Speakers

Image of LEAP 2024: Helping Healthcare: A Spectrum From Screening to Policy - Abstracts

LEAP 2024: Helping Healthcare: A Spectrum From Screening to Policy - Abstracts

Panel 51: Helping Healthcare: A Spectrum From Screening to Policy

How can we put the care back in healthcare? From data collection and intervention design to the validation of predictive models and the co-creation of healthcare policies, this panel will explore this question through an interdisciplinary lens. Moving sequentially through the research process, we start with Makalya Howe, reflecting on the process of screening participants through outreach and data collection. Then, with Adiba Mobarak, we see further into the process of people-based research where she tailored interventions for global and local communities. We then see Aoife Weischedel’s work, who was involved in informatics as they validated a healthcare predictive machine learning model. Lastly, we learn about Karis Knoll’s work in New Zealand co-creating a policy improvement report within Restorative Practice in healthcare. Our experiences outline the spectrum of processes used to design studies in healthcare research. We transformed classroom learning into practical actions that expand our futures alongside the future of healthcare.

Moderator: Gary Gillis, Norman Wait Harris and Emma Gale Harris Foundation Professor of Biological Sciences & Chair of Mathematics and Statistics

Beyond ‘One-Size-Fits-All’: Tailoring Psychological Interventions
Adiba Mobarak ’26, Psychology major & Statistics minor

Machine Learning in Medicine: Local Validation of Predictive Pediatric Sepsis Model Performance
Aoife Weischedel ’26, Biological Sciences major & Computer Science minor

“We Deserve It To Be Different”; Co-Creating Disability Centric Health Care Policy
Karis Knoll ’25, Psychology and Education Studies and Critical Social Thought double major & Educational Policy and Practice Nexus

Clinical Research Recruiting
Makalya Howe ’25, Biological Sciences major & Psychology minor

Speaker name: Adiba Mobarak
Title: Beyond ‘One-Size-Fits-All’: Tailoring Psychological Interventions To ensure success, interventions should be culturally sensitive and aligned with the values of the target community.
In this presentation, I will talk about my research internship in UMass Chan Medical, focused on global health initiatives. I worked on projects evaluating the long-term effects of antidepressants, the combined effectiveness of economic strengthening and psychotherapy for women in Bangladesh, and the implementation of a group-based intervention for improving child nutrition and oral health. I was involved in conducting interviews, transcribing and coding, data analysis, drafting protocol papers, developing survey materials and database management. I will talk about the highlights of my internship and some valuable lessons I learned.

Speaker name: Aoife Weischedel
Title: Machine Learning in Medicine: Local Validation of Predictive Pediatric Sepsis Model Performance
“I spent my summer working with the Informatics Team at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, a small hospital in Hartford, CT. They configured a set of predictive models for identifying sepsis in hospitalized patients, and my task was to assess the performance of these models to see if they improved sepsis recognition. I researched the biological mechanisms of sepsis alongside machine learning validation techniques before analyzing the dataset using R. My mentor supported my examination of the data beyond the basic statistics, which led us to find interesting insights that refined our recommended implementation strategy. This experience exposed me to real world applications of bioinformatics, as well as how to work independently and take initiative in scientific research. This presentation seeks to describe my Lynk journey, from how I found this opportunity to the actual internship experience and most importantly the lessons that will stay with me long after Mount Holyoke.”

Speaker name: Karis Amalie Knoll
Title: “We Deserve It To Be Different”; Co-Creating Disability Centric Health Care Policy
“While studying abroad in Aotearoa (New Zealand), I discovered a gap in research and policy within the world of restorative practice in healthcare. While the current restorative practice policy was intended to be culturally safe, it was missing a very salient identity in patients- Neurodivergence. Through community connections, I was able to conduct policy improvement research with, by, and for Neurodivergent people. I learned to navigate another culture’s healthcare policy and educate communities on it so we could collectively imagine better. I engaged in non-western research modalities and co-created the research process with the community. We held a community day, envisioning a more holistic healthcare process with Neurodivergent people and healthcare professionals invested in this development. Following this, I crafted a policy improvement report that will assist New Zealand’s healthcare policy development. This will increase healthcare systems capacity to truly provide care for all.”

Speaker name: Makayla Howe
Title: Clinical Research Recruiting
During my summer internship at IMA Clinical Research, I worked closely with a team of clinicians in conducting psychiatric clinical trials. My primary role involved directly interacting with patients, guiding them through the initial steps of the study screening process to determine their eligibility for ongoing research trials. Over the course of eight weeks, I developed strong communication skills and a deeper understanding of clinical research processes, particularly in the context of investigational medications. This experience provided me with valuable insights into how clinical trials are structured and the complexities of mental health research, broadening my understanding of both patient recruitment and trial execution for those dealing with mental illness.