, received her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. She completed her residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Arizona where she served as Chief Resident during her final year of training. Dr. Pettit also finished Dr. Weil’s Integrative Medicine Fellowship which furthered her ability to create care plans that are truly patient-centered. As a physician who values the often complex needs of her patients, Dr. Pettit is honored to serve as the Tucson Family Advocacy Program’s Medical Director. Dr. Pettit’s main areas of interest are the promotion of health and wellness of women and children including maternity care and promotion of breastfeeding and lactation. Outside of the office, Dr. Pettit is an avid yoga practitioner and enjoys laughing with her husband Josh and daughters Elena & Nina.
Research Interests: Clinical education/practice Breastfeeding/lactation Maternal child health CAM Health disparities
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
33
TRAINEE
Stephanie Salvador Dimas University of Arizona Student
ssalvadordimas75@email.arizona.edu
STEPHANIE SALVADOR DIMAS, is a first-generation college student attending the University of Arizona. She is a junior working to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science with an emphasis in Neurobiology. Her long-term planinvolves pursuing medical school to realize a career in pediatric medicine. Her parents, both originating from Mexico, raised her in a monolingual Spanish-speaking household. Subsequently, she had the opportunity to gain a unique perspective of how language barriers can make medicine inaccessible. Therefore, she aims to work with children in rural underserved communities where bilingual health professionals are less accessible. She hopes this work can contribute to making medicine more available to families with fewer resources. During her college career, she has mentored children from kindergarten to sixth graders with adverse childhood experiences by helping them pursue sport, science, and art extracurriculars. In addition, she volunteers in Dr. Mary Alt’s language lab at the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences department of the University of Arizona to assist children with underdeveloped speech. Besides volunteering, Stephanie has interned at Banner University Medical Center as a patient ambassador, where she was able to help patients and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project THE EFFECTS OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES) AND RESILIENCE ON INFANT AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH.
This summer, she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Rice, Dr. Samson, and the rest of the fantastic team at the Children’s Postinfectious Autoimmune Encephalopathy (CPAE) Center. She was able to work with passionate health professionals who work endlessly to raise awareness and treat rare autoimmune encephalopathies (PANS/PANDAS), in addition to growing their understanding of what causes contribute to them.
34
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Sydney A. Rice, MD, MSc Division Chief Professor, Pediatrics Professor, Public Health Director, University of ArizonaLEND Program srice@peds.arizona.edu
SYDNEY A. RICE, MD, MSC is a Professor of Pediatrics in the University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a doctoral degree in Medicine from the University of Arizona, and a master’s degree in health evaluation sciences from the University of Virginia.She received residency and chief residency training in pediatrics at the University of Arizona where she received multiple teaching awards. She worked for several years as a general pediatrician on the Arizona-Mexico border as part of the National Health Service Corp. During this time she developed a particular interest in children with special needs and policy issues related to their care. She then took a position on the faculty at the University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics working as a primary care provider for children with special health care needs and serving as a medical director for the Children’s Rehabilitation Services. In 1999, Dr. Rice returned to fellowship training in developmental pediatrics at the University of Virginia and was granted an Individual National Research Service Award to support the development of a risk- adjusted model for functional outcome after traumatic brain injury in children. She completed fellowship training at UVA and remained on faculty in Developmental Pediatrics, working clinically with children with traumatic brain injury and autism and was Medical Director of Head of the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center and Research Institute, University of Virginia. She returned to Arizona in April, 2005 to join the Department of Pediatrics at the UA. She has a special interest in children with traumatic brain injury, autism and myelomeningocele. She works clinically on many different multi-disciplinary teams with children with varied disabilities. She teaches in the UA medical school in both the basic science and the clinical medical curricula. She is active with the American Academy of Pediatrics as an editor of an online publication for developmental pediatricians, PREPDB. She is also active in the Arizona chapter of the AAP and multiple community and state boards.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
35
TRAINEE
Abraham Gerardo Sanchez, BS University of Arizona Graduate abrahamsanchez@email.arizona.edu
ABRAHAM G. SANCHEZ, is a recent graduate from the University of Arizona who obtained his B.S in Microbiology and Minor is Spanish. Abraham is from San Luis, AZ, a small border community in the southwest region of Arizona. During the year Abraham hopes to work in a clinical laboratory setting while also volunteering in a non-profit clinic along the US -Mexico border. He plans to do this while he prepares his application for Medical School, where he hopes to further his career in Family medicine or as a surgeon. In his free time he enjoys weight lifting and working on cars.
