Presentations

What Works in a Pediatric Obesity Treatment Program?

Mary Savoye — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:00 PDT

Ms. Savoye will present a brief overview of the research and program model of Yale University's Bright Bodies Weight Management Program for Children. She will discuss the components that make the Program unique and successful and include staffing and other operating strategies that have contributed to the sustainability of the treatment model housed throughout the community and operated by the university.

The Socio-cultural Context of New Mothers’ Mental Health

Maureen Perry-Jenkins — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:15:00 PDT

Presentation will review findings from a longitudinal study of the transition to parenthood for a sample of low-income, employed mothers. Will examine how work conditions and policies for low-wage workers as well as social supports predict levels and changes in mothers’ mental health across the first year of parenthood. We will also present new findings linking mothers’ early experiences to their own and their children’s mental health 6 years later.

A School Nurse-Delivered Intervention for Overweight and Obese Adolescents: Lessons Learned

Lori Pbert et al. — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:00 PDT

Dr. Pbert will present work from an academic and community partnership between UMMS and the School Health Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to design and test a brief intervention for school nurses to provide weight management assistance to overweight and obese adolescents in the school health setting. She will discuss why the school nurse and school health setting are promising venues for addressing adolescent overweight, present results from their pilot study, and discuss facilitators, barriers and strategies to implementing this treatment model.

Empower research through comparative genomics & next-gen sequencing

Li-Jun Ma — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:00 PDT

Describes research in comparative fungal genomics, specifically the the plant-fungal interactions of wilt diseases caused by Fusarium oxysporum.

The Power of Play: Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Cardiometabolic Risk in Inner City Youth Using Novel Interactive Gaming

Laura L. Hayman — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:00 PDT

Dr. Hayman will present the design, methods and results of a recently completed pilot study, a randomized control trial, designed to increase moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity in 3rd to 5th grade children from an inner-citty public school. Lessons learned from this study that incorporated interactive gaming and was conducted at GoKids Boston, an interdisciplinary research, training and community outreach center located within UMass Boston, will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the promise and potential of interactive gaming, the need for increased physical activity in the school environment, and implications for future research focused on prevention and management of obesity in early life.

Pilot study with overweight youth: Greater Lowell Boys and Girls Club

Garry Handelman — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:30:00 PDT

In collaboration with the Lowell Community Health Center and the Lowell Boys and Girls Club, Dr. Handelman, Dr. Pbert and colleagues carried out an intervention trial, recruiting 25 overweight youth for a 5-month after-school intervention program. BMI, fasting insulin, and behavioral attitudes were monitored. There were not short-term improvements in physical health. The youth and their families had a very positive attitude toward the program, with changes in the direction of healthier diet behaviors. The social structure of this youth organization would be compatible with provision of long-term diet and life-style programs for all youth, including youth seeking to achieve normal body weight and physical activity.

Addressing Perinatal Depression in the Outpatient Obstetric Setting

Nancy Byatt et al. — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:15:00 PDT

Presentation will discuss: (1) barriers that OB/Gyn providers and support staff encounter in recognizing depression and engaging perinatal women in treatment, (2) strategies to overcome barriers to treatment and (3) the development of interventions aimed at improving treatment entry and follow-up.

Liver Transplantation: The End of the Road in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Adel Bozorgzadeh — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:00:00 PDT

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the number one cause of liver failure requiring liver transplant. This presentation reviews liver transplantation and other treatment options for chronic hepatitis C infection.