My major research interests are medical education, breastfeeding, survey methodology, and public health. Currently, I am working on my thesis for a Master's of Public Health at Brown University, which is a comparison of reliability testing methods with pediatric residents. Additionally, I am involved in recruitment and survey design for a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under the Principal Investigator, Julie Boergers, Ph.D., looking at the temporal relationship between sleep, mood, and smoking relapse.

Biography

As Director of the Newborn Nursery, I am thrilled to be able to concentrate on improving the care our newborns receive at Women and Infants' Hospital. For me, this means applying epidemiological and statistical analysis to the growing body of evidence-based literature for the newborn, and bringing the identified best practices to our current policies. Then as a medical educator, I enjoy developing curriculum to support the dissemination of this knowledge to the pediatric residents and medical students who learn with me each week in the Newborn Nursery.
My major research interests are medical education, breastfeeding, survey methodology, and public health. Currently, I am working on my thesis for a Master's of Public Health at Brown University which is a comparison of reliability testing methods with pediatric residents. This project hopes to support the standardization of split test design with adult learners such as residents, as opposed to test-retest design which is confounded by an increasing knowledge base. The ultimate aim is to develop a valid and reliable breastfeeding questionnaire to be used in comparing residency training programs. Additionally, I am involved in recruitment and survey design for a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under the Principal Investigator, Julie Boergers, PhD., looking at the temporal relationship between sleep, mood, and smoking relapse.

Research Description

My major research interests are medical education, breastfeeding, survey methodology, and public health. Currently, I am working on my thesis for a Master's of Public Health at Brown University, which is a comparison of reliability testing methods with pediatric residents. Additionally, I am involved in recruitment and survey design for a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under the Principal Investigator, Julie Boergers, Ph.D., looking at the temporal relationship between sleep, mood, and smoking relapse.

Awards

Continuity Clinic Award to First Year Resident, 6/1999
Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA) Fellows Award, 5/2002
Brown Medical School Dean's Teaching Excellence Award, 6/2004

Affiliations

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABF), member since Spring 1997
Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA), member since December 2001
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), member since Spring 1998,
Fellow since Winter 2004
Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS), member since Fall 1993
Physician's Committee for Breastfeeding in Rhode Island (PCBRI), founding member since Summer 2002

Funded Research

Co-Investigator ($199,996)
Robert Wood Johnson's "Smoke-Free Families: Innovations to Stop Smoking During and Beyond Pregnancy"
09/2004-08/2006, ID# 051799
Studying the relationship among sleep problems, mood, and postpartum smoking relapse.
PI, Julie Boergers, Ph.D.

Teaching Experience

OSCE Examiner, 3/00 - present
Brown University, Bio-Med 450, 6 students per clerkship, 7/03-present
Brown University, Bio-Med 282/351,
Lecturer, 90 students, April 04- 06
Small group co-leader, 9 students, April 05 & 06

View My Full Publication List in pdf format