Pictured above: Zoya Surani (PCLT Student, Class of 2027) presenting her research "Contraception and Teratogens in an Establish Care Visit: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Medical Trainees" at the 2026 Research Medical Symposium. Photo Credit: Eamon Queeney
The principal scholarly component of the PCLT is to conduct translational research that has potential for population health improvement and incorporates community engagement in one or more phases of the research process (development, implementation, evaluation, and/or dissemination). Throughout the year, students also participate in a series of video-conference meetings with their PCLT cohort, facilitated by the study program director, to have an opportunity to engage in peer coaching and reflect on Third Year experiences, challenges and lessons learned.
2026
From Policy to Practice: Healthcare System Leaders' Perspectives on Real-Time Benefit Tool Implementation - Seth Kornbau
Family Book Choice in Reach Out and Read: A Pilot Study - Nicole Miller
How Discrimination Shapes Care-Seeking for Black Caregivers of Children with Medical Complexity - Ashley Nmoh
Reconciling the Self with Disease: Exploring the Relationship Between Illness Identity and Quality of Life in Adolescents with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - Violet Tan
Project FIEL NC (Fostering Insurance Enrollment among Latinx in NC) - Sara Bernate Angulo
Contraception and Teratogens in an Establish Care Visit: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Medical Trainees - Zoya Surani
Defining Meaningful Change in Function at Two Years Among Patients Enrolled in a Comprehensive Management Program for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis - Akash Desai
2025
Evaluating the Impact of the Advanced Medical Home+ Program’s Tailored Care Management at Duke Health - Andrea Augustine
Examining the Impact of Developmental and Migration Context on The Trajectory of Acculturative Stress Among Young Adult Latine Immigrants - Lucy Cummins
Medicaid Expansion for La Comunidad Latina in North Carolina: Community Health Workers’ Role in Outreach - Natalie Sanchez Farez
"I Just Didn't See the Need": A Mixed Methods Analysis of Patients' Contraception Decision-making During Molar Pregnancy Monitoring - Sydney Sheffield
Evaluating North Carolina Integrated Care for Kids’ Novel Approach to Care Management for Children in Foster Care - Claire Sibold
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Depression Diagnosis and Treatment Among NC-PAL Pediatric Patients - Samantha White
Understanding the Impact of Disciplinary Training and Institutional Influences on Researcher Approaches to Health Equity - Kayla Blackburn
Durham Partners for Early Relational Health Clinic Promoting Social Emotional Development and Early Relational Health in Pediatric Primary Care - Evlyn Samuel
2024
Assessment of the Impact of a South African Caregiver Coaching Early Autism Intervention on Caregiver Stress: Insights from the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form & Cognitive Interviews - Maame-Animwah Amoako
Evaluating the Implementation and Outcomes of Integrated Behavioral Health in Duke Primary Pilot Collaborative Care Models - Allison Chu
The Great (Queer) Migration: Exploring the Impact of Urban Relocation on Mental Health among Black and Latinx
Sexual and Gender Minorities Living with HIV in New York City - Nicholas Hastings
A Case-Control Study of ALS in Eastern North Carolina: Investigating the Role of Algae and Pesticides in a Region of High ALS Mortality - Danelle Levinson
Psychotropic Medication Use Among Children in Foster Care with Placement Instability: A Statewide Retrospective Analysis - Gelila Yitsege
Alumni Research Projects
2023
Using Clinical Phenotypes to Identify Populations with NAFLD or NASH: A Health System Approach - Bridget Geyer
The Impact of Care Fragmentation on Overall Survival for Early-Stage Breast Cancer - Margaret Min
Benzodiazepine/Z-Drug Discontinuation Definitions and Falls Outcomes in Electronic Health Records - Nicole Schindler
Historical Review and Analysis of Selections from Dorothea Dix Archives - Margaret Barlet
Relationship between Gender Dysphoria and Social Anxiety in Pediatric Transgender Population - Katha Desai
Assessment of Multi-system Involvement in Glycogen Storage Disease Type IV: A Systematic Review and Proposal for a Novel Approach to Phenotypic Classification - Bridget Kiely
Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care: A Cross-sectional Survey and Brief Intervention - Joanna Krupp
The Interplay between Hospital Closures and Community Assets in Rural America - John Leschisin
Comparison of Patients Evaluated for Pediatric Autoimmune Encephalitis with Typical and Atypical Premorbid Neuropsychiatric Development - Kira Panzer
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Dementia Incidence, Outcomes, and Healthcare Utilization - Jay Lusk
Outcomes of End-User Testing with Families of CYSHCN on a Care Coordination Mobile App: A Simulation Study - Willis Wong
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cesarean Complication Rates using NSQIP Database - Tressa Ellett
COVID-19 Response Strategies at Large Institutes of Higher Education in the United States: A Landscape Analysis, Fall 2020 - Sarah Freeman
Employment Considerations in the Prenatal and Postpartum Period - Shauntell Luke
Peer Coaching to Support Transition from Pediatric to Adult Care for Adolescents and Young Adults with Chronic Conditions: Intervention Dose - Mirai Matsuura
