News & Press Releases

This AIHA scholarship is meant to recognize “a graduate or post-graduate conducting or planning to conduct research or a capstone project that (1) is innovative in the field of industrial hygiene, occupational health, or related field and (2) has the potential to provide direct impact (efficient, easy, or scalable) on the profession or the health of workers.”

The research project for which Thompson received the Amazon “Invent and Simplify” award is focused on the validation of commercially available low-cost indoor air quality monitors for the detection of chemical exposures in nail salons. Her research team has been recruiting several nail salons in New York City to participate in this study. The idea is that these low-cost sensors, many of which can be purchased online for less than $500, can be used as tools within nail salons to empower workers to be aware of their daily chemical exposures, and use the real-time data produced by the sensors to proactively take measures to reduce their exposures. Thompson’s role in the project is leading the validation component of this study, which involves using statistical approaches to compare the accuracy of the minute-by-minute readings from the low-cost chemical sensors to the readings from previously validated research-grade sensors.

The funds from this award will go a long way in supporting the final year of Thompson’s PhD studies. “As a full-time PhD student supporting myself in New York City, funds like this make a huge difference in allowing me to engage in professional development activities like attending the AIHA meeting,” she says. “This award will not only support my academic and professional development but will also allow me to contribute to the broader mission of protecting and improving the health of workers and disadvantaged communities through the continuation of my research.”

Thompson also wants to recognize the PI of this project, Associate Professor Brian Pavilonis, who asked her to be a part of this research after she took his class on exposure assessment. “If not for Dr. Pavilonis, I would not be involved in such an impactful and interesting research project. Brian has been a fantastic mentor and I have learned so much in my time working with him!”

CUNY SPH team joins large consortium in major effort to reduce opioid overdose deaths in New York

May 14, 2019

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has awarded $86 million to a consortium of researchers and implementers convened by Columbia University’s School of Social Work to address the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths in New York State. The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is a key partner of the New York consortium which will focus on reducing opioid overdose mortality across 16 communities in New York State by 40 percent in the next four years. The project’s aims take a whole-community approach to foster systems change, including enhancing community engagement and coordination, increasing access to prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder, incorporating peer navigation into treatment, and reducing stigma. The New York consortium is part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addition Long Term (HEAL Initiative) and joins a network of teams from three other states that were also selected by NIH (Ohio, Kentucky, and Massachusetts).

At CUNY SPH, the research is led by Dr. Terry Huang, Director of the Center for Systems and Community Design, and Dr. Denis Nash, Executive Director of the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health. CUNY SPH faculty and staff will provide significant expertise in community health, systems science, epidemiology, and implementation/dissemination science to test the effectiveness of a systems-wide community change intervention in reversing the opioid epidemic in the 16 communities.

“The opioid epidemic is a complex, multilevel, and multifactorial problem,” said Dr. Huang. “Successfully addressing it requires the participation and coordination of public and private sector stakeholders, the development of management structure and team capacities, and the alignment of all relevant social and healthcare services in a way that is human- and community-centered.”

Systems and implementation science approaches will help identify the major patterns of missed opportunities for overdose prevention, as well as increase the uptake of evidence-based strategies among those most in need of them and maximize their impact on reducing overdose and deaths from overdose.

“The role of implementation science is also critical to the success of this initiative, given its focus on rapidly implementing strategies capable of expanding and sustaining the reach of proven interventions to reduce opioid use disorder, overdose, and overdose deaths at scale in communities,” said Dr. Nash.

“CUNY SPH is poised to contribute to this important work and to be part of a critical statewide effort that will yield lessons and strategies applicable to ending the opioid epidemic across the country,” said CUNY SPH Dean Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes.

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About the Center for Systems and Community Design

Based in Harlem in New York City, and housed at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, the Center for Systems and Community Design is at the forefront of public health entrepreneurship, integrating research, business, policy, and design. At the Center, we believe there is a role for every individual, every organization, and every sector to play in health. Through cross-sectoral partnerships and diverse methodologies such as systems science, design thinking, business strategy design and implementation, collaboration science, and social entrepreneurship, the Center seeks to (re)frame health problems, unpack complex issues, create a network of public health entrepreneurs, develop and scale creative solutions that are community-centric, integrate social and environmental impact into standard business practice, and inform policy agendas.

For more information, contact:
Terry Huang
Director, CSCD
terry.huang@sph.cuny.edu

About the Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health at the City University of New York

The CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH) was founded on the notion that substantial improvements in population health can be efficiently achieved through better implementation of existing strategies, policies, and interventions across multiple sectors. We study how to translate and scale-up evidence-based interventions and policies within clinical and community settings in order to improve population health and reduce health disparities. CUNY ISPH. Pursuing population health gains through better implementation. www.cunyisph.orgFollow us on Twitter: @CUNYISPH.

For more information, contact:
Denis Nash
Executive Director, CUNY ISPH
Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology, CUNY SPH
Denis.Nash@sph.cuny.edu
347-331-6554

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