Anna Volerman

Coaching is an innovative approach to career development in the biomedical sciences, distinct from mentorship and advising. Past research suggests coaching

Opioid overdoses have surged among United States (US) youth, who face high risk of morbidity and mortality. Opioid antagonists (OAs), like naloxone, are li

Background: For children with asthma, access to and use of quick-relief inhalers can be life-saving. Children must have access and ability to use inhalers across home, school, and community settings. This study aimed to examine how children store and use inhalers across settings and evaluated the relationship to asthma control and exacerbations. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited participants 10–17 years with asthma from clinics affiliated with one urban academic medical center. Children completed a questionnaire with questions about quick-relief inhaler storage and use within home, school, and community settings as well as asthma control and exacerbations. Responses were categorized by whether storage or use were independent or not independent. Kendall's Tau was calculated to assess correlation between children's independence of inhaler storage and use across settings. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests examined their association with asthma control and exacerbations. Results: Among 90 enrolled children, 53% ( N = 48) were male and 67% ( N = 60) were non-Hispanic Black. Mean age was 13.1 years (SD = 2.2). At home, 52% ( N = 47) of children reported independently storing quick-relief inhalers and 54% ( N = 48) independently used inhalers. At school, 60% ( N = 54) of children indicated they independently stored inhalers while 82% ( N = 74) independently used inhalers. In the community, 90% ( N = 81) of children reported independently storing inhalers. Within settings, there was moderate correlation between independent inhaler storage and use. Across settings, independent inhaler use was moderately correlated between home and school; however, independent storage of inhalers was not correlated. Also, inhaler storage and use was not associated with asthma control or exacerbations. Conclusions: This observational study is among the first to describe quick-relief inhaler storage and use by children across settings, showing variation in practices. Although we found storing and using quick-relief inhalers independently were correlated at home and school, they were not associated with asthma control or exacerbations. These findings help identify patterns related to asthma self-management and highlight opportunities for collaboration between clinicians, caregivers, and children to support developmentally-appropriate asthma care across settings.

Background: Schools are critical places to support children with asthma. Few school-based interventions focus on classmates without asthma, who can influence peers’ asthma self-management. Objective: To describe a one-session asthma curriculum for all Kindergarten-8th grade students and evaluate impact on knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Methods: In collaboration with three Chicago schools, we adapted and implemented a one-session asthma curriculum for K-8th grades. Students completed a post-session survey to assess asthma knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Pearson's Chi-squared tests analyzed differences between grades and student-reported asthma diagnosis. Results: In total, 603 students participated in a session, of which 485 completed the survey; 19% reported having asthma. Most students correctly answered knowledge questions on pathophysiology (82%), transmission (79%), symptoms (65%), triggers (65%), medication use (90%), and episode management (51%). More older students understood pathophysiology (85% vs. 72%, p = 0.002), medication use (93% vs. 83%, p = 0.002), and episode management (55% vs. 31%, p < 0.001), vs. younger students. Of all students, 83% indicated positive attitudes about asthma care and 49% about physical activity participation, with differences based on grade (asthma care: older 86% vs. younger 74%, p = 0.002) and diagnosis (physical activity participation: asthma 63% vs. no asthma 45%, p = 0.002). Most students indicated positive self-efficacy to help classmates with asthma episodes (74%), with more younger students doing so than older students (83% vs. 71%, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Students had high asthma knowledge and self-efficacy after a one-session all-student asthma curriculum; attitudes were mixed. School-based asthma education is feasible and has positive outcomes for all K–8th grade students.

Introduction and Objective: Physical activity (PA) is associated with improved asthma outcomes. Black girls face higher rates of asthma morbidity and are less likely to meet recommended PA than their White and Black male peers. To address these health disparities, it is essential to understand beliefs and behaviors related to PA among Black girls with asthma. Methods: For this qualitative study, Black girls with asthma and their mothers or female caregivers were recruited through flyers and direct outreach to patients at one academic medical center. Semi‐structured interviews focused on knowledge of PA recommendations, perceived risks and benefits of PA, barriers and facilitators to PA, and maternal influences on PA. Transcripts were coded iteratively through deductive thematic analysis. Findings: Twenty girls (age: mean = 9.9 years, SD = 1.33, range = 8–12) and their caregivers participated. Most viewed asthma as a limitation to PA and could not identify a beneficial relationship between PA and asthma. Nonetheless, girls were enthusiastic about PA and shared strategies for managing asthma symptoms while exercising. Facilitators included outdoor access and social support, while barriers included program costs and safety concerns. Many girls said they would be more active with their mother/caregiver. Conclusions: Despite personal and structural barriers to PA, Black girls with asthma view PA as important for physical and social wellbeing. Mothers/female caregivers play a major role in motivating and creating opportunities for PA. Our findings inform efforts to promote PA in a vulnerable yet understudied population, including expanding asthma management education and leveraging mother‐daughter relationships to facilitate engagement in PA.

Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face significant mental health challenges, yet their perspectives are often underrepresented in the design of preventive strategies. Co-design approaches, such as human-centered design (HCD), offer a promising way to tailor interventions and implementation strategies to adolescents’ needs and local context. In LMICs, these methods require careful adaptation to address resource constraints, limited design literacy, and cultural norms. This study documents how HCD was adapted to engage adolescents in northern Ghana as co-designers of school-based mental health preventive strategies. Guided by the first two phases of HCD, we conducted two workshops with 24 students from 12 public senior high schools in Tamale, Ghana. Workshop 1 (Inspiration) used structured, case-based discussions informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to explore adolescents’ perspectives on mental health. Workshop 2 (Ideation) used interactive choice-based activities to elicit youth-generated strategies. To align with cognitive and sociocultural factors, we incorporated scaffolded facilitation, hands-on activities, and peer-led engagement. Qualitative data from facilitator notes, artifacts, and audio-confirmed summaries were synthesized using structured rapid qualitative analysis. Adolescents identified key mental health concerns, including stigma, peer and family influences, and fears about confidentiality. Gender-specific discussions revealed culturally rooted concerns, such as peer pressure and substance use among boys and limited support-seeking among girls. Adolescents prioritized five school strategies: teacher training, curricular integration, mentorship programs, activities that promote positive thinking and mindfulness, and entertainment-based mental health education. Youth demonstrated a conceptual shift from viewing mental health as an individual problem to a shared responsibility across schools and communities. Formation of an Adolescent Advisory Board reflected youth interest in sustained leadership and co-design. Contextualized co-design methods can meaningfully engage adolescents in LMIC settings and support the development of culturally grounded, feasible, and youth-prioritized mental health strategies. Structured facilitation enhances both the inclusivity and authenticity of adolescent engagement. This study contributes to implementation science by presenting a replicable co-design framework with policy relevance and providing a foundation for multilevel intervention development in resource-constrained educational systems.

Not-yet-known not-yet-known not-yet-known unknown Introduction and Objective: Physical activity (PA) is associated with improved asthma outcomes. Black girls face higher rates of asthma morbidity and are less likely to meet recommended PA than their White and Black male peers. To address these health disparities, it is essential to understand beliefs and behaviors related to PA among Black girls with asthma. Methods: For this qualitative study, Black girls with asthma and their mothers or female caregivers were recruited through flyers and direct outreach to patients at one academic medical center. Semi-structured interviews focused on knowledge of PA recommendations, perceived risks and benefits of PA, barriers and facilitators to PA, and maternal influences on PA. Transcripts were coded iteratively through deductive thematic analysis. Findings: Twenty girls (age: mean=9.9 years, SD=1.33, range=8-12) and their caregivers participated. Most viewed asthma as a limitation to PA and could not identify a beneficial relationship between PA and asthma. Nonetheless, girls were enthusiastic about PA and shared strategies for managing asthma symptoms while exercising. Facilitators included outdoor access and social support, while barriers included program costs and safety concerns. Many girls said they would be more active with their mother/caregiver. Conclusions: Despite personal and structural barriers to PA, Black girls with asthma view PA as important for physical and social wellbeing. Mothers/female caregivers play a major role in motivating and creating opportunities for PA. Our findings inform efforts to promote PA in a vulnerable yet understudied population, including expanding asthma management education and leveraging mother-daughter relationships to facilitate engagement in PA.

Purpose: To understand how institutions can support faculty during crises in biomedical research, this study examined early career researchers (ECRs) experiences with institutional supports during the COVID-19 pandemic and their perspectives on how institutions can support professional recovery. Subjects and Methods: This national, cross-sectional study evaluated professional and personal-related institutional supports offered to ECRs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of these supports, and additional supports needed for professional recovery. An online survey was distributed electronically in fall 2021 to all individuals with F32 or K-level awards through the National Institutes of Health in 2020. Descriptive statistics, chi square tests, and thematic analysis summarized findings. Results: Among 4,440 ECRs contacted, 1,587 ECRs (35.7%) responded to the survey, and 1,527 (34.4%) met inclusion criteria. Most respondents reported their institutions offered programs or services during the COVID-19 pandemic (81.3%, n=1241), including professional support(s) (76.8%, n=1172) and personal support(s) (43.6%, n=666). The most impactful support was mentoring programs, with 49.9% (n=402/806) reporting that it had positive impact, followed by personal assistants (48.4%, n=60/123) and bridge funding (for research: 42.4%, n=156/358; for salary: 41.7%, n=115/276). For coaching programs, bridge funding for salary, and elder care services, respondents indicated significant differences in the impact between expanded or new supports versus continued existing supports. Regarding institutional supports needed to support professional recovery, responses fell into six themes: caregiving support, mental health support, financial support, work support, career development support, and employment support. Conclusion: This study provides novel insights into ECRs’ perspectives on the supports offered by institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic and additional areas of need for professional recovery. Institutions must invest in relevant, effective, and accessible supports for ECRs to help them persist in scientific careers, particularly during periods of disruption and uncertainty.