Recent academic production
The following highlights recent academic and scholarly activity across the School of Population Health, reflecting the depth and breadth of work produced by our students, faculty and trainees. This work spans research, presentations, publications and professional service, demonstrating the school’s continued impact across disciplines and settings. This work is complemented by ongoing grant activity, leadership appointments and service contributions that extend the School of Population Health’s impact beyond research dissemination.
Abstracts
Smith, D; Williams, P, Jr; Bailey, S; Giorlando, KK; Whiteley, L; Brown, LK; Rosen, G; Monger, M; Arnold, T. Using acceptance and commitment therapy to address PrEP barriers in Mississippi: Development and pilot testing of ACTPrEP. NMAC 10th Annual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, Chicago, Illinois. April 10, 2026.
Staneva, M; Dobbs, T. The Epidemiology of Severe Maternal Morbidity in Mississippi, 2016-2024. UMMC Department of Advanced Biomedical Education's Research Day; April 15, 2026.
Wilson, T; Tabassum, T; Butz, R; Faruque, F. SNAP store distribution in Jasper County, Mississippi: An exploratory study. 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Appointments
Adedara, C. Chief Resident, Department of Family Medicine; 2026-27 academic year.
Robinson, T. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science Student Committee Webinar Co-Chair.
Tomar, A. Chief Resident, Department of Preventive Medicine; 2026-27 academic year.
Walters, A. President, American Society of Microbiology, UMMC Student Chapter.
Awards
Adedara, C. 2nd Place oral and poster presentation. Hospital Readmissions: A Resident Led QI project on Hospital Bounce Backs. 2nd Annual Research Contest - Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians. April 19, 2026
Alam, S. Co-Producing Evidence for Maternal Health Policy Change in Mississippi: A Community-Engaged Group Concept Mapping Initiative. 2026 University of Mississippi Excellence in Community Engagement Award. April 2026.
Chakma, S. Outstanding Student Research Award. Spatial Analysis of Service Proximity and Distribution of Mortality from Drug Overdose and Violence. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Chakma, S. 2nd place, graduate oral presentations. Hotspot Analysis of Humid Heatwaves, the Silent Killer, in Mississippi. 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Compretta, C. SEC Faculty Achievement Award. Southerneastern Conference, National Collegiate Athletic Association. March 26, 2026.
Karki, S. 3rd place, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics division awards. An Observational Study into New Age Programming: Vibe Coding, Engineering Prompts with Coding Agents and AI Tools. 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Karki, S. Top 10% abstract, Mississippi IMBRE 3-Minutes Thesis Competition. An Observational Study into New Age Programming: Vibe Coding, Engineering Prompts with Coding Agents and AI Tools. 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Lanier, C. Early Career Research Excellence Award. Psychosocial Determinants of Postpartum HIV Care Retention in Mississippi. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Robinson, T. Interprofessional Excellence Award; UMMC Office of Interprofessional Education; April 9, 2026.
Sandifer, M. 2nd place, graduate poster presentations. Geography of WIC: Distribution of Stores and Population; 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Tabassum, T. Outstanding Translational Research Award. State SNAP Policy Environment and Household Food Insufficiency of U.S. Children. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Wilson, T. 1st place, oral presentation, health sciences division awards. SNAP store distribution in Jasper County, Mississippi: An exploratory study. 90th Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting; Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Presentations
Adedara, C. Hospital Bounce Backs: A Resident-Led Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Readmissions through Patient-Centered Interventions. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Agbonlahor, O. Using a Physician-Patient and Community Advisory Board to Address Health Care Discrimination and Improve Cardiovascular Outcomes for Black American Adults. Compretta, C; Gamble, A; Hudson, C; Mann, JR. Annual Forge AHEAD Center Regional Meeting, Birmingham, AL; April 9, 2026.
Agbonlahor, O. Cumulative social determinants of health exposure and tobacco use among US adults: Insights from the All of Us Research Program. Diaby, M; Hart, JL; Mattingly, DT. Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine; April 23, 2026.
Agbonlahor, O. Rural-urban disparities in perceived loneliness and current tobacco use. Mattingly, DT; Diaby, M; Hart, JL. Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine; April 23, 2026.
Amedari, M. Key Predictors of Oral Health Care Utilization in Depression. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Barsha, RA. Temporal Trends in Breast Cancer Incidence in Mississippi by Race, Stage at Diagnosis, and Subtype, 2010-2019. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Butz, R. Social Determinants of Health for the Registered Dietitian; Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference; Eagle Ridge Conference Center, Raymond, MS; April 10, 2026.
Chakma, S. Who is left behind: spatial analysis of service proximity and distribution of mortality from drug overdose and violence. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Chatterjee, D. AI-driven statistical methods for high-dimensional biomedical data. Eastern North American Region (ENAR) 2026 Spring Meeting. March 17, 2026.
Compretta, C. Barriers to Care: Gulf States Cancer Care; Gulf Shores, AL. April 11, 2026.
Covington, B. Redefining supportive care: where exercise oncology fits – and why it matters. UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute, Dr. James "Tate" Thigpen Grand Rounds; April 28, 2026.
Dobbs, T. Prevalence of Sight-Threatening Pterygium in Rural Communities, Loreto, Peru. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Garrett, A. Medicalized Stigma of Substance Use Disorders. Interprofessional Excellence Student Grand Rounds; Interprofessional Education Student Liaison Advisory Council; January 26, 2026.
