PARTNRS - Parenting and Relationship Transition & Risk Study

about

 

Trace Kershaw, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Dr. Kershaw is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Social Behavioral Sciences Program and is a member of the Methodology and Biostatistics Core. Dr. Kershaw received his Ph.D. in social psychology from Wayne State University and completed his postdoctoral training in health psychology and HIV research at Yale University as part of the CIRA Post-Doctoral Training Fellowships. His research is in the area of HIV/STD prevention and reproductive and maternal-child health epidemiology. Specifically, Dr. Kershaw is interested in:

  1. the role of heterosexual men and relationships on the sexual risk of young pregnant/parenting women,
  2. social, psychological, and biological influences on health and sexual behavior before, during, and after pregnancy, and
  3. integrating HIV/STD and unwanted pregnancy prevention with prenatal and postnatal care for young men and their pregnant partners.

He is currently involved in several research projects assessing the influence of behavioral interventions aimed to reduce the occurrence of HIV/STD and negative perinatal and postnatal outcomes (e.g., low birth weight, maternal mortality) for young pregnant women in the United States and abroad (e.g., South Africa, Haiti).

In addition, Dr. Kershaw is interested in methodological and quantitative issues related to designing, implementing, and evaluating applied behavioral interventions. In particular, he is interested in:

  1. quantitative methods to identify high-risk groups for the development of targeted interventions, and
  2. the development and evaluation of dyadic interventions.

Dr. Kershaw has participated in several research projects assessing the influence of dyadic interventions on the quality of life of women with advanced cancer and their partners. Dr. Kershaw plans to extend this methodology to the area of HIV/STD-prevention among expectant fathers and their partners.

CIRA Bio: Click here for further information on CIRA affiliated projects and selected publications.

Anna Arnold, M.P.H., Project Coordinator

Anna joined the PARTNRS team in early 2007 during the start-up phase of the project. In addition to managing the PARTNRS project, she is an affiliate of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) Community Research Core. She is also currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health degree at the City University of New York, with a focus on community, society and health. Prior to her current post, Anna was a project manager for the Department of Nursing and an internal operations consulting group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Anna earned her Masters in Public Health from the Center for Evaluative and Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth College and conducted her undergraduate studies at Hamilton College, where she majored in biochemistry.

Kwaku Ayebi-Awuah, M.B.A., Research Assistant

Kwaku has been with the PARTNRS team since May 2007 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Connecticut where he majored in Allied Health Sciences. During his time at UConn, Kwaku was dedicated to educating the community on HIV/AIDS and HPV. In 2006, Kwaku conducted research on the cross-cultural differences in the treatment of HIV/AIDS in U.S., U.K. and Ghana. He also produced a program in 2007 titled, "The Hidden Reality of HIV/AIDS and HPV in America" to raise funds for the Windham AIDS program in Willimantic. Kwaku recently earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Albertus Magnus College concentrating on Business Consulting and Marketing.

Cynthia Palmieri, B.S., Research Assistant

Cynthia has been a part of the PARTNRS team since March of 2007, and has been at Yale for over 5 years. Prior to joining the PARTNRS team, Cynthia worked at the Yale Child Study Center, as a mental health counselor, assisting youth making the transition from highly structured residential settings to family or foster homes. Cynthia earned a Bachelors of Science at Southern Connecticut State University where she majored in Sociology. Cynthia is currently pursuing her passion for the health field by studying to become a Registered Nurse.

Molly Zielenbach, B.A., Summer Internship Coordinator

Molly has been with the PARTNRS team since the fall of 2008, first as an Undergraduate Fellow, then a Research Assistant, and now as the Summer Internship Coordinator. She graduated from Yale College in May of 2010 with a degree in English Literature, and plans to attend medical school beginning in the fall of 2011. As an undergraduate, Molly participated in Community Health Educators, an organization that provides comprehensive, school-based health education in New Haven public schools, was a member of the editorial board of "P.H.: The Yale Journal of Public Health," and offered residential support and guidance to Yale freshmen as a Freshman Counselor.