Project SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN IDENTIFYING WOUNDS AND SEVERITY OF BURN INJURY
The goal of this research is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of digital photography in the identification and descriptions of wounds. This research also analyzes the possibility of this method of wound identification to be expanded in telemedicine and how it can potentially be used in underserved communities to help accurately diagnose a burn wound based on digital images. Retrospective pictures were taken from inpatient and outpatient clinics and were shown on a survey to healthcare professionals of various levels of training. The survey asked the level of burn and whether a wound showed signs of infection. The results from the survey were then compared to clinical data to determine the effectiveness of identifying burn level and signs of infection from digital photography.
36
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Lourdes Castañón, MD, FACS
Director, Burn Program Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgery Director, 4th Year Clerkship lourdescastanon@surgery.arizona.edu
LOURDES CASTAÑÓN, MD, FACS, is director of the Burn Program at Banner University Medical Center - Tucson and a clinical assistant professor of surgery with the Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care, Burns, and Emergency Surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson. Dr. Castañón comes to the department from Allegheny Health System in Pittsburgh, Penn., where she served as an attending surgeon since 2014. Dr. Castañón earned her MD from the State University of New York Health and Science Center at Brooklyn. She then went on to complete residency in general surgery at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, also in Brooklyn. Following residency, Dr. Castañón completed a fellowship in surgical critical care and burns at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and a fellowship in acute care surgery and trauma at the Yale University School of Medicine. She is certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care as well as Advanced Burn Life Support, among other clinical and teaching certifications. Dr. Castañón is a member of multiple professional societies, most notably, the American College of Surgeons, the Pan-American Trauma Society, the International Society of Burn Injuries, and the American Medical Association. She has authored and co-authored numerous studies on a range of burn-related topics in peer-reviewed journals as well as presented at many national, regional, and local conferences. Dr. Castañón is fluent in both English and Spanish.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
37
TRAINEE
Jorge Millliam Trujillo
University of Arizona Student
milliam@email.arizona.edu
MILLIAM TRUJILLO, was raised in a little town in Mexico called Esqueda around 2 hours from the border. There he learned the basic principles of life. As well as helping the ones that needed it the most. Since he lived behind the only hospital in his town. He was present to seeing everything that went on in the life of a physician. That’s why he decided to become part of the medical field and pursue a career in the medical field as a physician, eventually become a surgeon. Ever since childhood, he dreamed of one day being at a university studying medicine. As of today, he is involved in research in the Banner Medical Center under the guidance of Dr. Arif in the radiology department. Researching the possible consequence for the long term of COVID-19. Majoring in Neuroscience andcognitive development with an emphasis in neurobiology. Also, he is minoring in psychology and business with aspirations to apply to medical school in the next cycle.
Project UTILIZATION OF ABBREVIATED PROTOCOL FOR THE DETECTION OF DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS IN COVID-19 POSITIVE PATIENTS
This summer Milliam engage in research related to covid. Under the supervision of Dr. Arif in the Banner Medical Center. The research consisted of recollecting data from a group of patients, regarding the possible development of deep vein thrombosis, as well as pulmonary embolism. The study conducted in the patientwas DVT analysis of the lower extremities as well as a CT with contrast in the thorax, abdomen, and the upper part of both arms. The analysis consisted of going over saidscans and correlating or identifying possible signs after contracting COVID-19 that would lead to the development of DVT and PE. Milliam not only got to be in presence of great physicians but also got to go over some cases with the department expanding his knowledge in the area and also getting insight into the day-to-day life of a physician.
