Miesha Marzell

Appointment:
Assistant Professor

Well-crafted policies on substance abuse prevention can improve the health of ethnic minority youth and help at-risk communities truly thrive. That’s why Miesha Marzell researches drug and alcohol control policies, the environmental factors that influence risky behaviors, and the relationship between sports participation and substance use, with the hope that her research will translate into recommendations for public policy, substance abuse prevention, clinical practice, and health promotion interventions. Related video.

Banner location: Downtown—Washington Street, near Java House

Corinne Peek-Asa

Appointments:
Professor and Associate Dean for Research
Director, University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center

Corinne Peek-Asa is the director of the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center, which for 22 years has pursued its goal of preventing trauma and violence, with a focus on rural communities. Peek-Asa attributes the strong reputation of the UI IPRC to its interdisciplinary approach, bringing together scientists, state agencies, and community leaders to conduct high-impact research and translate the findings into policy and practice. Peek-Asa has conducted research in areas of global road traffic safety, intimate partner violence, workplace violence, youth violence, agricultural safety, and acute care.

Banner location: Downtown—Clinton Street, in front of Noodles & Co

Marizen Ramirez

Appointment:
Associate Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health

Cyberbullying is the fastest-growing form of youth violence, which is why Marizen Ramirez researches ways to stop it. Ramirez and her team have developed a smartphone app to track cyber communications of schoolchildren in order to gain a better understanding of the language that constitutes cyberbullying and where online it occurs, so they can help schools do a better job preventing bullying and its adverse impacts on youth. And a study co-authored by Ramirez showed that while policies alone cannot completely eradicate bullying, legislation does represent an important part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent bullying.

Banner location: Downtown—Park Road, near Dubuque Street intersection

Chris Buresh

Appointments:
Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Ambassador to Haiti, American College of Emergency Medicine
Medical Director, Keokuk County Ambulance Service

College: Medicine (College of Public Health alumnus, MPH ’12)

Emergency room staff need as much information as they can get as they prepare for incoming accident victims. One novel approach gives first responders digital tools to capture and send photographs of the vehicles back to the ER, images than can provide vital clues about the likely nature of the patient’s injuries. TraumaHawk is a pilot project developed by Chris Buresh and project principal investigator Dan McGehee, director of the Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Research Division at the UI Public Policy Center. The mobile phone app allows state troopers on the scene of a crash to send photos of the damaged vehicle to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This faster relay of information allows ER physicians and nurses to gain a better sense of the severity of patients’ injuries so they have proper rooms, equipment, and personnel available even before the ambulance makes a preliminary medical report. The research is funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation, and the app was developed by Denise Szecsei of the UI’s Department of Computer Science.

Banner location: University Capitol Centre—2nd floor, entrance to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development