Three new research fellows recently joined the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. The Center currently has 36 research fellows who come from a number of UNC departments and schools, as well as other universities. Research fellows work to develop new research, to disseminate findings and to translate research into evidence-based practice.
Dr. Errickson graduated with a degree in Micro and Molecular Science from the University of Central Florida in 2001 and continued her education at UCF to complete her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy. Dr. Sadye Paez Errickson is completing her master’s degree in public health leadership at the UNC Gillings School of Public Health to complement her doctoral training in human movement science and clinical experiences as a physical therapist. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences. Her research interests include health promotion interventions in physical activity to establish cultures of wellness in a range of community settings. She would like to investigate the interchange between the environment, individual physical activity behavior, and subsequent health outcomes, specifically obesity and related behavioral risks among minority and underserved populations.
Dr. Adam Goldstein is a professor of family medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. As a leading U.S. expert in primary care, Dr. Goldstein has a 20-year history in clinical practice, teaching, and research. His research has focused on smoking cessation, weight loss, lipid lowering strategies, as well as other behavior changes.
Dr. Sohini Sengupta is a research assistant professor in the department of social medicine at UNC. She is a public health researcher with more than 15 years of experience in HIV/AIDS research. She is currently investigating measurement tools for hospital-based domestic violence programs. Dr. Goldstein co-hosts “Here’s to Your Health” on Chapel Hill radio station WCHL and has published more than 150 articles, essays, book chapters, and books. His work has appeared in multiple media, including CNN, the CBS Evening News, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He has also received local, state and national recognition for his record of community service.
The Center for Health Promotion began the research fellows program in 2008 as a way to provide researchers from multi-disciplinary backgrounds with support services, funding sources and opportunities to work with other researchers to develop new research ideas.Dr. Sengupta received a Career (KO1) Development Award in Research Ethics from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease that facilitates her continued interest in issues relating to informed consent as well as the concept of vulnerable populations in research within the context of HIV-related clinical trials. Another research interest has been in health policy, and she recently wrote an article examining costs and coverage of antiretroviral coverage under Medicare Part D in North Carolina. She also has developed and taught a course for 2nd-year medical students on how to write a research proposal that reflects their activist interests, and continues to advise students on their own public health- or social science-oriented research proposals. She currently teaches Clinical Epidemiology, a required course for 2nd-year medical students.