Research


My work

What I study?

I have worked extensively with modeling complex multilevel data to study a wide range of psychosocial, psychiatric, and substance use-related research questions in both large epidemiological surveys and administrative records. Below are selected research papers on a range of topics, including the health effects of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), cannabis legalization, diversity and inclusion, and military mental health.

For a full list of my scientific publications, download my CV or visit my Google Scholar page.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING PROGRAMS

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) have been advanced as a critical component of addressing the US drug poisoning crisis. My research has found little evidence PDMPs reduce drug poisonings, and potentially unintended increases in heroin poisonings.

Patients, Privacy, and PDMPs: Exploring the Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

My research on the health effects of PDMPs include:

  1. Association Between Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Nonfatal and Fatal Drug Overdoses: A Systematic Review. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Jun 5;168(11):783-790. doi: 10.7326/M17-3074.
  2. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Prescription Opioid-Related Outcomes in the United States. Epidemiol Rev. 2020 Apr 3;. doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxaa002.
  3. A typology of prescription drug monitoring programs: a latent transition analysis of the evolution of programs from 1999 to 2016. Addiction. 2019 Feb;114(2):248-258. doi: 10.1111/add.14440.
  4. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Opioid Overdoses: Exploring Sources of Heterogeneity. Epidemiology. 2019 Mar;30(2):212-220. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000950.
  5. Prescription drug monitoring programs operational characteristics and fatal heroin poisoning. Int J Drug Policy. 2019 Dec;74:174-180. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.10.001.
  6. Measuring Relationships Between Proactive Reporting State-level Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and County-level Fatal Prescription Opioid Overdoses. Epidemiology. 2020 Jan;31(1):32-42. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001123
  7. Promoting Prescription Drug Monitoring for Population Health: Research and Policy implications. In The Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic: Incidence, Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. eds. Schepis T: ABC-CLIO. 2018.

CANNABIS LEGALIZATION

Since 1996, 34 states have passed medical cannabis laws,, and since 2012, 11 states have passed recreational cannabis laws. While potential benefits of these laws exist, more research is needed to identify and mitigate unintended harms




MILITARY HEALTH RESEARCH

I’ve worked extensively with military populations, including both active duty (US Army, Navy, and Marine Corp), National Guard (Ohio National Guard), and Veterans. Below is a sample of this work

  1. Subthreshold PTSD and PTSD in a prospective-longitudinal cohort of military personnel: Potential targets for preventive interventions. Depress Anxiety. 2018 Nov;35(11):1048-1055. doi: 10.1002/da.22819.
  2. Prevalence and covariates of problematic gambling among a US military cohort. Addict Behav. 2019 Aug;95:166-171. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.03.013.Retrospective age-of-onset and projected lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders among U.S. Army National Guard soldiers. J Affect Disord. 2016 Sep 15;202:171-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.05.025.
  3. Incidence and Risk for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in a Representative Sample of Ohio Army National Guard Members, 2008-2012. Public Health Rep. 2016 Jul-Aug;131(4):614-22. doi: 10.1177/0033354916662221.
  4. Onset of Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in a Military Cohort: Are there Critical Periods for Prevention of Alcohol Use Disorders? Prev Sci. 2016 Apr;17(3):347-56. doi: 10.1007/s11121-015-0624-1
  5. Incidence of and risk for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in a representative sample of US Reserve and National Guard. Ann Epidemiol. 2016 Mar;26(3):189-97. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2016.01.003.
  6. Mental health among reserve component military service members and veterans. Epidemiol Rev. 2015;37:7-22. doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxu007.
  7. An examination of successful soldier postdeployment transition from combat to garrison life. J Trauma Stress. 2014 Feb;27(1):98-102. doi: 10.1002/jts.21876.

Diversity and Inclusion

In the Summer of 2018, we conducted a web-based survey of members of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) to assess perceptions of diversity and inclusion within the society. We found that women and persons of specific racial/ethnic minority or minority religious affiliations were less likely to participate in events initiated by the Society. These data represent a baseline for assessing trends and the impact of future initiatives aimed a improving diversity, inclusion, representation, and participation within SER.


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For a full list of my scientific publications, download my CV or visit my Google Scholar page.