Partnership for Urban Health Research

Enhanced Crosscutting Research Capacity

In addition to the four priority health research areas, PUHR will strengthen and expand research methods in the areas of Biostatistics and Research Design, Communication, GIS, Law, and Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods. These crosscutting researchers will apply their expertise and knowledge to the four priority areas by working in collaboration with the Health Research Teams.

Erin Ruel is involved with research concerning health disparities as a function of racial residential segregation, as well as, the cumulative advantage or disadvantage of wealth accumulation and intergenerational transfers on health outcomes. Scott Weaver has expertise in identifying and testing viable, theory-informed ecological models of adolescent psychosocial development within ethnic populations and examining the cultural specificity or universality of these models across ethnic/cultural populations. Holley Wilkin’s recent research explores the potential of entertainment-education and new technologies for health communication. Leslie Wolf conducts empirical research on conflicts of interest, research with stored biological materials, Certificates of Confidentiality, IRB web guidance, and HIV-related laws and practices. Jonathan Todres has published a number of articles on children’s rights and health law issues. Yixin Fang has expertise in genetic epidemiology, casual inference, functional data analysis, survival analysis, model selection, and semi-parametric inference. Richard Rothenberg is currently conducting research on the geographic aspects of social network interactions. Monica Swahn conducts research that examines the risk behaviors, mental health factors, social determinants of health, and health disparities among adolescents and young adults in urban settings. Sheryl Strasser currently directs interdisciplinary research projects focusing on health promotion planning and evaluation among older adult populations. Julia Perilla is involved in a longitudinal evaluation of the community-based intervention program for Latino families affected by domestic violence.