Therapeutic Plants Painted by Minna Fernald- A Discovery
Faculty Information
Name:
Dr. Alice Rhoton-Vlasak
Email
rhotona@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 273-7580
Faculty Department/Division
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This project is primarily:
Literature Review
Research Project Description:
Minna Fernald was a watercolor painter who moved to Florida later in life. She painted over 300 beautiful Florida plants – mostly native. Some are now extinct. The goal of this project is to explore the painting collection at UF, find out which may have therapeutic uses. and attempt to execute an article about therapeutic horticulture and try to work to get a book published about this collection.
It will involve going through the collection, researching the plants, discovering what we can about her life and completing the project.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
Potentially
If your project has an international component please give details (where, when, data collection involved, etc.):
There may be a need to travel to Massachusetts or Maine once to discover more about the artist but this could also be done by phone or email.
NO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL NEEDED though
AI-Driven Endometriosis Prediction Model
Name:
Dr. Nash Moawad
Email
nmoawad@ufl.edu
Phone
(419) 340-3845
Faculty Department/Division
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This project is primarily:
Case Review
Research Project Description:
Our group has developed an AI-driven Endometriosis Prediction Model out of a large database of 800 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for pelvic pain and endometriosis. Our next phase of the project involves external and internal validation studies of the prediction model with the goal of using the model for the non-invasive prediction of endometriosis in primary care and general Gyn clinics.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Characterizing the Endometriosis Microbiome and Metabolomic Pain Phenotype
Name:
Dr. Amira Quevedo
Email
amiraquevedo@ufl.edu
Phone
(305) 709-8764
Faculty Department/Division
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Endometriosis affects 200 million individuals globally and is responsible for 87% of chronic pelvic pain.
Substantial risks of non-treatment include chronic pain, kidney failure, and bowel obstruction. Disappointingly, more than one-third of individuals fail medical treatments, and fertility-sparing surgical management results in persistent pain in over 37% of cases, with long-term recurrence rates close to 50%.
Our proposal aims to stratify individuals with endometriosis into groups that may benefit from different treatment modalities by identifying differences in microbial and NAD+ metabolomic patterns that associate with differing pain characteristics, quality of life, psychological symptoms, and postoperative outcomes. This will be completed via two specific aims: 1) To determine the bacterial composition in stool, ovarian, and endometrial tissue that associates with differing endometriosis chronic pain phenotypes 2) To identify the dominant NAD+ biosynthetic pathway and alterations in NAD+ metabolites associated with chronic pain phenotypes in endometriosis and endometrial tissue. Student will work with the clinical team to consent and store samples in the lab during the summer project. This is a 2 year project with pilot data likely available in the 1st year of the proposal.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Structural Barriers and Toxic Stress: A Pre–Post Evaluation of Prenatal Care Access Among Underserved Women in Northeast Florida
Name:
Dr. LaRae Brown
Email
larae.brown@jax.ufl.edu
Phone
(904) 710-8922
Faculty Department/Division
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
Project Summary:
Timely initiation of prenatal care is strongly associated with improved maternal and neonatal outcomes, yet underserved women continue to experience delays in accessing obstetric services. In Northeast Florida, patients served through the Magnolia Project (a comprehensive social service hub)—operating in collaboration with the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition—often face structural barriers including fragmented referral pathways, transportation instability, insurance gaps, and competing social stressors. In addition to system-level barriers, psychosocial and toxic stress may independently influence healthcare engagement. However, the interplay between referral system design and cumulative stress burden has not been well characterized in community-based obstetric populations.
This project will evaluate both structural and psychosocial contributors to delayed prenatal care using a pre–post comparative design. We will assess outcomes before and after implementation of a structured referral coordination process between the Magnolia Project and local obstetric providers. The intervention includes standardized referral protocols, enhanced care navigation, direct scheduling, and closed-loop referral tracking.
Hypotheses:
1. Implementation of a structured referral coordination pathway will significantly reduce time to prenatal care initiation and first-trimester no-show rates.
2. Higher cumulative psychosocial stress will be independently associated with delayed initiation of prenatal care (>14 weeks gestation), even after system-level improvements.
Methods:
The medical student will conduct a retrospective chart review of patients seen 12 months before and after implementation of the structured referral pathway within the zip codes that the Magnolia Clinic serves. Extracted variables will include referral source, insurance status, gestational age at first prenatal visit, time from referral to appointment, and missed visit rates.
In addition, a subset of current patients will complete brief validated psychosocial stress and social determinants screening tools (e.g., short-form Perceived Stress Scale and structured social needs assessment).
Data analysis will include descriptive statistics, pre–post comparisons (t-tests and chi-square), and multivariable regression to assess predictors of delayed prenatal care. IRB determination will be obtained (anticipated expedited review or quality improvement designation).
Role of the Medical Student:
The student will participate in study design refinement, IRB submission, data abstraction, survey administration, statistical analysis, and interpretation of findings. The student will prepare an abstract for presentation at Research Day and assist with manuscript development for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The project provides hands-on experience in health services research, maternal health equity, and application of the Life Course framework to obstetric care.
Funding:
The student will receive stipend support through the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville Medical Student Research Program (MSRP). Faculty mentorship support is provided through the MSRP faculty stipend.
Relevant Publications and Framework:
This project is grounded in the Life Course model of reproductive health and builds upon emerging literature linking toxic stress, social determinants of health, and maternal morbidity. Findings may contribute to future scholarly work focused on social determinants of health, stress biology, and prenatal care engagement in underserved populations.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Defining Core Curricular Content for Vulvovaginal Disease Education in OB-GYN Residency: A National Delphi Study of Program Directors
Name:
Sarah Baxley
Email
sarah.baxley@ufl.edu
Phone
(713) 205-2285
Faculty Department/Division
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This project is primarily:
CQI
Research Project Description:
Inflammatory vulvovaginal diseases are common, morbid, and frequently underdiagnosed. Prior national needs assessments demonstrate that OB-GYN trainees and educators perceive gaps in training, yet no consensus exists regarding what specific topics should be included in a required residency curriculum. The Delphi method is an established consensus-building approach suited to defining curricular content when evidence is limited and expert opinion must be systematically aggregated.
The objective of this study is to achieve national consensus among U.S. OB-GYN residency program directors on the core topics and competencies that should be included in a standardized inflammatory vulvar dermatosis curriculum for OB-GYN residents.
A student working on this project will help formulate the survey, distribute the survey electronically to Residency Program Directors throughout the country, and analyze the data to generate a consensus on core curricular content for vulvar derm education within Ob/Gyn residency.
No funding is needed for this project.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No