SPH’s Research Department is a multidisciplinary research area focusing on improving community health outcomes. Our work combines evidence-based methods, community engagement and innovative analysis to address critical challenges. Through this platform, we share our goals, findings, resources and opportunities to collaborate with partners, policymakers, and the public.
Resources
Research Positions
Find in-house opportunities that align with your field here.
Funding & Grants
Learn more about opportunities such as the RISER award
Digital Library
For information on templates and printing click here.
School of Public Health (SPH)
Partnering with High School Education
Lead PI: Ashish Joshi
Sponsor: Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
Brief:
1. Explore and characterize educational pathway program models and frameworks for the disease intervention workforce and certification from high school.
2. Determine the feasibility of establishing disease intervention pathways within high schools.
3. Evaluate if and ensure that pathways increase the diversity of disease intervention practitioners to meet the needs of disproportionately impacted communities.
Strategy A2: Foundational Capability
Lead PI: Ashish Joshi
Sponsor: Shelby County Health Department (SCHD)
Brief: The University of Memphis (UofM) School of Public Health will provide for the Shelby County Health Department workforce support at the doctoral level via one full-time employee and two full-time Graduate Assistant to offer public health grant writing, grant management, report creation, research proposals, articles, white papers, abstracts, etc. to promote, protect, and improve the health outcomes of ALL in Shelby County.
Data Modernization Project
Lead PI: Ashish Joshi
Sponsor: Shelby County Health Department (SCHD)
Brief: Enhance the health department’s capacity to collect, integrate, analyze, and use data more effectively for public health decision-making. Oversee the creation of a dashboard/s to monitor HIV (new
HIV infections, number of people living with HIV, time to linkage of care); Behavioral Health Substance Use Disorder (number of fatal vs. nonfatal overdoses, types of substances that cause overdoses).
Solid Waste Management Impact on So
Lead PI: Maryam Karimi
Sponsor: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Brief: This project mainly focuses on the impaired ground-surface water and soil consequences of waste mismanagement as environmental disunity in rural areas of the Alabama and Mississippi Black Belt. The communities with a population of fewer than 2,500 associated with income less than 80% of the State Non-metropolitan Median Household Income (SNMHI), suffering from poor sanitation systems, drinking water, and waste management, outlined in this proposal, will serve as the target regions in this project.
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Research Spotlight
Paragraph here using proxima nova regular. In the university blue color. Paragraph here using proxima nova regular. In the university blue color. Paragraph here using proxima nova regular. In the university blue color. Paragraph here using proxima nova regular. In the university blue color.
Research Celebration Awards
We are proud to announce the recipients of prestigious awards, recognizing their groundbreaking projects and exceptional contributions to advancing public health. These individuals and their interdisciplinary teams have demonstrated outstanding dedication to improving health outcomes and promoting equity through research. Join us in congratulating these remarkable scholars for their well-deserved recognition. Their work exemplifies innovation, commitment, and a passion for advancing public health research and practice.
First-Time Principal Investigators
What is this award for? idk
- 2023 – Ashish Joshi, Dean and Distinguished University Professor
- 2022 – Dr. Yu Jiang, Biostatistics Associate Professor
- 2022 – Dr. Abu Mohammed Naser Titu, Epidemiology Associate Professor
- 2022 – Mr. Mark Hendricks, Health Systems Management and Policy Instructor Coordinator
Past PI Millionaires
This group has brought in $1M+ to the University of Memphis in research funding.
- 2024 – Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean and Distinguished University Professor
- 2023 – Dr. Marian Levy, Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Public Health Practice, Social and Behavioral Sciences Professor
- 2023- Dr. Matthew Smeltzer, Epidemiology Associate Professor
SPH Faculty Honored with CoRS Awards
For more information about the CoRS program and a list of previous awardees, please visit the CoRS Awardees Webpage.
- Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health: A stakeholder Analysis and Identifying Research Priorities in Memphis, Tennessee ($2500)
- Fanta Gutema (School of Public Health)
- Naser Titu (School of Public Health)
- To Predict Dementia Risk Among Old Adults Using Machine Learning and AI, Focusing on the Impact of Social Determinants and Genetic Predisposition ($5000)
- Yong Yang (School of Public Health)
- Yu Jiang (School of Public Health)
- Innovative Discharge Solutions: Leveraging AI for Effective Medication Use and Counseling ($2500)
- Asma Ali (School of Public Health)
- Development of Integrated Platforms for AI-Assisted Asthma Prediction and Asthma Mechanistic Studies ($2500)
- Yu Jiang (School of Public Health)
- Hongmei Zhang (School of Public Health)
- Meredith Ray (School of Public Health)
- Pilot Development of Maternal and Child Health Handbook in Shelby County, TN ($2500)
- Shafi Bhuiyan (School of Public Health)
- Alex Parkhouse (School of Public Health)
- The Importance of Collaborative Youth Leadership Training ($2500)
- Maryam Karimi (School of Public Health)
- Sharon Griffin (School of Public Health)
- Mental Health and Misconduct Among Incarcerated Persons in the U.S. ($2500)
- Alex Parkhouse (School of Public Health)
- Researching Hispanic Issues in Our Community: Bridging the Gap in College Attendance and Engagement ($2500)
- Marian Levy (School of Public Health)
Dean’s Faculty Mentorship Award
Research Initiative Supporting Excellence in early careeR development (RISER). RISER funding aims to support early-career faculty in developing innovative research projects. The goal is to enable these faculty to pursue scholarly publications and secure extramural research funding opportunities. Within two years of receiving this pilot seed funding, recipients are expected to submit proposals for extramural research funding and produce at least one scholarly publication. RISER funding is provided by the Dean’s office in the School of Public Health.
- 2024 – Asma Ali, PhD, PharmaD
- 2024 – Fanta Desissa Gutema, DVM, MSc, BSc, MPH, PhD, CPH
- 2024 – Alex Parkhouse, PhD, MA
- 2024 – William C. Bigler, PhD
- 2023 – Wei Lyu, PhD
- 2023 – Xichen Mou, PhD
- 2023 – Abu Mohammed Naser Titu, PhD, MBBS
Research Panel
The University of Memphis School of Public Health is excited to share the latest installment in our Research Panel series here. Explore the series on YouTube here.
Research by Category