MSS News and Announcements

We are thrilled to welcome Damien Lekkas, PhD, who joins the faculty of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) as a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Intervention Science.

Darius Tandon, PhD, Chief of the Division of Intervention Science at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences, has been awarded a highly competitive award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to support an innovative study leveraging home visiting programs to address gestational diabetes.

An international team of scientists has revealed new clues about the neural mechanisms behind memory formation and recognition in the developing human brain, according to a study published in Science Advances.

The use of patient-reported outcomes during cancer treatment improved overall patient care, according to a trial published in Nature Medicine.

David Cella, PhD, and team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) received a grant from the Scleroderma Research Foundation titled “COAST-CONQUEST: Cognitive Debriefing of CONQUEST Clinical Trial Endpoint Measures.”

A first-of-its kind review conducted by Northwestern Medicine investigators has found that single-session interventions can significantly improve mental health outcomes in both youth and adults, according to recent findings.

The use of decision-making aids helped atrial fibrillation patients to be more informed about their care, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

Katie Watson, JD, professor of Medical Education, Medical Social Sciences in the Division of Determinants of Health, and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named a 2024 Hastings Center Fellow.

In January, Rinad Beidas, PhD and team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Henry Ford Health, and Kaiser Permanente Colorado received an R01 grant (R01MH138333) from the National Institute of Mental Health titled, “Scaling out S.A.F.E. Firearm across Two Health Systems as a Universal Suicide Prevention Strategy (SCALE ASPIRE).” Patrick Janulis, PhD, associate professor of Medical Social Sciences, serves as a co-investigator, and external co-investigators include Brian Ahmedani, PhD of Henry Ford Health in Michigan, Jennifer Boggs, PhD, MSW and Arne Beck, PhD of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.

Young’s project, funded through the prestigious K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, seeks to integrate genetic testing for ALDH2 into healthcare practices while prioritizing community engagement and cultural inclusivity.

For the first time in humans, breathing rhythms during sleep have been linked to hippocampal brain waves that strengthen memory consolidation, according to a recent Northwestern study.

We are thrilled to welcome Maja Kuharic, MPharm, Msc, PhD who joins our faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Outcomes and Measurement Science.

Andrea Graham, PhD, Honored with Prestigious ABCT SIG Award.

Celebrating Excellence: Jessica Schleider, PhD, Receives the ABCT Dissemination and Implementation Science Early Career Award

Teens living in states requiring parental consent for mental health treatment may be less likely to access care, according to a Northwestern Medicine-led study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Translating medical research findings from the research laboratory into patient care, otherwise known as from “bench to bedside,” is far more complex than it sounds, but is imperative to improve human health.

Acceptance and commitment therapy significantly decreased fatigue interference and improved quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer six months after treatment, according to recent findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Welcome to Erica Szkody, PhD, who joins the faculty of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) as a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Intervention Science.

More than 7 percent of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s $742.2 million dollars in research funding was generated by the Department of Medical Social Sciences, second only to the Department of Medicine.

Congratulations to Marquita Lewis, PhD on Her R01 Research Grant!

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has established the Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS), which aims to foster connection and bridge data science, social science and population health.

Ten Feinberg faculty members were named to the 2024 “Highly Cited Researchers” list, published by Clarivate Analytics.

A recent paper published in the journal American Psychologist makes the case that resilience is socially determined and examines how different government policies can influence families’ ability to thrive, bringing together theory and empirical work from psychology and policy research.

Welcome to Berivan Ece, PhD, Research Assistant Professor

We are delighted to welcome Y. Catherine Han, PhD

We are thrilled to welcome Adovich S. Rivera, MD, PhD

We are excited to welcome Meredith Boyd, PhD, who joins us as a Research Assistant Professor.

Faculty, staff, trainees and students came together to share educational research and best teaching practices during Feinberg’s 14th annual Medical Education Day on October 15.

We are delighted to announce Andrea Graham, PhD, has been appointed as Chief of the Division of Implementation Science in the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM).

We are thrilled to announce Darius Tandon, PhD has been appointed as Chief of the Division of Intervention Science in the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.