Graduate Students Directory
William Anderson
willand@uab.edu
Will Anderson is a second year PhD student in Medical Sociology. After several years working in information technology he returned to graduate school, completing Masters degrees in Public Health and Public Administration in 2005. His current work involves the sociological aspects/effects of communication and information technologies and the sociology of mood disorders. Fields of interest include social theory, statistical/quantitative methods, and the sociology of mental health.
Sarah R. Ballard
balsr@uab.edu
Sarah Ballard received her B.A. in Sociology (with minors in Psychology and German) from UAB in 2006. She entered the Medical Sociology program in Fall 2007. Since 2005, she has been engaged in research with Professor Becky Trigg on the perception of advantages and disadvantages of the male and female gender roles. Sarah's research interests primarily include gender and occupations, with an emphasis on how occupational segregation and work-family conflict affect well-being.
Ron Berkowsky
rberk@uab.edu
Ron Berkowsky entered the Medical Sociology program in the Fall of 2009. He received his BA in Health and Societies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and went on to work as a clinical research coordinator for the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 2008-2009. A New Jersey native, Ron moved to Birmingham in the summer of 2009 to pursue a PhD in Medical Sociology from UAB. His current research interests include: social gerontology, aging and technology, and demography of health.
Henna Budhwani
Henna Budhwani is currently pursuing her Ph.D in Medical Sociology. Her specific research interests are in mental health, racial and ethnic disparities, health lifestyles, and Islam in the West. Being civic minded, Henna is the National Honorary Secretary for the Ismaili Health Professionals Association and has recently visited Tanzania to help develop a channel between American health professionals and African hospitals.
She is currently Senior Statistician with Cahaba Safeguard Associates, a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
David R. Buys
David Buys is a second year doctoral student in Medical Sociology who is serving a research appointment with Dr. Julie Locher in the Center for Aging; his focus is on the relationship of food and nutrition issues to health and well-being among homebound older adults. He earned the Master of Science degree in Sociology at Auburn University in 2007 and the Bachelor of Science (cum laude) degree in Sociology at Mississippi College in 2004. His current research interests include gerontology, food and nutrition, and public policy. David and his wife, Katie, enjoy making home improvements, bargain hunting at garage sales, traveling, and hiking.
Yue Cao
yuecao@uab.edu
He received his M.A. degree in 2004 from Journalism & Communication School, Nanjing University (China), and since Jan. 2005 has been pursuing his PhD degree in medical sociology at UAB. He had 7 years working experience in public health in China. His research interests include residential segregation, migration, media and public health, and alienation as stressor.
Colin T. Farrell
farrell@uab.edu
Lee Anne Flagg
lflagg@uab.edu
Lee Anne Flagg graduated from Truman State University with a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and a B.S. in Exercise Science (minors in Health Studies and Psychology). She entered the Medical Sociology Ph.D. program at UAB in the Fall of 2009. After completing her Ph.D., she plans to pursue an MSPH in Epidemiology and a career in research. Her interests concern the social influences on nutrition; alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; physical activity; and prenatal care.
Emily Godsey
elgodsey@uab.edu
Tim Hale
timhale@uab.edu
Beverly Hogan
Beverly K. Hogan is a native of Birmingham and a former faculty member at the UAB School of Nursing where she taught Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing for eight years. She has a Masters Degree in Community Mental Health Nursing and extensive experience in various community and inpatient mental health care settings Her research interests focus on the mental health care system, particularly as it pertains to persons with chronic mental illness including:
Factors contributing to unmet medical needs of persons with mental illness
Destigmatization of mental illness through direct contact and community education
Communication processes and understanding between persons with schizophrenia and healthcare personnelTara L. Jones Pursuing PhD (Medical Sociology), entered program Fall 2002. Earned masters degree (M.A.) in Sociology from Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, Georgia) in 2000. Earned Bachelor's degree (B.A.) in Biology from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. General research interests include: HIV/AIDS among African Americans; more specifically, social-structural factors which contribute to the increasing rates of HIV among African American women. Currently working at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, at the Coordinating Center of Infectious Diseases.
Recent articles include:
2006 Lynch M, Shieh WJ, Bresee JS, Tatti KM, Gentsch JR, Jones T, Jiang B, Hummelman E, Zimmerman CM, Zaki SR, Glass RI. "Intussusception after administration of the rhesus tetravalent rotavirus vaccine (Rotashield}: the search for a pathogenic mechanism." Pediatrics 117 (5):e827-32.
