I am a family physician with a background of academic excellence, a solid introduction to health services research, and a demonstrated commitment to the well-being of disadvantaged women and children. Goals: In the long term, I aim to help improve reproductive health outcomes and eliminate disparities in maternal and child health. My five-year goal is to identify ectopic pregnancy incidence and outcomes in the Medicaid population and in the process to develop a new, widely-applicable methodology for studying ectopic pregnancy epidemiology. Career Development Plan: In order to accomplish these goals, I need to acquire the knowledge and skills to manage and analyze large administrative data sets. I will do so by taking formal courses in quantitative research methods and health policy, participating in workshops on the use of public insurance data, meeting regularly with mentors and advisors, and presenting my work internally and at national meetings for review. Research Plan: I will conduct secondary analysis of Medicaid Analytic Extract files, measuring ectopic pregnancy incidence, rate, and outcomes. I will then develop a multivariate model to explain individual and state-based variation in ectopic pregnancy. Research Environment: I am supported by a primary mentor with long-standing experience developing junior investigators;a diverse mentorship team of physicians and population scientists with relevant content and methodology expertise;an advisory board of national experts in maternal health epidemiology, Medicaid policy, and health econometrics;and an institution with proven dedication to research excellence.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Ectopic pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Current knowledge of ectopic pregnancy epidemiology is lacking, especially for low-income women. My work will inform policy and clinical interventions to improve early pregnancy outcomes and reduce health disparities.

K08HD060663

2009-09-30

2014-07-31