38
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Hina Arif-Tiwari, MD
Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs MI Executive Committee Member Division Chief, Abdominal Imaging Director, Abdominal Imaging Fellowship Program Diversity Champion and COM-T Faculty Diversity Advisory Committee Member Professor, Medical Imaging - (Clinical Scholar Track) hinaarif@radiology.arizona.edu
HINA ARIF-TIWARI, MD, is Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Professor and Chief of the Division of Abdominal Imaging at University of Arizona, Department of Medical Imaging. She is a member of the Medical Imaging Executive Committee and serves as the Abdominal Radiology Fellowship Program Director. Dr. Arif-Tiwari is a member of the COM-T Faculty Diversity Advisory Committee and proudly serves as the Medical Imaging Diversity Champion. A long-time member and affiliated Faculty Member at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, she also serves as the Director of the Oncology Imaging service line for Banner University Medicine. In 2019, Dr. Arif-Tiwari was awarded the prestigious College of Medicine Clinical Investigator Fellows Award. She was further honored as a Fellow by the Society of Abdominal Radiology and received the Distinguished Reviewer Award by the Abdominal Radiology Journal. Dr. Arif-Tiwari has participated in more than 70 peer-reviewed international publications, and presently serves as Editorial Board Member for the Austin Journal of Clinical Medicine. As an appointed clinical expert and contributor to the Body MRI course offered by the American College of Radiology, Dr. Arif-Tiwari is involved in the quarterly training of radiologists worldwide. She regularly contributes to appropriate practice guidelines for Gastrointestinal Imaging and has served as co-author on national imaging guidelines for diseases of the liver and pancreas. Dr. Arif-Tiwari earned her M.B.B.S. at Barkatullah University where she was awarded the Gold Medal for General Surgery and the prestigious President of India Award for achieving first place in all of her M.B.B.S. exams. She earned her Medical Degree of Radiodiagnosis at NSCB Medical College in Jabalpur, India. After her radiology residency training, Dr. Arif-Tiwari completed several advanced imaging fellowships, including an Abdominal Imaging and Intervention Fellowship at the University of British Columbia, and subsequently an MRI Translational Science and Imaging Fellowship at the University of Arizona.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
39
TRAINEE
Rosa Alexa Vasquez, B.S. University of Arizona Graduate
rosavasquez@email.arizona.edu
ROSA A VASQUEZ, is a recent graduate from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Spanish. She was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona, and moved to Tucson to continue her studies. Rosa’s passion for medicine is to serve those living underrepresented communities especially those in border town communities. She hopes to become a pediatrician and also be involved with research. Her research interests are women’s health and pediatric care. When Rosa is not studying, she is at Cienega High School advising students on their next steps to their own goals and futures in college. Rosa’s hobbies include going to flamenco class, hiking, drawing, and hanging out with her family.
Project THE INFLUENCE OF INFANT CAREGIVING ACTIVITIES ON THE RISK FOR MATERNAL SUBSTANCE USE RELAPSE
The research project is a review of the literature on the role of infant care activities on mother’s risk for substance use relapse during the postpartum period. We sought to answer the question, “what kind of infant caregiving activities have been shown to be related to substance use disorder?” We reviewed over 400 extant studies to develop a list of relevant literature. From this literature, we identified that potentially important and modifiable caregiving activities are breastfeeding and playing that may support a mother’s recovery during the postpartum. In continuation, further literature on substance use, infant-care activities, and their relationship to maternal hormonal patterns will be reviewed.
40
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Alicia M. Allen, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
Assistant Professor, Public Health
aliciaallen@email.arizona.edu
ALICIA M. ALLEN, PHD, MPH, began working in clinical research on substance use disorders in 2001 as an undergraduate student. This experience prompted her to obtain her masters in community health education, graduate certification in addiction studies and doctorate in social and behavioral epidemiology, all from the University of Minnesota. She also completed a fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the area of prenatal smoking. As an behavioral epidemiologist, she is particularly interested in research study design and evaluating causality. She has conducted randomized clinical trials, controlled cross-over trials, and cross-sectional online surveys, as well as analyzed data from large epidemiological datasets. Dr. Allen’s current research focuses on topics that occur in the intersection between substance misuse (e.g., nicotine/tobacco, cannabis, opioids) and women’s health (e.g., pregnancy, postpartum, hormonal contraceptive use). Alicia has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, ClearWay Minnesota, and University of Arizona. She has published 35 manuscripts to-date, primarily with Addictive Behaviors, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Addiction, and Journal of Addiction Medicine. She is an associate editor with Nicotine Tobacco Research (NTR), the clinical director with Society for Research on Nicotine Tobacco University (SRNT-U), and co-director of the Resident Scholarly Project Program (RSPP). Dr. Allen has also recently served on an expert panel for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Research Interests: Addiction Postpartum Substance Misuse
Women’s health
Substance Use Disorders
Hormonal contraceptives
Health behavior change
Research methodology
Sleep Epidemiology Stress Ovarian hormones Pregnancy
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
41
TRAINEE
Sylvia Nyaboke Zakayo University of Arizona Student
sylviaz@email.arizona.edu
SYLVIA N. ZAKAYO, was born and raised in Kenya until her mid-teen years. She then moved to Tucson, Arizona where she graduated from high school in 2019. She started my college at Pima Community College where she did an Associate in Science and graduated in May 2021. She transferred to the University of Arizona and will be starting in her junior year as a major in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. She is also a premed student and hence preparing for medical school by doing internships and volunteers and that is one of the reasons she did Frontera. But then she learned more and gained much more than she expected from this program like the MCAT Prep courses and the sessions about health disparities in the border and the research; which is honestly an extra package that comes with this program. She is so grateful for the agency and all its leadership in seeing throughout the success of the program and the students and everyone in the program. She has been a volunteer in a food bank; Interfaith Community Service for almost three months now. Her future career goal is to be a neurosurgeon but also loves researching.
