Improving Outcomes One Patient at a Time
We conduct high-impact primary care research that is patient- and community-centered, including work that enhances health promotion, improves care for chronic diseases and advances health care delivery. It is our hope that we can provide better patient experiences and superior outcomes, while also improving provider well-being and support and decreasing health care costs.
Featured Research Projects
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Relationships of Affect and Neuroinflammation with Clinical Pain in Veterans Living with Fibromyalgia
This project, led by Taylor Taylor, Ph.D., aims to develop a Veteran-informed, exercise-based pain management intervention for Veterans living with fibromyalgia. By integrating neurological, psychological, and clinical advancements, the study seeks to assess the associations between affect, neuroinflammation, inflammation, and pain, ultimately addressing the urgent need for effective treatment options for Veterans with fibromyalgia.
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Gamified Optimized Diabetes Management With Artificial Intelligence-Powered Rural Telehealth (GODART)
Vice Chair for Research Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., and Mohanraj Thirumalai, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Administration, were awarded an R01 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to employ Telehealth technologies to combat diabetes in rural, underserved areas.
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Weight Inclusive & Adaptive Strategies to Enhance Cardiometabolic Health in Black Adults (WISE Health)
Led by Assistant Professor Drew Sayer, Ph.D., WISE Health aims to create an environment where people of all weights can access health and wellness. The study compares weight-focused and weight-neutral biobehavioral interventions for improving cardiometabolic health. This is part of a six-month project to determine the feasibility of a larger future trial.
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Food Delivery, Remote Monitoring, and Coaching-Enhanced Education for Optimized Diabetes Management
Vice Chair for Research Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., is partnering with the University of Mississippi Medical Center to lead a $3.6 million study to develop a sustainable and effective Type 2 diabetes management intervention for adults with sub-optimal social determinants of health. The FREEDOM study uses food delivery, remote monitoring, and coaching-enhanced education to target social determinants such as transportation barriers, health services access, quality of care, and food insecurity.
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Behavioral Physical Activity Intervention with Peer Support for Women with HIV and Co-Occurring Hypertension
In 2021, Kaylee B. Crockett, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and assistant professor, received a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) award from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute for research focused on adapting a behavioral physical activity intervention with peer support for women with HIV and co-occurring hypertension.
We are working to implement these goals by engaging learners, residents, fellows and clinical faculty, as well as key institutes, centers, departments and organizations at UAB and beyond. As a department we are continuously developing programs, resources, mentorship opportunities and incentives to support research, scholarship and quality improvement (QI). Another key area of focus is ensuring that we prioritize resources to support the Alabama Practice-Based Research Network (APRBN) and community practices.
Our research staff consists of primary care physicians, clinical and behavioral psychologists, clinical dietitians, nutritional scientists and research and data scientists. Currently, several of our research studies address diabetes and cardiovascular disease, hypertension, weight management, HIV, and lifestyle behavior interventions.
Vice Chair for Research
