Public Health PhD students published in Annals of Epidemiology

The August issue of Annals of Epidemiology features the work of three West Virginia University School of Public Health PhD students. Emphasizing their work, students Jeffrey Pesarsick, Melody Gwilliam and Olayemi Adeniran are listed as the primary authors on the paper. The students were mentored by Brian Hendricks, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, who served as senior author. Other coauthors for the article included Research Assistant Professor Toni Rudisill, PhD, and Stuart M. and Joyce N. Robbins Distinguished Professor Dr. Gordon Smith.

The team’s work focused on the use of emergency medical service (EMS) data and spatial epidemiology to identify high risk areas for nonfatal opioid overdose at the community level. Using emsCharts, they concentrated their work in southwestern Pennsylvania, an area that has seen some of the highest opioid overdose death rates in the United States. Findings from their study have the potential to inform targeted community level public health interventions that support opioid overdose prevention.

Read the full publication online.

Annals of Epidemiology is a peer reviewed, international journal devoted to epidemiologic research and methodological development. The journal emphasizes the application of epidemiologic methods to issues that affect the distribution and determinants of human illness in diverse contexts. Its primary focus is on chronic and acute conditions of diverse etiologies and of major importance to clinical medicine, public health and healthcare delivery.

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jw/10/04/19

CONTACT: Nikky Luna 
WVU School of Public Health
304.293.1699; Nikky.Luna@hsc.wvu.edu