Project EFFECTS OF LACK OF SLEEP ON DIFFERENT COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS LIKE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, MEMORY AND DECISION MAKING
The research was a literature review of the effects of sleep deprivation on different cognitive functions such as memory, decision-making, and executive functions. The methods used to conduct this research were finding different resources on previous researches conducted on this topic from the library databases which was very useful since everything was in order including the APA citations. We looked at different resources on a variety of cognitive functions such as memory, emotions, perception, decision making, and executive functions and how sleep deprivation impacted these functions. We found very interesting information and a summary of the discussion can be that, although not all cognitive functions are affected by lack of sleep, a majority of them are and bring with them dire consequences for instance on long-term memory and executive functions such as working memory, self-control, and self-monitor.
42
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
MENTOR
Michael Grandner, PhD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience - GIDP Assistant Professor, Physiological Sciences - GIDP Associate Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences Associate Professor, Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology Member of the Graduate Faculty grandner@email.arizona.edu
MICHAEL A. GRANDNER, PHD, is the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center, and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UA College of Medicine - Tucson, with joint appointments in the Department of and Medicine, Psychology (UA College of Science), Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), and Clinical Translational Science. In addition, he is a faculty member of the Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs. He is certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and is a Diplomat in Behavioral Sleep Medicine by the Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. His research focuses on how sleep and sleep-related behaviors are related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, neurocognitive functioning, mental health, and longevity. Current and recentlycompleted research projects were funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the American Heart Association (AHA), the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and other organizations.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
43
Alumni Stories Karen Penelope Ibarra, MD College of Medicine-Tucson FRONTERA 2015
What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? The FRONTERA summer internship helped me shape my understanding about health disparities in rural areas and obtain hands on research experience. My research project focused in analyzing the prospective data obtained Diamond’s Children Hospital about children that came in to the Emergency room due to an acute asthma exacerbation. The purpose of my research was to see if there was any ethnic differences in the asthma triggers or parental knowledge in the children that were hospitalized with an acute asthma exacerbation. The data indicated that the population that was coming in more often with an acute asthma exacerbation were indeed from a minority group or from a low socioeconomic status. Specifically, the population focused around Hispanics and patients on Medicaid. It was also determined that certain triggers were more common among these children hospitalized. Therefore, it is imperative that a culturally appropriate program exists in effort to address asthma education to Hispanic families. Asthma control in families of Hispanic and low socioeconomic status can potentially reduce the number of preventable emergency department visits due to an acute asthma exacerbation. Furthermore, this experience was beyond meaningful to me because I obtained real hands on experience in research with something that I am highly passionate about. In addition to expanding my knowledge about health disparities, the FRONTERA summer internship offered a unique opportunity to prepare for medical school by obtaining valuable study and test-taking skills. As part of the program, I was able to develop a better understanding of the pathway to medical school.
Katherine Bakke, MD, MPH University of Michigan FRONTERA 2010 What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? FRONTERA provided me with my first experience in public health research when I was a rising-college senior. Although I was new to research, my PI and mentor, Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, encouraged me to take ownership of my project and gave me latitude and resources to be a true leader. Not only did I gain practical skills
44
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
such as writing IRB applications, liaising with clinic administrators to gather study participants, and basic qualitative analysis know-how, I also gained insight, through site visits to hospitals in Sonora, Mexico and clinics on “the res” (among many others), into the vast, interrelated factors that contribute to Latino health in the southwestern United States and along the MexicanAmerican border. How has the Program experience benefited you now in your current life? Currently, I am a rising second-year medical student at University of Michigan Medical School pursuing an MD/MPH degree. My time in Tucson was short—only a summer—but the lessons I learned and relationships I gained during my internship continue to have an impact. The bulk of my FRONTERA research involved interviewing patients of the El Rio Community Health Center about their understanding of health education materials used by the clinic. I conducted nearly 100 interviews, and the listening and probing skills I acquired talking with patients in Tucson easily translate to my interactions with patients now as a physician-in-training.
