University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences

We're proud of our community partnership with Catholic Charities of Louisville and Common Earth Gardens, and we can't wait until opening day of the Gray Street Farmers Market season on Thursday, June 5!

Our program was nominated for a community engagement award with one of our very favorite partners and long-time food justice advocates, the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. We are happy to continue this work with the university in managing the Gray Street Farmers Market!



Catholic Charities of Louisville

Irina Kondaurova, doctoral candidate in the Dept. of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, co-authored, “Adaptive User Interface With Parallel Neural Networks for Robot Teleoperation,” which was published in IEEE Xplore Robotics and Automation Letters. The research team led by Ardakani Sharafian reported the statistical analysis of the user trial data showed that Parallel Neural Networks Adaptive User Interface improved the human experience in robot teleoperation by maximizing smoothness while maintaining the completion time of the offline learning scheme. Co-authors from the Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute and UofL Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering included: Mohamed Hanafy, Ali Ashary, Madan Rayguru, and Dan Popa.

Adaptive User Interface With Parallel Neural Networks for Robot Teleoperation | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore In recent years, human-robot interaction (HRI) has become an increasingly important field of research. The human experience during HRI tasks like teleoperation

Dean Katie Cardarelli is having a great first day at the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA. She visited Capitol Hill and met with several of our amazing SPHIS & Louisville Alumni!

Michael Daniels, MS, Biostatistician III, presented his poster, “Clinical Distribution and Impact of Biomarker Triads Consisting of either Quantified HER2 or EGF Receptor with ER and PR Proteins and Expression of Their Cognate Genes,” at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Co-authors included Ari B. Kahn, Kelsey M. Beavers, William Matsui, and James L. Wittliff, and James P. Carson.

Daniels also contributed to the article, “Use of Gastric Electrical Stimulation May Predict Hospital Length of Stay in Patients with Gastroparesis Syndromes,” which was recently published in Foregut https://bit.ly/4hO7dz5

Who said Leprechauns aren't real? They've left gold coins all over the SPHIS building! Keep your eyes peeled and remember: finders keepers!

Students - trade a coin for some awesome loot in the Office of Student Services. One coin per student.

May the luck of the Irish be with you! 🎁🍀✨💰 🌈

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the sudden passing of our esteemed colleague and beloved faculty member, Dr. Riten Mitra. Riten was not only a dedicated educator and researcher but also a compassionate mentor and friend to many. His contributions to the field of biostatistics and to the university were invaluable, and his legacy will continue to inspire us.

In honor of Riten's memory, SPHIS will be organizing a memorial service, details of which will be shared soon.

Please join us in extending our deepest condolences to Dr. Mitra's family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable life.

Visitation for Dr. Riten Mitra is scheduled for tomorrow Friday, March 14, 2025, from 9:30 am until 11:00 am at Fern Creek Funeral Home, 5406 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40291.

Director of Development Angela Champion-Sprowl introduces newest member of the SPHIS philanthropy team, Christy Dickerson, assistant director of development. Learn more about Christy: https://bit.ly/3HiM14P

Senior Romith Paily competed against students from across the country at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference in November. Paily won first place for his research, "Disposable E-Cigarettes Evoke Arrhythmias Dependent on Flavors", in the Health Sciences category. Congrats!

Assistant Professor Shaminul Shakib's, PhD, MPH, presentation, “COVID-19- related Mortality: Association with Social Determinants of Health and Comorbidities among Hospitalized Medicaid Beneficiaries in Kentucky: 2020-2021," was selected as the "Best Oral Presentation" during the Big Data Analytics and Emerging Methodologies Breakout Session at the 2025 National Big Data Health Science Conference in Colombia, South Carolina. Congratulations!

Making meaningful connections, discussing concerns and enjoying a sweet treat – that's what "Donuts with Dean" is all about!

We hope you all take some time to recharge over spring break and come back reenergized and ready to finish the semester strong. Go Cards!

Junior Ayodeji Agbola was selected to serve as an Admissions Pathway Ambassador in the University of Louisville Office of Admissions. Agbola will assist in highlighting the rich composition in the University of Louisville student body.

Melody Ucho, doctoral student in the Dept. of Health Management and Systems Sciences, received third place honors for her poster, “Unmet Health Needs of Menopausal Women and the Economic Cost on the United States: A Literature Review,” at the Kentucky IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence KY INBRE research conference. Congratulations!

Professor Bert Little's, PhD, FAAAS, FRAI, FRSM, FRSPH, presentation, "Geographic Variation and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Kentucky Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries: Increased Prevalence T2DM and Co-Morbidities (AMI, Retinopathy) But Decreased Renal Failure Rates from 2010 to 2018," was selected as the "Best Oral Presentation" in the Big Data for Public and Community Health Breakout Session at the 2025 National Big Data Health Science Conference in Colombia, South Carolina. Congratulations!

SPHIS and Louisville Alumni Tiffany Robinson, MPH, PMP, has a new children’s book in the Zoe series, Zoe’s Big Flight. This fiction book includes the true journeys and biographies of three real-life pilots and has resources for kids of any age who might have even a slight interest or curiosity in aviation. Driven by a passion for fostering loving families, supportive friendships, and kindness, Robinson's books celebrate diversity with a particular focus on Black children. Learn more:

Zoe's Big Flight School’s almost out! Zoe’s excited about the adventures summer break brings, including her first flight on a vacation to New Orleans. There’s just one catch. She’s afraid of flying. Determined to conquer her fear, Zoe is in for a big surprise the moment she walks onto the plane. An even bigg...

Graduate students ➡️ Join the Graduate Student Council in celebrating National Nutrition Month on Thursday, March 6, from 3-5 p.m. Free food courtesy of Green District Salads in the SPHIS Breakroom on the Lower Level.

Dept. of Epidemiology and Population Health Associate Professor Anne Wallis’, MHS, PhD, editorial, “What does a Trump presidency mean for maternal and infant health in Africa?” was published in the African Journal of Reproductive Health. Dr. Wallis explains that under former President Biden, the U.S. reinvested and strengthened global health programs. In contrast, "The coming four years will mean far less financial and diplomatic support for health, humanitarian, and development programs and plenty of room for China, Russia, and extremist groups to destabilize the region."

What does a Trump presidency mean for maternal and infant health in Africa? | Wallis | African Journal of Reproductive Health What does a Trump presidency mean for maternal and infant health in Africa?

Senior and SPHIS Student Ambassador Sarah Belcher shares how an SPHIS information session helped her discover the field of public health. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ELQ7D4