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Master of Public Health - Class of 2026
Culminating Experience Presentations

Graduating MPH students will formally present the work of their Master of Public Health thesis or capstone projects to faculty members, mentors, colleagues, fellow students, and guests.

All are welcome. Breakfast will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Presentations will all take place at 2525 West End Avenue in the 10th Floor MPH Classroom and on Zoom. MPH students are required to attend in person.

Friday, March 20 | Health Policy Track

Monday, March 23 | Global Health Track

Friday, March 27 | Epidemiology & Clinical Research Track

Monday, March 30 | All Tracks

RSVP to attend in person or remotely

Friday, March 20 | Health Policy Track

8:00 – 8:20 a.m. Brian DuVal
The Price of Innovation for Hemophilia
Mentor: Stacie Dusetzina, Ph.D.

8:25 – 8:45 a.m. Lia Nagge
Applying the Blue Zone Framework to Community Health: Development of a Digital Resource Guide
Mentors: Emma Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., Kelsey Warren

8:50 – 9:10 a.m. Rashmikka Ranganathan
Non-participation in Hospice Quality Reporting: An Analysis of Organizational, Patient and Community Factors Among Unreported Medicare-Certified Hospices in the United States
Mentor: David Stevenson, Ph.D.

9:15 – 9:35 a.m. Penelope Burns
Factors Associated with Parental Perceived Safety Concerns Toward HPV Vaccination Among Adolescents Aged 9-17 in Tennessee
Mentor: Jennifer Cunningham-Erves, Ph.D., M.P.H.

9:40 – 10:00 a.m. Bomi Ogunlari
Examining Effects of Heat-Related Policy Implementation
Mentor: Carrie Fry, Ph.D.

10:05 – 10:25 a.m. Kendall Mack
Connecting Communites to Care: Expanding Healthcare Access Across Tennessee
Mentors: Lacy Lyons, Logan Ebel

10:30 – 10:50 a.m. William Bunce
A Study of Vaccine Hesitancy and Current Feelings
Mentor: Emily Delikat

Monday, March 23 | Global HealthTrack

8:25 – 8:45 a.m. Chloe Urias
Building a Smarter Way to Screen for PCOS: A Data-Driven Validation Study
Mentors: Miller Morris, M.S., M.P.H., Molly Moreau, M.A.

8:50 – 9:10 a.m. Chimdindu Ugwuanyi, M.D.
The Relationship Between PHQ 2 Scores and Viral Suppression in Young People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (YPLIV) Aged 12-24 at a Single Institution
Mentor: Desai Neerva, M.D., Muktar Aliyu, M.D., Dr.P.H., M.P.H.

9:15 – 9:35 a.m. Sarah Thompson
Intimate Partner Violence and Maternal-Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from 2018-2024 Lwala Household Surveys in Migori County, Kenya
Mentor: Joey Starnes, M.D., M.P.H.

9:40 – 10 a.m. AnnaClarke Paxton
Evaluating the ZamLEAD Program: An Innovative Pan-African Approach to Strengthening Technical Capacity and Leadership Across Africa's Public Health Workforce
Mentors: Marie Martin, Ph.D., M.Ed, Sarah Suiter, Ph.D., M.S.

10:05 – 10:25 a.m. Makenna Frenia
Reducing Food Waste in Tennessee: Design and Implementation of School and Household Toolkits
Mentor: Stephanie Roach

10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Kwibuka Serge Bizaba, M.D.
The Point Prevalence of Nasopharngeal Carriage of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Among Children and Adults in Lima, Peru: A Cross-Sectional Study Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mentors: Leigh Howard, M.D., M.P.H., Carlos G. Grijalva, M.D., M.P.H.

Friday, March 27 | Epidemiology & Clinical Research Track

8:00 – 8:20 a.m. Emily Moore, M.D.
Burden of Injection Drug Use-Related Infection Hospitalizations in Tennessee, 2016-2023
Mentors: Amber Coyne, M.P.H., Christine M. Thomas, D.O., M.P.H.

8:25 – 8:45 a.m. Catherine Deffendall, M.D.
Youth With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus At Highest Risk if Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Cohort Study
Mentors: Sarah Osmundon, M.D., M.S., Christianne L. Roumie, M.D., M.P.H., April Barnado, M.D., M.S.C.I.

8:50 – 9:10 a.m. Erin Von Klein, M.D.
Drivers of Employement and Ecomonic Decisions by Caregivers Raising a Child Born Preterm and Low Birthweight
Mentors: Margaret Parker, M.D., M.P.H., Gilbert Gonzales, Ph.D., M.H.A., Carolyn Foster, M.D., M.S.

9:15 – 9:35 a.m. Cate James
Investigating Meeting 24-hour Movement Guideline Recommendations in Midlife with Lung Cancer Mortality in the Southern Community Cohort Study
Mentor: Kelsie Full, Ph.D., M.P.H.

9:40 – 10 a.m. Marissa Kuo, M.D.
Assessing Timeliness and Quality of Surgical Care for Veterans with Colon and Rectal Cancer
Mentor: Christianne L. Roumie, M.D., M.P.H.

10:05 – 10:25 a.m. Grace Tipps, M.D.
Examining Agreement of Minimum Data Set (MDS) Cognitive Impairment and Depression Assessments with Researcher Assessments
Mentor: Sandra Simmons, Ph.D.

10:30 – 10:50 a.m. Kimberly Okafor-Mbaso, M.D.
Childcare-Associated Work Absenteeism Among Women and Men Non-Healthcare Essential Workers During the Late-Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mentor: H. Keipp Talbot, M.D., M.P.H.

10:55 – 11:15 a.m. Alondra Serrano
Fermented Dairy and Dietary Fiber Intake and Risk of Total and Site-Specific Gastrointestinal Cancers in the Southern Community Cohort Study
Mentors: Martha Shrubsole, Ph.D., Xiangzhu Zhu, M.D., M.P.H., Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D.

11:20 – 11:40 a.m. Adam Gailani, M.D.
Impact of Human Adenovirus Co-detection on Disease Severity in Children with Medically Attended Acute Respiratory Infections
Mentor: Natasha B. Halasa

11:45 – 12:05 p.m. Derek Tian
Dietary Fiber Modification and Microbome-Mediated Magnesium Treatmenton Cognitive Funtion in a Precision-Based Randomized Trial
Mentors: Martha Shrubsole, Ph.D., Xiangzhu Zhu, M.D., M.P.H., Qi Dai, M.D., Ph.D.

12:10 – 12:30 p.m. Erin Von Klein, M.D.
Care Coordination Best Practices for Children at High Risk for Inpatient Utilization
Mentors: Ebonie Zielinski, R.N.