Chavez Lab
The Chavez Lab, led by Laura Chavez, PhD, MPH, seeks to address population behavioral health equity and improve understanding of the social drivers of outcomes for youth. In particular, Dr. Chavez has current projects focused on understanding the role of poverty as a social determinant of adolescent behavioral health and the impacts of anti-poverty policy changes.
Dr. Chavez receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for her research.
Current Research Studies
- Racial/Ethnic and Geographic Differences in Pediatric Tonsillectomy Use
This is an NIMHD R01 study that is using a mixed methods approach to understand the drivers of differences in tonsillectomy use among pediatric Medicaid-enrolled children and adolescents. The study is using qualitative interviews with families and health care providers, as well as quantitative analyses of national Medicaid claims data to understand what is driving previously documented variations in tonsillectomy rates based on race/ethnicity or geography. - Policy Changes to the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Effects on Behavioral Health for Medicaid-Enrolled Adolescents
This is an NIMH R01 study that is using a mixed methods approach to understand the impact of the 2021 Child Tax Credit changes that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on adolescents enrolled in Medicaid. The study is using qualitative interviews with families and large national Medicaid claims data to understand the impact of this historic shift in anti-poverty policy introduced to reduce household financial distress due to the pandemic.
Meet Our Team
Laura Chavez, PhD, MPH
Principal Investigator
Laura.Chavez@NationwideChildrens.org
Dr. Chavez is a health services researcher and health policy expert. Her research uses mixed-methods and quasi-experimental study designs to understand social drivers of differences in adolescent and young adult behavioral health outcomes. She works with large health care administrative datasets including national and state Medicaid data to understand behavioral health outcomes of vulnerable youth.
Lab Staff
Colleen McLaughlin, PhD, MPH
Research Scientist
Colleen.McLaughlin@NationwideChildrens.org
Colleen C. McLaughlin, PhD, MPH, is a Research Scientist in the Chavez Lab at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the School of Public Health at SUNY Albany and her MPH from Emory University. She previously worked as an applied epidemiologist at the New York State Department of Health and as the founding chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Danielle Tyson, MSPH
Graduate Research Assistant
Danielle.Tyson@NationwideChildrens.org
Danielle is an MD/PhD student at the Ohio State University, and is pursing her PhD in Epidemiology. She earned her BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2016 and her MS in Public Health from the Ohio State University in 2023. Danielle's primary research interest is in social epidemiology, with a focus on maternal and child health, mental health, and infant feeding. In the future, she hopes to use the skills she learns through her PhD training to study the societal factors that influence the health of the patients she sees in the clinic. Her goal is to identify targets for treatment and inform policies that can reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes.
Juliana Odu
Clinical Research Coordinator II
Juliana.Odu@NationwideChildrens.org
Juliana joined the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research in June 2023 as a Clinical Research Coordinator II in the Chavez Lab. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology and obtained a Master of Public Health degree, both at the University of Toledo. Her interest lies within identifying and addressing the health disparities that exist among various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. In the past, she has worked on targeted public health program design and implementation and enjoys designing creative ways for individuals to prioritize their health through movement, exercise, and diet. Juliana is interested in the role that policy plays in population and individual health. In the future, she intends to pursue further education in the areas of clinical research, medicine, and policy.
Jesse Hawke
Biostatistician II
Jesse.Hawke@NationwideChildrens.org
Jesse joined the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research in January 2024. He earned his PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Statistical Genetics from the University of Colorado – Boulder. He previously worked as a statistician at the Colorado Department of Health & Environment and as a senior data analyst at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Jesse is interested in quality improvement methodologies and analytics and healthcare outcome inequalities among vulnerable pediatric populations and ways to reduce/eliminate them.
Leslie Jones
Clinical Research Coordinator
Leslie.Jones@NationwideChildrens.org
Leslie Jones is a passionate clinical research coordinator I in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research. Leslie graduated from The Ohio State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a specialty in sociology. Over the past five years, she has worked on various projects addressing the social determinants of health and outcomes in different vulnerable populations. Leslie’s ability to connect with others has allowed her to gain experience in recruitment and data collection. She is particularly interested in the role housing has on maternal and child health outcomes, the effect of childhood trauma and mental health, and interventions for children with incarcerated parents and homeless youth.