Association between Birth Weight and Caregiver Feeding Behaviors at 2 Months - Tichelle Porch
Telehealth Video Transitions Enhancement Conference (V-TEC) to Improve Hospital Care Transitions to Skilled Nursing Facilities - Julia Bellantoni
The Association of Patient Perceptions of the Quality of Care with Trust in Providers and Trust in the Healthcare System Among Black and White Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Rebecca Fabbro
Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions for Infants with Neurologic Conditions - Charlotte Gerrity
Acceptance of Love and Remarriage Among Older Adults in the Philippines - Ju Young Kim
Does Parental Status Influence Resilience and Acculturation Stress in Latinx Immigrants? - Alex Villeda
Hypertension and Atrial Fibrillation Among Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib - Colette Whitney
Eviction as a Disruptive Factor in Health Care Utilization: Impact on Hospital Readmissions and No-Show Rates – Peter Callejo-Black
Biofilm-dispersed Staphylococcus aureus Exhibits a Distinct agr-Independent Host Interaction - Spencer Chang
The Eye of the Beholder: Discrepancy Between Self-reported Vision and Visual Acuity in Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration - Priscila Cunha
Pilot Study Evaluating Innovative Educational Approach to Increase Knowledge of HIV Prevention in the Next Generation of Providers - William Grant
Factors Associated with White and Non-White Patient Undergoing Peripheral Vascular Intervention for Peripheral Artery Disease - Melvin Larker
Improving well-being amongst GME trainees: Building a Partnership between GME and Primary Care Can Increase Trainee Access to Primary Care - Christelle Tan
Network Characteristics of a Hypertensive Referral System in Western Kenya - Aarti Thakkar
The Patient Point-of-View: Characterizing Patient-level Factors Associated with Perceptions of Health Care - Maya Torain
Mixed-methods Assessment of HVTN 704/HPTN 085 Participants’ Experience with the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Referral Program - Kareem Alexis
Comparing High-risk HPV Testing and Subtype Distribution in Self and Provider-collected Samples Using the BD Onclarity™ HPV Assay - Claire Edelman
Predictors of Child Healthy Eating in Family Child Care Homes - Linda Zhang Jaffe
Emergency Department Utilization by Children of Women Receiving Group Prenatal Care: A Retrospective Cohort Study - Matthew Adams
Research into the Treatment of Anxiety in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease; Research into the Psychosocial Correlates of Pain in Lung Transplant Patients - Jamie Farquhar
Group Prenatal Appointments: Maternal and Neonatal Health Outcomes - Lauren Groskaufmanis
An Integrated Clinic-Community Partnership for Child Obesity Treatment: A Randomized Pilot Trial. - Jessica Lyden Hoffman
African Americans: Examining the Effect of Patient Perceptions on Blood Pressure Self-Management - Samara Jinks
Mechanisms for Poor Hypertension Control Among Urban - Samara Jinks
ZEN Study (Zika en Embarazadas y Ninos) - Samara Jinks
Project CALM: Confusion Avoidance Led by Music, A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Postoperative Delirium - Emily Mattoon
Planned Caesarean Section vs. Planned Vaginal Delivery (Argentina) - JulieRivo
Keeping Care Connected: E-Consultation Program Improves Access to Nephrology Care - Priscille Schettini
Bull City Fit: If You Build It Who Will Come? A Retrospective Study of Children's Attendance in a Clinic-Run, Community-Based Obesity Intervention - Maria Andrews
Quality Improvement of Screening for Autism in Primary Care - Kathleen Campbell
Comparing Health Outcomes and Primary Care Physician Utilization Among Low-income Adults with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Hypertension Receiving Either Standard or Intensive Care Management - Javier Galan
An Examination of Participation in Youth Programs for Adolescents with Chronic Illness - Mya Sendak
Integrated Behavioral-Physical Care Management in the Primary Care Setting - Mark Sendak
The Management of Infertility in Women with PCOS - Arthurine Zakama
Does Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records Improve Quality Outcomes? A Comparison of Health Outcomes in two Primary Care Clinics - Anna Afonso
Community Coaching: Feasibility, Process Evaluation, And Thematic Analysis Of A No-Cost Integrative Health Coaching Service In Community Settings - Sarah Cassel
Effectiveness of Diabetes Disease Management Programs for Reducing Health Care Utilization: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Trevor Dickey
Primary Care Physicians’ Use of the 5 A’s to Counsel Adolescents About Alcohol - Jessica Friedman
1Parents’ Sources of Information Regarding Childhood Obesity - Brittany Pierce Hipkins
The Role of Evidence in Choosing Wisely List Development - Brittany Pierce Hipkins
Transition From Pediatric to Adult Care for Patients With Sickle Cell Disease: Identifying and Assisting Those Who Are Lost to Follow Up - Shaniqua Johnson
Health Lifestyles Program for You (HLP4U) - a pilot study of an RCT to examine the effectiveness of provider to parent text messages to augment intensive outpatient treatment for children with obesity. - Amanda Kimberg
This Study Evaluated the Effectiveness of an Emergency Department (ED)-Embedded Care Coordinator With Access to Community and Medical Record Systems in Decreasing Hospital and ED Use in Patients With Behavioral Health Issues - Stephanie Ngo
Impact of Group Medical Clinics on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Randomized Clinical Trial - Denise Pong