Jeannette Ickovics, Ph.D., Co-Investigator

Dr. Ickovics is an Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health and of Psychology. She is the Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Program within EPH. Dr. Ickovics has been involved in HIV research since 1989. She serves on the CIRA Executive Committee and is the Deputy Director of the Center and Director of its Development Core. She has been the Director of Education and Training for CIRA since the inception of its Training Program. This NIMH-funded training program supports eight Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellows in HIV prevention annually.

Dr. Ickovics obtained her Ph.D. in applied social psychology in 1989 from George Washington University, and completed her post-doctoral training in health psychology at Yale University. Dr. Ickovics' health research focuses on women and HIV/AIDS as well as more general research on the interaction of biomedical and psychosocial factors that promote good health and recovery. She is the recipient of research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and several private foundations. Since 1989, she has been engaged in clinic- and community-based research, focusing on individuals traditionally under-represented in AIDS research. Her most recent work includes pregnant teens and young women who can often be characterized by their minority status and poverty. It is critical to reduce HIV and STD risk within the context of adolescent pregnancy, wherein young women not only fail to protect themselves, but may actively seek pregnancy -- leaving them vulnerable to other risks associated with unprotected sex. Pregnancy is a time when most women are motivated to improve their own health to enhance the health of their child; therefore, she believes it provides an important window of opportunity for long-term HIV risk reduction. A large NIH-funded randomized controlled trial is currently underway to test the effectiveness of an innovative model of group prenatal care to reduce risk for HIV and other STDs as well as improve perinatal outcomes in New Haven, CT and Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Ickovics is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed publications. She has consulted with the Institute of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on issues related to women and HIV as well as behavioral issues in AIDS clinical trials. She was the Founder and Co-Chair (1995-2001) of the Recruitment, Adherence and Retention Subcommittee of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Outcomes Committee (NIAID). She is the recipient of awards, including a Scholar Award from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (1993-1996), the Emerging Leadership Award from the Committee on Women in Psychology of the American Psychological Association (1999), and the Early Distinguished Contributions for Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Association (2000).

Dr. Ickovics leads a research team known as "The Connecticut Women's Health Project," committed to HIV/STD prevention and promoting reproductive health among at-risk women.

CIRA Bio: Click here for further information on CIRA affiliated projects and selected publications.

Urania Magriples, M.D., Co-Investigator

Dr. Magriples is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She received her M.D. at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed her residency in Obstetrics and fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Yale.

Dr. Magriples is interested in

  1. Medical complications of pregnancy and their effects on mothers and their infants
  2. Prenatal ultrasound for the detection of fetal anomalies
  3. Social and behavioral influences on the utilization of health care.

She is currently involved in research involving the effectiveness of group prenatal care in improving perinatal outcomes and reducing the risk of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Dr. Magriples was voted one of Connecticut's Top Doctors in 2006.

Linda Niccolai, Ph.D., Co-Investigator

Professor Niccolai is an epidemiologist whose research is primarily focused on sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV. Her main area of interest is in behavioral aspects of HIV/STI prevention. Her research includes a focus on the underserved populations of adolescents and women, and includes both domestic and international sites. Specifically, she is interested in studying both individual- and partnership-level determinants of sexual risk behaviors, and population-based patterns of transmission dynamics.

Professor Niccolai is principal investigator of a 3-year study to examine the behavioral and molecular epidemiology of repeat chlamydia infections. The purpose of this study is to determine the sources of repeat infections among young women at reproductive health centers in Connecticut. She also collaborates with the Connecticut Department of Public Health Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Program on several projects, including an epidemiologic investigation of syphilis trends. Finally, she collaborates on HIV prevention research in Russia and India.

CIRA Bio: Click here for further information on CIRA affiliated projects and selected publications.

Derrick Gordon, Ph.D., Co-Investigator

Dr. Gordon is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and at The Consultation Center, Division of Prevention and Community Research, where he is Director of Research, Policy & Program on Male Development. Currently he is serving as the clinical supervisor for the Connecticut State EVOLVE Program. Dr. Gordon is involved in the Greater New Haven Domestic Violence Task Force where he has held various leadership positions. He is the Director of Research for the Male Involvement Network, which seeks to support low income, non-custodial fathers. Dr. Gordon's interests include risk and protective factors for adolescents identified as at risk, fatherhood contributions to child development, the impact of violence on the development of children, fathers, and families and the impact of social and individual ethnic/racial identity on academic outcomes.

