Public Health Sciences

Alexander V. Alekseyenko, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Biomedical Informatics Center
alekseye@musc.edu

We enable personalized healthcare by comprehensive understanding of host-microbiome interactions and integration of health data on individuals, communities and populations. We do this by developing interdisciplinary translatable methodologies for integration of microbiome data with patient information.
Please visit our web site for more information.

Cassandra Salgado, M.D., M.S.

Professor of Medicine and Public Health
Division Director, Infectious Diseases
Medical Director for Infection Prevention
Hospital Epidemiologist
salgado@musc.edu
843-792-4542

or

Scott Curry, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Hospital Epidemiologist
currysr@musc.edu
843-792-4542

The Division of Infectious Diseases has a very active Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology effort designed to survey epidemiologically important organisms (like MRSA, VRE, C difficile, and resistant gram negatives) and healthcare acquired infections (like CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP, and SSI). In order to accomplish this we maintain relevant databases, some spanning almost three decades. These databases provide the perfect opportunity for students who wish to conduct clinically relevant epidemiology studies among patients hospitalized at MUSC and the effectiveness of Infection Prevention efforts. Examples of currently active projects include: 1. The effect of patient hand hygiene compliance on acquisition of MDRO and HAI. 2. The epidemiology of spread of C. difficile in the acute care setting. 3. The association of methicillin-resistance on outcomes of patients with nosocomial Staph aureus BSI.

Brandon Welch, M.S., Ph.D.

welchbm@musc.edu

Please check my MUSC Directory profile for more information.

Edith Williams, Ph.D.

843-876-1519

1. The Peer Approaches to Lupus Self-Management (PALS) project is a 5-year behavioral trial among African American women with lupus to improve disease self-management and quality of life. Half are randomized to bi-weekly one-to-one peer mentoring and half are randomized to bi-weekly support group sessions. We are currently recruiting our second wave of participants (n=120), with anticipated intervention start in February, 2020. Opportunities for data collection and analysis, manuscript development, and communication with participants.
2. Development of an educational intervention to raise lupus awareness on historically black college and university campuses In order to develop an educational intervention for young African Americans, we will we will conduct focus groups with HBCU students and other African Americans of college age who may have lupus or a family member with lupus. 48 participants will participate in focus groups. Focus group discussions will be analyzed for themes and inform development of the resulting educational intervention program. A subset of focus group participants (n=8) will be invited to review and provide feedback on resulting educational materials and strategies. Anticipated January, 2020 start. Opportunities to assist with recruitment, focus groups, data collection and analysis.
3. The Care-coordination Approach to Learning Lupus Self-Management (CALLS) study was a pilot designed to examine whether interaction with a lay patient navigator improves disease self-management, indicators of disease activity, health related quality of life (HRQOL), and 30-day readmission in SLE inpatient admissions. This study is closed; however there are opportunities for data analysis and manuscript development.