The role of providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can expose friends and family caregivers to significant stress over an extended period of time, resulting in a host of negative outcomes like increased depression and anxiety, and diminished quality of life. However, previous studies have found that...
Abstract Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is the most common cancer associated with human immunodeficiency virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) infection worldwide and it is the most prevalent cancer in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), led to dramatic declines in KS morbidity and mortality,...
Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLWH) have unique health challenges. Understanding psychological strengths that help WLWH manage their disease and improve health outcomes could reduce disease burden. Although spirituality, a multidimensional construct that includes a search for meaning and purpose, connection with a higher dimension, and experiences and feelings...
Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of gut-brain interaction associated with reduced quality of life, increased rates of depression and anxiety, and high economic burden to society and the individual. Current behavioral interventions, which target well-known symptom exacerbating factors such as catastrophizing and gastrointestinal- specific anxiety, have demonstrated...
``Hazy decisions: The effect of dementia on medical decision-making'' \\ I estimate the causal effect of having dementia on the course of treatment for unrelated diseases by leveraging differences in the relative time of onset of dementia and the other condition in a difference-in-differences event-study framework. To demonstrate this approach...
The potential association between Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been a part of academic discourse for three decades. By considering the mixed reports on the association between FGM and HIV so far, this dissertation contributes to the current state of research by...
Swallowing impairment or dysphagia has many possible causes with severe sequelae. One major mediator of the relationship between causes and sequelae is the physiologic impairment of the swallowing mechanism. Assessing the physiology of swallowing impairment is of great importance so that treatment can target physiology to mitigate sequelae. The assessment...
The application of formal multilayer networks (MLNs)—networks which contain multiple types of relationships, data types, or other additional features of complexity and connectivity—has recently become popular in many fields. Areas of study ranging from social science to biology have utilized MLNs to explore, describe, and analyze interconnected complex systems. MLNs...
In this dissertation, I conducted 2 studies that resulted in 3 manuscripts. This dissertation consists of 6 chapters that include the 3 manuscripts. The overarching research question is How does context affect the work of quality improvement (QI) practitioners? To answer this larger research question, which is central to the...
Advanced wireless soft electronics integrate a wireless power transfer circuit and a small battery. It is skin-compliant, and lightweight accommodating the complex motion of the body. These unique features of the device provide a continuous physiological measurement without discomfort and spatial constraints. Using the device, we can observe and track...
Reducing the high incidence of metabolic syndrome especially among older people living in low income communities is a goal of the health system. Residents of the Austin community of Chicago suffer from a heavy burden of health issues related to metabolic syndrome leading to disproportionally higher morbidity and mortality rates...
In the U.S., approximately 840,000 Americans die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year, and it is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of CVD is on the rise and widespread disparities in CVD exist across economic, racial, and ethnic groups. In order to address the rising...
Mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (mROS) are required for the survival, proliferation, and metastasis of cancer cells. The mechanism by which mitochondrial metabolism regulates mROS levels to support cancer cells is not fully understood. To address this, we conducted a metabolism-focused CRISPR/Cas9 genetic screen and uncovered that loss of genes encoding...
Social factors are a major contributor to deaths in the US. The literature suggests that socioeconomic status and other social and environmental factors influence an individual’s mortality. These factors encompass six domains that comprise factors such as poverty, unemployment, poor access to healthy food, limited access to health care, limited...
Desmosomes, complex structures found at intercellular junctions, are important for the development, structural integrity, and immune barrier of the skin. Extracellular components of the desmosome connect neighboring cells and intracellular interactions amongst cadherin, armadillo, and plakin proteins anchor the desmosome to intermediate filaments. Beyond their canonical role as “spot welds”...
The negative early and late health consequences from exposure to artificial sources of radiation are particularly apparent in victims of radiological emergencies who were diagnosed with cancer, radiation pneumonitis, among other conditions. The renaissance of nuclear energy, increased use of ionizing radiation in the medical field, and nuclear threats from...