Why I Became a Clinical Researcher

As a clinician-scientist, I look for ways to improve the health of our families. My work focuses on preventing obesity and promoting heart health among children and their parents. My research interests are shaped by interactions with patients. They inform how we can help people live healthier in ways that work for them.

The Families Who Inspired Me

During my residency, many parents of the children I treated asked how to prevent obesity and its related chronic diseases in their children. They did not want their children to have the same medical problems they had. These conversations inspired me to find creative and innovative solutions for these families. 

What Led Me to Clinical Research

My interest in obesity prevention and cardiovascular health began in medical school at Michigan State University. I was designing a curriculum for medical students to collect health data for a pilot obesity study. I witnessed firsthand the growing prevalence of childhood obesity, particularly in families from minority racial groups and low-income households. This really concerned me and inspired me to find solutions that can work for all families. 

As a dual-trained Internal Medicine–Pediatrics resident at Stony Brook University Hospital, I saw the same patterns in adults: racial and socioeconomic disparities in obesity and heart disease, passed down from generation to generation. Research had yet to overcome key barriers faced by health care providers and parents — especially the lack of practical, health literacy-friendly tools to motivate lifestyle change. This led me to pursue academic research. 

Recognizing Gaps in Care

My ideas stem from recognizing gaps in the literature and listening to what clinicians and patients need. Working in primary care, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges of promoting lifestyle change. Early on, I believed childhood obesity could be addressed through education alone. In a well-intentioned but naive attempt to address this, I provided education to school-age Black children from low-income neighborhoods about the benefits of healthy diet and lifestyle behaviors. When answering their questions however, I realized how many barriers these children and their families face in getting access to and in eating healthier. Despite the barriers, parents still expressed concern about the long-term risk of unhealthy lifestyle choices. This was consistent with existing research. Despite external challenges, families wanted support to prevent obesity and future cardiovascular disease in their children.

Finding New Ways to Improve Screening and Remove Barriers

To explore provider challenges in obesity prevention, I surveyed health care professionals on their knowledge, attitudes and barriers. Like prior studies, I found they lacked effective tools to motivate and support families — especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This led me to design more complex interventions targeting both provider and patient needs.

My goal is to improve cardiovascular health through early prevention among families from low-income households. These families are often neglected in clinical care and research and face numerous barriers leading to significant health disparities. I plan to achieve my goal by implementing family-centered, behavioral interventions that support motivation to change, facilitate progression toward actionable goals, and augment maintenance of behavior change. 

Leading to Change in How We Deliver Care

Clinical research can quickly lead to a change in how we deliver care to patients. Interventions that work, often can lead to changes in practice much sooner than those conducted in the lab. In addition, we are always seeking families to help us at every stage of the process from helping us design studies that make sense to them and their needs to volunteering to be part of our studies. By doing so, it can really help us change the way we deliver care for so many more people!