MINORITY PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

As a first year student, I do not have a thesis topic selected. I will determine and defend my thesis proposal in my third year of study. In the mean time, I would like to learn various analytical and exploratory methods of studying populations and their health behaviors. I am especially interested in studying social networks of communities. I believe that in addition to an epidemiological approach to the analysis of community-based studies, it is important to explore the characteristics of individuals in the context of their community network in order to understand social relationships and how they might affect the behavior of the individuals and behavioral patterns of the community as a whole. I would like to use my training in imaging and visualization to develop new ways of exploring complex social relationships that may provide additional insights. I have a special interest in applying network analysis methods to a population of intravenous drug users (IDU) because they are at a high risk of spreading HIV through their risky behavior such as needle sharing and unprotected sexual contacts. I would be able to investigate individual risks and the effect the individual has on the IDU community. The results of such study are potentially very useful in developing successful prevention programs. I am confident that the inter-disciplinary nature of the department, the recently merged Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, will provide an excellent research training and an enriching environment in which I will grow and mature as a public health researcher.