Lenise Fields, Study Intern

Lenise Fields joined PARTNRS on June 28, 2010. She recently graduated from Metropolitian Business Academy on June 24, 2010. After graduating Lenise wants to pursue a career in the medical field as an RN and she's taking those steps by attending LPN classes at Eli Whitney in January, 2011. Before joining PARTNRS Lenise volunteered at Yale-New Haven Hospital on the Oncology Floor where she helped run the front desk, make charts for the doctors, and run errands for the floor.

Jeanine Hernandez, Study Intern

Jeanine joined the PARTNRS team this Summer 2010. She attends Southern Connecticut State University and is a member of the Class of 2011. Jeanine is majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health and aspires to one day become a child psychologist. In addition to being part of the PARTNRS team she is also a member of Psi Chi the International Honor Society in Psychology.

Joshua Thomas, Study Intern

Josh joined the PARNTRS team towards the end of June. He is a recent graduate from Hill Regional Career High School and is furthering his education at Southern Connecticut State University, double majoring in Athletic Training and Political Science. Josh is extremely excited to work with PARTNRS this summer, so he can help educate his community. He is ready to work with the research assistants to obtain information that will continuously impact our community.

Kauaneekee Vasquez, Study Intern

Kauaneekee is one of our new interns for the summer of 2010! She recently graduated from Wilbur Cross High School in June. She is 17 years old and her future plans are to attend Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY for school and pursue a degree in the nursing field. She is hoping to gain skills in the public health field and make something out of it in her future. Kauaneekee attended a program called "Taste of College" and gained 8 College credits for her upcoming first semester in College. These credits will give her a head start and a step closer to her career! She also studied to become a Certified Nursing Aid (CAN) during High School and will be receiving her license later in July.

Alpna Agrawal, Ph.D., Former Post-Doctoral Fellow

Alpna Agrawal joined the PARTNRS team in the summer of 2009 as a post-doctoral fellow with the Center Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIA). She is a public health scientist who received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research examines the impact of gender inequality on sexual and reproductive health. She has examined these issues in India, the United States, and Eritrea. Her dissertation was funded by a National Institute of Child Health & Human Development individual pre-doctoral fellowship and examined the impact of gender inequality on HIV risks among couples in North India. Alpna comes to us with health policy experience from the City of Houston Mayor's Office and World Health Organization. In the fall of 2010, Alpna will continue her studies to become a physician at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

Rachael Gerber, M.P.H., Former Research Assistant

Currently, Rachael is an Analyst with the Data Analysis Coordination and Consolidation Center (DACCC) for SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Her work is focused on a national cross-site evaluation of HIV prevention programs in minority communities. Previously, Rachael was a Research Assistant with the PARTNRS project. She earned a Master's degree in Public Health from Yale in 2009 and a BA in history from Boston University.

Mihan Lee, B.A., Former Undergraduate Fellow

Mihan is now a medical student at Harvard Medical School. She grew up in Washington, DC, and graduated in 2010 from Yale University with a double major in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Biology. She has conducted research with the PARTNRS team since the summer of 2008, focusing on the community level predictors of sexual risk behavior. Her other research interests include domestic violence, immigrant health, and maternal health.

Danielle LeePow, 2009 Study Intern

Danielle joined PARTNRS for the summer of 2009 as the first undergraduate student to participate in the PARTNRS Summer Internship and Research Training Program. During the summer of 2010, Danielle pursued an internship with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Before joining PARTNRS, Danielle competed in the Young Epidemiologist Scholars Competition, sponsored by College Board and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She was named a National Finalist, ranking seventh among over 550 applicants, for her work with the self esteem and sexual activity among African American adolescent girls. Additionally, Danielle has served a peer educator at an AIDS service organization in Atlanta, GA. She plans to graduate from Howard University with a degree in sociology in 2012 and continue on to pursue her Ph.D. in Public Health.

Roxana Pickering, B.S., 2009 Study Intern

Roxana joined the PARTNRS team in 2008 as a study intern to explore an interest in adolescent and reproductive health. She earned a bachelor's degree in molecular biology from University of CT and has worked at Yale as a research associate in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Internal Medicine. Roxana has since moved to Texas and is studying to become a Physician's Assistant.

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