Dr. Crews’ team focuses on health disparities in chronic kidney disease. We have studied how social determinants of health, such as poverty and healthful food access, affect disparities in kidney disease outcomes. Our research on end-stage renal disease includes studies of the best timing and environment to initiate dialysis among vulnerable populations.

Research in the Erica Johnson Lab investigates infection control in military deployment environments as well as infections that are associated with combat trauma. We explore topics such as HIV outcomes, gender-based health issues and disparities in care.

Research in the Wendy Bennett Lab focuses on weight management and women's health. We also examine health disparities in low-income children and pregnant and postpartum women.

The Lisa Cooper Lab is dedicated to researching patient-centered interventions for improving health outcomes and overcoming racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Our primary focus is on the factors of physician communication skills and cultural competence training, patient shared decision-making and self-management skills training. Recently, we have explored patient-centered depression care for African Americans, tactics for improving patient-physician communication about management of hypertension, and reducing ethnic and social disparities in health. In addition, we are currently researching racial disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes for patients living in Baltimore.

Work in the Kristin Riekert Lab focuses on methods for improving health care quality and delivery, particularly among underserved and disadvantaged populations. Our research covers a range of important topics, including health beliefs, treatment adherence, doctor-patient communication, self-management interventions, mobile health initiatives, health disparities and patient-reported outcome methodology. We also work with the National Institutes of Health on multiple intervention trials focused on improving adherence and health outcomes in asthma, chronic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis (CF), sickle cell disease and secondhand smoke reduction.

Research in the Kimberly Skarupski Lab focuses on depression, geriatric medicine, psychiatry and the behavioral sciences. Recent studies have investigated various aspects of cognitive decline in biracial older adult and urban older adult community-based populations. Additional studies have investigated depression symptoms, disability and worship practices in older adults, with particular attention to racial disparities in these areas.

Work in the Kelly Gebo Lab focuses on topics such as evidence-based practice, health utilization, policy generation, health disparities in patient access to health care, HIV/AIDS, aging and hepatitis. As part of the HIV Research Network (HIVRN), our lab gathers clinical and demographic data on HIV-infected patients to help develop a single, nationwide research database. In addition, our ongoing research explores evidence-based practice in relation to the management of hepatitis C as well as HIV/AIDS in mentally ill patients. We also investigate racial and gender disparities in patients who receive highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Directed by Debraj “Raj” Mukherjee, MD, MPH, the laboratory focuses on improving access to care, reducing disparities, maximizing surgical outcomes, and optimizing quality of life for patients with brain and skull base tumors.

The laboratory achieves these aims by creating and analyzing institutional and national databases, developing and validating novel patient-centered quality of life instruments, leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence platforms to risk-stratify vulnerable patient populations, and designing novel surgical trials to push the boundaries of neurosurgical innovation.

Our research also investigates novel approaches to improve neurosurgical medical education including studying the utility of video-based surgical coaching and the design of new operative instrumentation.

The Michelle Eakin Lab conducts research on behavioral science and adherence and asthma outcomes in inner-city children. Our studies into behavioral science have included exploring the impact of medication adherence on lung health outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis, disparities in anti-hypertensive medication adherence in adolescents and other key topics. We also investigate methods for improving asthma care and treatment as well as health disparities among various ethnicities, particularly in pediatric patients.

The Boss Lab's research focus is on patient experience, health disparities, and surgical outcomes and utilization. Studies include shared decision-making, communication, and patient/parent-reported outcomes for elective surgery in children; patient satisfaction metrics, outcomes, and health correlates in surgery and pediatrics; patient and family-centered care and communication in surgery and pediatrics; racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in pediatric surgical care utilization and outcomes; and quality and safety in pediatric surgical care