Hasan, R. Leveraging Tele-Critical Care to Support Rural Hospitals: Insights from a Mississippi Implementation. Hasan, R; Lima, H; Arora, R; Kuiper, L; Mei, H; Wilhelm, A; Chandra, S. Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS), Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Hasan, R. Hazard Modeling of Physical Activity Trajectories using Functional Principal Component Analysis. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Lanier, C. Psychosocial Determinants of Postpartum HIV Care Retention in Mississippi: Implications for Integrated Maternal Mental Health Strategies. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Minhazul, A. Identifying High-Risk Communities for Stroke Using GIS-Based Social Vulnerability Metrics in Mississippi. Walker, B; Dobbs, T; Faruque, F; Mann, J. 2026 American Statistical Association’s AL–MS Chapter Annual Conference. March 27, 2026.
Minhazul, A. Assessing Local-Level Stroke Burden Through the Lens of Social Vulnerability: Evidence for Equitable Planning in Mississippi. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Monger, M. Where Roots Begin: The Hidden Drivers of Health MS Health Safe Net - ROOTS Summit, Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Ridgeland, MS; April 23, 2026.
Monger, M. Structural barriers to HIV prevention and services: Perspectives of African American women in low-income communities. NMAC 10th Annual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, Chicago, IL; April 10, 2026.
Rahman, M. Quantifying Neurocognitive Effects of Sleep Stage Architecture in OSA: A Variable Domain Functional Regression Approach. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Robinson, T. Lessons from an Interdisciplinary Fellowship! Interprofessional Excellence Student Grand Rounds; Interprofessional Education Student Liaison Advisory Council; April 9, 2026.
Robinson, T. Medicaid Generosity and State Variation in Developmental Screening and Surveillance. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Roy, B. Contribution of colonoscopy assets to the colorectal cancer disparities between high density - low density counties and between urban - rural counties in Mississippi. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Sandifer, M. Geography of WIC: Distribution of Stores and Population. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Sandy, D. Non-Linear Sensitivity Model of Weight Regulation. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Staneva, M. Maternal Sepsis in Mississippi: Risk Factors and Outcomes, 2016-2024. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Tabassum, T. Assessing Healthy Retail Food Accessibility and Food Insecurity Across Mississippi Communities. Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS), Biloxi, MS; March 20, 2026.
Tabassum, T. State SNAP Policy Environment and Household Food Insufficiency of U.S. Children. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Tribble, AG. Translating Geographic Access into Telehealth Impact: How Distance to Care and Specialty Availability Shape Utilization Among Older Adults in Mississippi. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Tyrone, R. From Clinical Skills to Contextual Care: Evaluating Social Determinants of Health Content in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Training. UMMC John D. Bower School of Population Health Research Day; April 3, 2026.
Waters, A. The Day the Well Ran Dry: A Look at Public Health and the Environment. Interprofessional Excellence Student Grand Rounds; Interprofessional Education Student Liaison Advisory Council; January 26, 2026.
Publications
Amedari, MI; Dobbs, T; Alade, MA; Gholar, V; Agbonlahor, O; Walker, B. Pediatric Care Coordination and Oral Health Outcomes in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2022–23 National Survey of Children’s Health. Population Health Management. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/19427891261442063
Hossain, MA; Islam, AMM; Islam, MZ; Islam, MS; Abedin, M; Rahman, MA. Socio-demographic determinants of sexual inactivity among reproductive heterosexual married women in Bangladesh: evidence from BDHS data 2022. Reproductive Health, 23(1), 84. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-025-02099-7
Kuiper, LB; Watson, AJ; Eckerson, AC; Lima, FA; Lin, YY; Davis, T; Trammell, V; Nahar, VK; Chandra, S. Adoption of AI-based scribes in telemedicine: Provider attitudes and insights. Telemedicine and e-Health. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/15305627261424693
Mattingly, DT; Fennell, BS; Diaby, M; Agbonlahor, O; Hart, JL. Trends in and Factors Associated with Current Cannabis Vaping Among U.S. Adolescents, 2022-2024; The Research Society on Marijuana | ISSN: 2578-0026; Cannabis (2026); April 3, 2026. https://doi.org/10.26828/cannabis/2026/000345
Mattingly, DT; Diaby, M; Agbonlahor, O; Hart, JL. Disparities in Synthetic Cannabis Use Among U.S. Adults, 2022–2024. Psychoactives 2026, 5, 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives5020009
Roper, C; Aminone, VT; Abedin, M; Fletcher, LM; Harden, L; Stewart, JA; Faruque, F. A systematic review of low-level ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures and adverse cardiovascular health outcomes. Environmental Pollution, 397, 127978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127978
Simkovich, SM; Hossen, S; Williams, K; Kephart, JL; Fandiño-Del-Rio, M; Tarazona-Meza, C; Goodman, D; Moazzami, M; Dávila-Román, VG; Steenland, K; Nicolaou, L; Dowdy, D; Koehler, K; Checkley, W. Cooking With Liquefied Petroleum Gas or Biomass and Quality of Life: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial, Indoor Air, 2026, 9936046, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1155/ina/9936046
Watson, AJ; Eckerson, AC; McClung, S; McCowan, N; Brodell, RT; Jackson, JD; Nahar, VK; Huynh, TN. Expanding access to dermatologic care: The Jackson Free Clinic Dermatology Initiative. Archives of Dermatological Research. March 5, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-026-04537-3