Research Area

The Institute for Health’s research projects seek to improve the care and management of illness and disability and contribute meaningfully to enhancing individual, population health and community health outcomes. The research is informed by clinical considerations, social determinants, organizational and system issues and policy needs. The faculty and other investigators participate in the following major interdisciplinary areas of research with many faculty involved in more than one program area:

Behavioral Health:

  • Decision Theory in Health
  • Emotion Dysregulation in Psychopathology
  • Management of Chronic Illness
  • Mediators Enhancing Smoking Cessation Treatments
  • Minority Groups Coping with Stress
  • Psychosocial Influences in Aging and Immune Responses
  • Self-regulation of Health

Health Economics:

  • Cost-effectiveness Analysis
  • Comparative Effectiveness Research
  • Economic Analyses of Health Reform
  • Expansion of Health Insurance Coverage
  • Implementation Science

Social and Cultural Determinants of Health:

  • Global Health Research and Clinical Ethics Training
  • Impact of Medical Homes on Health of Children and Access to Care
  • Implementation of Health Reform in the Mental Health Sector
  • Improving Adherence to Treatment Protocols
  • Increasing Suicides among Baby Boom Cohort
  • Inequality and Neighborhood Context of Illness and Disease
  • Intersection of Social and Biological Risk Factors on Illness
  • Masculinity ideals, Socioeconomic Status and Health Outcomes
  • Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents
  • Psychosocial Influences on Older Adults’ Health, Medical Decision-making and End-of-life Care
  • Racial Disparities in Illness Prevalence, Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Social and Behavioral Factors Influencing Women’s Health in Southern Africa
  • Social Aspects of the History of Health and Medicine
  • Social Construction of Mental Health, Diagnosis and Illness
  • Social Influences on Health Behaviors, Access and Utilization
  • Social Stressors and Consequent Biological Reactions
  • Stigma’s Impact on Persons with Mental Illnesses

Pharmacoepidemiology:

  • Drug-Drug interaction and Drug Disease Interactions.
  • Climate Change and Impact on Health
  • Collaboration with Pharmaceutical Industries
  • Use of Antibiotics and Risk for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in Children

Violence Prevention:

  • Prevalence and Incidence of Family Violence
  • Etiological Studies to Determine Risk/Protective Factors
  • Morbidity and Mortality Associated with Family Violence
  • Intergenerational Transmission of Child Abuse, IPV and Elder Abuse
  • Clinical Trials to Determine Feasibilities of Reduce Violence Recidivism

Health Disparities:

  • Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Medical Comorbidities and Distal Health Outcomes
  • Access to Health Care and Influence on Health
  • Influence of Cultural Norm on Psychosocial Wellbeing
  • Mix-method Studies on broader Social and Cultural Context for Help-Seeking Behaviors
  • Trust in Physician and Self-Care and Chronic Disease Management

Aging Research:

  • Geriatric Syndromes and Impact on Health and Wellbeing
  • Palliative Care Research and Symptoms Management
  • Suicide Prevention In Diverse Populations
  • Population-Based Longitudinal Cohort Studies
  • Cognitive Decline, Neurodegenerative Conditions and Dementia-Related Research

State Health Policy:

  • Advancing the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) Initiative
  • An Evaluation of “Promising Path to Success” in NJ’s Systems of Care for Children and Adolescents
  • Assessing New Jersey’s Residents’ Perspectives on Health and Well-Being
  • Developing the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data (iPHD) Project
  • Development and Performance of Medicaid ACOs
  • Essential Competencies for Addressing the Needs of High-Utilizing Patients
  • Evaluating the New Jersey Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver Demonstration
  • Evaluation of Aligning Force for Quality (AF4Q) Super Users Projects
  • Evaluation of Medicaid ACO Operations and Care Management Strategies
  • Evaluation of Office of Minority and Multicultural Health Initiatives
  • Evaluation of the Faith in Prevention Initiative
  • Impact of Environmental Changes on Children’s BMI and Behaviors: A Panel Study
  • Impact of Food and Physical Activity in and around Schools on Students’ Weight Status
  • Improving Health in Salem County: Analysis of Local Data and Input from Stakeholders
  • Informing, Supporting and Stimulating Sound and Creative Health Policy in New Jersey
  • New Jersey Family Health Survey (NJFHS)
  • New Jersey Legislative Staff Seminars on Policy Relevant Topics

Health Services Research:

Research and Education to Advance the Optimal Use of Health and Mental Health Therapeutics
  • Comparative Safety and Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Medications
  • Drug Safety within the FDA Mini-Sentinel Program
  • Measurement and Improvement of Care Processes and Outcomes for Vulnerable Populations
  • Multi-state Public/Academic Research Consortium for Measurement-based Quality Improvement
  • Patient-centered Comparative Effectiveness Research Initiatives
  • Pharmacoepidemiological Studies on Use and Outcomes of Psychotropic Medications
  • Pharmacological Treatments of Dementia
  • Policy and Practice Innovations for Children and Adolescents’ Health and Mental Health

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