Impact Awards: 3 Gillings students lead research and discovery in NC
February 1, 2022
Three students from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health are among 11 UNC-Chapel Hill graduate students and recent graduate alumni who have been selected to receive The Graduate School’s 2022 Impact Awards.
The awards are generously supported by its Graduate Education Advancement Board, which showcases graduate students and recent graduate alumni whose research contributes to the educational, economic, physical, social or cultural well-being of North Carolina communities and citizens.
Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said graduate student research positively impacts the state every day and is a critical piece of the University’s research mission.
“Our graduate students are committed to serving our state. The Impact Awards are emblematic of this commitment — all supported by a world-class research enterprise,” Guskiewicz said. “I look forward to these awards every year and enjoy learning the ways in which our graduate students are leading research and discovery across the state and beyond.”
The 2022 Impact Award recipients from the Gillings School are:
Caitlin Biddell, doctoral student, Department of Health Policy and Management
Caitlin Biddell
“As the cost of cancer care increases, over half of patients with cancer report cancer-related financial hardship, termed ‘financial toxicity.’ Associated with worse clinical outcomes, financial toxicity threatens to limit decades of advancement in cancer care and exacerbate existing health inequities if left unaddressed. Promising research has pointed to financial navigation as an evidence-based practice to reduce financial toxicity by systematically identifying and addressing the financial needs of patients and their caregivers.
Prior to the implementation of financial navigation in rural and non-rural oncology practices across North Carolina, it is critical to understand how oncology care practices currently address financial concerns to inform intervention adaptation. Through qualitative interviewing and process mapping, we described the processes in place for identifying and addressing patient financial needs across ten diverse practices, comparing practices in rural and non-rural settings. Additionally, we synthesized stakeholder perspectives on barriers and facilitators to addressing patient financial needs within current workflows.
The results from this analysis point to several key opportunities for process improvement through financial navigation, such as remediating disconnects in referral pathways, defining roles among staff, and documenting available resources. Process mapping also engaged stakeholders in the visualization of existing procedures and workflows prior to intervention implementation. The findings from this analysis, as well as the relationships developed with stakeholders, are now supporting the implementation and evaluation of a two-year financial navigation program at each site.”
Jeliyah “Liyah” Clark, doctoral candidate, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering
The effects of diet and drinking well water on lower birth weight
Jeliyah Clark
“Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a toxic chemical element naturally existing in the environment. Globally, at least 140 million people are exposed to iAs at harmful levels through contaminated drinking water. This includes North Carolinians, where more than two million residents rely on private wells that aren’t regulated or regularly tested by governing officials. Health-protective limits for iAs in drinking water are established at 10 parts-per-billion (ppb). However, in 2012, our lab found that more than 1,400 of 63,000 wells exceeded this limit.
Exposure to iAs during pregnancy is linked to lower infant birthweight, and in 2019, one in 11 babies were born with low birthweight in our state—and contamination of drinking water may be a contributing factor. Fortunately, iAs is removed from the body through a process influenced by diet. Promising dietary interventions for iAs exposure have been tested in adults but are understudied in how that might affect birth outcomes.
My research seeks to close this gap. So far, my findings suggest there is a potential protective effect from vitamin B12 for pregnant people. This work could improve the dietary recommendations made to pregnant women, especially those relying on private well water in North Carolina.”
Lindsay Savelli, master’s degree student, Health Equity, Social Justice and Human Rights concentration
Lindsay Savelli
“My research addresses environmental racism perpetuated by polluting industries in communities of color. The Anderson community is a predominantly Black community located in Caswell County, North Carolina, and is also the home of Thomas Day, the lauded and well-respected Black furniture maker. This community has been selected as the proposed site of an asphalt plant. Many residents live within a quarter mile of the proposed facility, and they are concerned that the polluting plant will negatively impact their health, as the community already experiences many health issues which are compounded by COVID-19. Available studies report an association between asphalt plant pollutants and negative health outcomes.
Working in partnership with the Anderson Community Group and the Environmental Justice Action Research Clinic at Carolina, we conducted a health assessment to document the health status and environmental quality of this community. Our health assessment found that 77 percent of Anderson residents have a formally diagnosed chronic illness and 48 percent report three or more illnesses. Additionally, various health outcomes are significantly more prevalent in Anderson compared to state averages, including asthma, lung disease, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Our findings suggest that this community requires protection from the effects of polluting industries and their facilities. By sharing our findings, which underscore the need for environmental justice, we hope to prevent rural communities of color in North Carolina from experiencing environmental racism.”
“Our graduate students continue to demonstrate the ways in which their research directly affects the lives of North Carolinians, which provide us with hope and a vision for the future,” said Suzanne Barbour, dean of The Graduate School. “I have every confidence that the graduate students who receive Impact Awards drive change in our communities and beyond, and that’s worth celebrating.”
More than 300 individuals have received Impact Awards since their inception. Graduate students and recent graduate alumni apply for the annual awards and are nominated by their academic departments. A cross-disciplinary team reviews the nominations and selects award recipients based on the significance of their work to North Carolina and on their ability to effectively communicate their research.
Learn more about this year’s Impact Award winners.
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.