Megan Fah, MD College of Medicine- Phoenix Border Health Scholar 2012
What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? During my time as a Border Health Scholar, I was able to gain unique insight into the health care systems of both the U.S. and Mexico. The program really opened my eyes to health disparities that border populations face, and the mistreatment they experience. Consequently, I was inspired to someday work with underserved populations in effort to close the gap in the medical attention they receive. How has the program experience benefited you now in your current life? The program introduced me to a wide array of opportunities in public health. I will be starting my MD/ MPH dual degree at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix this July. My work with the Border Health Scholars program is what sparked my interest in completing a Masters in Public Health. Additionally, the program benefited me by providing talking points about my experiences throughout the medical school interview process. Overall, the Border Health Scholars program made me a more competitive applicant for medical school.
Anna Maria Del Sol Driesen, B.S PMAP-scholar 2021/2022 FRONTERA 2019
What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? The FRONTERA internship helped me gain a deeper understanding of what border health disparities exist in Arizona today. We visited different rural sites around Arizona, and it helped me realize the need that there is for physicians in these medically underserved areas. This internship also helped me strengthen my research skills by connecting me with a mentor to work on a research project. Alongside my mentor, Dr. Lilah Morris-Wiseman, we worked on a qualitative research study that focused on the importance of prioritizing diversity in the medical field, specifically in general surgery. Dr. Morris-Wiseman and I continued to work together after the internship ended to publish our research findings in the Journal of Surgical Education. I was able to present our research study, “Do General Surgery Residency Program Websites Feature Diversity” at the Association of Program directors in Surgery National Conference in May 2020. Not only did I gain insight into rural medicine, I also learned how to write a journal article and present it to an audience of health professionals. I gained a deeper insight into what medicine is and the endless possibilities that exist within it. How has the Program experience benefited you now in your current life? After the Program ended, I continued to work alongside my mentor, Dr. Lilah Morris-Wiseman on several projects. We published our research findings, “Do General Surgery Residency Program Websites Feature Diversity” and presented at a national conference in May 2020. Due to our research being focused on the importance of prioritizing diversity through surgical residency programs, Dr. MorrisWiseman invited me to serve on a committee that is updating the University of Arizona’s surgery website. This has been an incredible experience to work alongside different health professionals and focus on how we can attract diverse applicants to the University of Arizona and to surgery. Currently, I am starting the PMAP program at the University of Arizona and completing my year of graduate school in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. I am incredibly excited to start medical school in 2022.
Dario Alvarez, MD College of Medicine-Phoenix FRONTERA 2013
What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? FRONTERA allowed me to see and understand firsthand the environment and conditions to which people living on each side of the border are subjected. Traveling to Nogales,
AZ, I witnessed the different aspects of the small city. First, our talk with Sheriff Tony Estrada opened my eyes to the aid the side of our state is providing to the families in the border area, whether documented or not. As an immigrant myself, many of the laws and reforms in our state appear harsh and lead to social separation; the Sheriff’s office takes the initiative to protect innocent lives while treating every individual equally, a change from other departments I am accustomed to. At the same time, Nogales’ health center is an inspiration, and an example of why I want to join the medical field. They provide aid and learning to insured or uninsured individuals indiscriminately. Whether it is at the facility, or their mobile unit, they reach as many people and protect them, teach them about hygiene, and promote the Promotora movement. Moreover, KINO Border Initiative and SEAHEC also opened my eyes. They protect the less fortunate individuals in Mexico, immigrants who were deported and left to rot in the unknown city, and those too weak to adventure deep into the desert. I also had the opportunity of working alongside the epidemiologist Dr. Kacey Ernst and entomologist Dr. Kathryn Walker, both took me under their wing and taught me about poverty across the border and the unfortunate presence of disease. The program opened many doors and gave way to even more experiences and learning situations, and in the end, made me a great candidate for medical school.
