I am a PhD trained epidemiologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the West Virginia University. My research focuses on the assessment of risk factors and outcomes of life-threatening infections associated with substance use disorder. As a Principal Investigator (PI) on NIH-funded West Virginia Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Pilot Grant, I worked with other collaborators to develop a statewide database of patients with infective endocarditis associated with injection drug use. Over the past few years, I have built a strong multidisciplinary research team consisting of clinicians, physician scientists, and public health researchers at WVU and at other academic institutions. I am also Co-PI on an ambitious statewide survey designed to collect extensive health data with the goal of directing health resources to WV communities most in need. In addition, I have conducted epidemiologic research studies and systematic review with meta-analysis on the health effects of metabolic risk factors on cancer, using data from large, nationally representative studies with longitudinal cohort and cross-sectional study designs. Complete list of published work in MyBibliography: URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1LIni-4s3O9kkh/bibliography/public/