Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration
Faculty Mentor: Kathryn Newcomer, PhD
Doctoral Fellows
Cinthia Josette Arevalo, PhD (c)
Masters Fellows
Rosalind Fennell
MPH Student
Faculty Mentor: Karen McDonnell, PhD
Accomplishments of the Domestic Violence Hotline, Online Communications, and Text (ADVHOCaT)
Monika Juzumaite
MPH Student
Faculty Mentor: Mimi Ghosh, PhD, MS
Impact of chronic sexual abuse and depression on systemic immune modulators in HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected women
Violence and HIV/AIDS syndemic is highly prevalent among women and impairs safe sex negotiation and HIV prevention efforts. Psychological distress from forced sex can affect immune responses. However, biological mechanisms linking sexual violence to HIV risk and disease progression are poorly understood. MPH student Monika Juzumaite investigated the biological differences in HIV infected and uninfected women who have experienced depression, lifelong sexual abuse, or both. Specifically, she analyzed multiple biomarkers in plasma samples from these women using laboratory-based assays. The team’s data shows significant alterations in systemic immune mediators occur in women who endure chronic sexual abuse.
Monika graduated in 2016 and currently works for RTI International. She presented a poster on this project’s findings at the American Public Health Association 2016 annual meeting in Denver, and at GW Research Days 2016. The project team has submitted a manuscript describing their findings to the Journal of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (JAIDS).
Read more:
Poster presented at APHA annual meeting, 2016: Impact of chronic sexual abuse and/or depression on systemic immune biomarkers in HIV negative and HIV positive women
Poster presented at HIV Research for Prevention meeting, 2016: Impact of Chronic Sexual Abuse and HIV on Genital Tract Biomarker Expression in Women
Megan Couillard
MPH Student
Faculty Mentor: Susan Wood, PhD
Bridging the Divide: Long-Acting Reversible Contraception
For the Bridging the Divide project in the Department of Health Policy and Management, MPH student Megan Couillard contributed to a white paper and meetings on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). The Bridging the Divide project works to connect the women's health research and policy advocacy communities, with a focus on topics where the evidence base is evolving. The white paper on LARC summarizes research on the safety, efficacy, and use of LARC methods; explores the factors that influence women’s access to these methods; and highlights the importance of prioritizing women’s needs and preferences in contraceptive decision-making. Drawing on her interest in biology and medicine, Megan drafted the white paper sections about how IUDs and contraceptive implants work and the findings on their efficacy, acceptability, and side effects. She also played a leading role in organizing a day-long meeting between researchers and advocates, followed by meetings between researchers and representatives from federal agencies whose actions affect LARC access and use. Based on what they learned in their research and from the meetings, the team published a commentary in the journal Women's Health Issues highlighting an important but often overlooked aspect of LARC policy: The need to assure that women who begin using LARC devices are easily able to discontinue use when they decide it's time to do so.
In mid-2017, Megan had finished the coursework for an MPH in Health Promotion and was completing her culminating project on changes in LARC insertion before and after the 2016 election.
Read more:
News release: New White Paper on Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Provides Overview of Research and Policy
White paper (PDF): Long-Acting Reversible Contraception: Overview of Research & Policy in the United States
Commentary: Access to Removal of Long-acting Reversible Contraceptive Methods Is an Essential Component of High-Quality Contraceptive Care