Adrian Franco Vanegas, BS PMAP-scholar 2021/2022 FRONTERA 2017
What benefits did you experience during your time in the Program? Coupled with my collective experience in volunteering with Clinic Amistad, the FRONTERA internship solidified my understanding of why underserved patients delay seeking medical treatment. Language barriers, lack of transportation to health care facilities, the costs of medical care, and poor health literacy all contribute to the inaccessibility of health services in border communities. FRONTERA has also taught me the ongoing history of collaboration between United States and Mexico in uplifting border communities. Working together with the physicians from Secretaria de Salud, I witnessed the ripple effect that physicians can have by directly visiting communities to provide health services. By raising awareness and connecting border communities with health services, one can bridge the gap in health in underserved populations and provide them health information relevant to them. . The ability to clearly communicate and educate in two languages, both English and Spanish, will allow me to fulfill the community needs of rural Arizona as a future physician and beyond. P.S. I send a special shout out to Dr. Alejandra Zapien, program director, who has been a great mentor throughout my professional career in medicine.
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
45
Activity Photos
OUR FIRST GROUP PHOTO DURING FRONTERA ORIENTATION
LIBRARY TRAINNG WITH YAMILA EL-KHAYAT 46
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Activity Photos
SCHOLARLY WRITING WITH DRS. YELLOW BIRD & SORRELL
DESIGN THINKING WITH DR. KASI KIEHLBAUGH UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
47
Activity Photos
The FRONTERA interns had the opportunity to host a drive in collaboration with SEAHEC supporting Casa Alitas and the new Nogales welcome center. The drive was held virtually and advertised through social media and in the OEDI listserv.
Here are some of the items collected and transported to Casa AlItas.
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER
48
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
Special Thanks to the Presenters
YAMILA EL-KHAYAT, MA Outreach Services Librarian
JILL GUERNSEY DE ZAPIEN Associate Dean for Community Programs Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
TEJAL M. PARIKH, MD Assistant Dean, Admissions Associate Professor, Family and Community Medicine Director, Life Cycle Block
KASI KIEHLBAUGH, PHD Senior VP Health Sciences Director, Health Sciences Design Assistant Teaching Professor
YAMNE VICTORIA CALLEJAS
GAIL EMRICK, MPH Executive Director, Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center (SEAHEC)
Program Coordinator, Senior Financial Aid College of Medicine-Tucson
LYDIA KENNEDY, MED Senior Director, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
ELIZABETH HALL-LIPSY, JD, MPH Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice & Science Director of PharmD Forward
FRANCISCO MORENO, MD
MONA R. LOPEZ
Associate Vice President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Program Coordinator, Senior College of Medicine-Tucson
Professor, Psychiatry
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE! UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
49
Special Thanks to... OEDI workshops INSTRUCTORS TIFFANY MARIE SORRELL, PHD
ELIZA YELLOW BIRD, PHD Director, Student Services
Learning Specialist
Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
UARIZONA- THINK TANK MCAT, prep course
MENTORS LILAH F. MORRIS-WISEMAN, MD, FACS
STEFANO GUERRA, MD, PHD, MPH
MICHAEL GARDNER, MD, MTR, CBSM, FAASM
JORDAN KARP, MD
VALENTINE NFONSAM, MD, MS, FACS
MARTHA MOORE-MONROY, MA
HINA ARIF-TAWARI, MD
JESSIE PETTIT, MD
TUSHAR ACHARYA, MD, MPH
NIMA TOOSIZADEH, PHD
ALICIA M. ALLEN, PHD, MPH
SYDNEY RICE, MD, MS
ILANA B. ADDIS, MD, MPH
KATHLEEN RODGERS, PHD
STEPHANIE CARROLL, DR.P.H. M.P.H.
JOHN RUIZ, PH.D
LOURDES CASTANON, MD. FACS
MELISSA HERBST-KRALOVETZ, PHD
DAVID GARCIA, PHD
UArizona Health Sciences-Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion FRANCISCO MORENO, MD Associate Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion Professor, Psychiatry LYDIA KENNEDY, MED Senior Director, UAHS-OEDI IRIS G. ALMAZAN Sr. Program Manager, UAHS-OEDI
50
2021 FRONTERA SUMMER INTERNSHIP
ALEJANDRA ZAPIEN-HIDALGO, MD, MPH Assistant Professor, FCM FRONTERA, Director MARIA HERNANDEZ, BS Administrative Associate, UAHS- OEDI YCIED TALAVERA GUILLEN, BS Administrative Assistant, FRONTERA
Special Thanks to our Partner
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR FUTURE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED SUCCESS THROUGH THIS COLLABORATION!
Notes
UA HEALTH SCIENCES | OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
51
The University of Arizona Arizona Health Sciences Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 1501 N. Campbell Ave., Rm. 1120 Tucson, AZ 85724-5140 Phone: (520) 621-5531 diversity.uahs.arizona.edu