Fellow Statements
Breanna Wade
In 2017, I graduated from the University of Mississippi with a major in Exercise Science. During this time, I became enthralled in conducting research, as I was part of an exercise physiology lab until I graduated with my Master's in 2019. While I loved this research, I was more curious about the “why” people chose not to exercise compared to the physiological changes. When I began my PhD at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2019, I knew I had found my passion for community-engaged research. It was during this time that I began being guided by my mentor, Dr. Caroline Compretta, as she continues to explore how family-centered approaches and community engagement can bridge the gap between health research and everyday life. My current post-doctoral research focuses on chronic disease prevention, exploring how perceptions around chronic disease inheritance can lead to more personalized and effective prevention strategies for conditions like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. My long-term career goals are to become faculty in the Preventive Medicine Department, where I will further my research and begin a community health complex in vulnerable neighborhoods to bring needed resources to help foster health and well-being.