2006 Kathleeen Tatti, Greer P, White E, Shieh WJ, Guarner J, Jones T, Bartlett J, Ashford D, Hoffmaster A, Gallucci G, Vafai A, Popovic T, Zaki S. "Morphologic, immunologic and molecular methods to detect bacillus anthracis in
formalin-fixed tissues." Applied Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Morphology 14(2):234-243.
2007 Guarner J, Bhatnagar, Shieh WJ, Nolte K, Klein D, Gookin M, Penaranda S, Oberste S, Jones T, Smith C, Pallansch and Zaki S. "Histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ploymerase, chain reaction assays in the study of cases with fatal sporadic myocarditis." Human Pathology38: 1412-1419.
Chris McDougalAn Atlanta native, Chris graduated summa cum laude from Georgia State University in 1993 with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in philosophy. After receving his M.A. in medical sociology at UAB in 1998, he has gone on to gain extensive college teaching experience. In 2005, he was included in the 9th edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers (awarded to 5% of America's teachers) for his work at Bevill State Community College. Chris' research interests include the role of social factors in depression and the relationship between body image and sexual risk-taking. Chris is now an instructor at Suffolk County Community College in Long Island, NY and is putting the finishing touches on his dissertation.
Outside of school, he participates in a variety of social justice causes, and in 1997, he was awarded the Dixie Jokinen Student Activist Award, 1st place, from the Freedom from Religion Foundation for his work on behalf of separation of church and state.Greg MinismanAs a Program Manager in the UAB Dept. of Biostatistics, Section on Research Methods and Clinical Trials, Greg is responsible for the international study: A Multi-Center, Single-Blind, Randomized Study Comparing Thymectomy to No Thymectomy in Non-Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis (MG) Patients Receiving Prednisone (MGTX).
Greg's primary research interests are in bioethics/medical ethics/research ethics. He is in the process of completing a PhD in Medical Sociology with a dissertation focused on physician perspectives on patient recruitment in international clinical trials.
Recent articles include:
2008 Abban C, Wolfe G, Cutter GKaminski H, Jaretzki A, Minisman G, Conwit R, Newsom-Davis J. "The MGTX experience: Challenges in planning and executing an international, multicenter clinical trial." Journal of Neuroimmunology, 2010202, 80-84.
2008 Newsom-DavisJ, Cutter G, Wolfe G, Jaretzki A, Minisman G, Aban C, Conwit R.
"Status of the thymectomy trial for non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis patients receiving prednisone." Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences 1132:344-347.
LaToya J. O'Neal
ljoneal@uab.edu
LaToya J. O’Neal is a first year PhD student in the Medical Sociology program. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Tougaloo College in 2004 and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Assumption College in 2006. LaToya spent two years working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health for a community mental health center in Tennessee. She also completed a Graduate Certificate in Non-Profit Management at Tennessee State University in 2008. Her general interests include Child and Adolescent Development and Mental Health, Race, Culture, Gender, and Health Disparities in the African American Population.Xiaofei Qiao
B.S Economy; M.P.A. Public Finance and Economy, Public Policy Analysis.
Amanda Warr
awarr@uab.edu
Amanda Warr is a first year PhD student in Mecical Sociology. She received her B.S. in Social Science from Troy University in 1999 and a A.S. in Electronic Systems from the Community College of the Air Force in 2000. After several years working in wireless engineering she returned to graduate school. She is working on a NIH grant with Dr. Shelia Cotten researching the affects of Internet and Computer Technologies on elderly persons. Amanda's research interest include technology, aging, and sexuality.
Matthew West
mawest@uab.edu
Matthew West entered the Medical Sociology Program in Fall 2009. He holds a Bachelors in Sociology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Matthew’s research interests center around religion, specifically Catholic identity, the priesthood, and American Catholicism. He is currently working on a qualitative project entitled: “Men of God: Indian Priests in Alabama.”
Elizabeth "Libby" YostElizabeth Yost entered the Medical Sociology Program in Fall 05. She holds a bachelors in Sociology from Birmingham-Southern College. She is currently working on an NSF ADVANCE Grant with Michele Wilson PhD. Libby's research interests include: gender, education, HIV/AIDS, aging, sociobiology, and medical sociology.
