Dr. Stacey Griner
Assistant Professor, Department of Population & Community Health
Education & Experience:
I received a PhD in Public Health and a graduate certificate in Women and Gender Studies from the University of South Florida. At the University of Florida, I received an MPH with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and at St. Petersburg College I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene Education. Prior to entering academia, I was in clinical dental hygiene practice for more than 10 years.
Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
In my role as Director of the Public Health Leadership and the Maternal and Child Health MPH programs, I mentor and advise students to become public health experts by meeting their academic and career goals. I teach courses in the MPH Maternal and Child Health program, including Introduction to Maternal and Child Health and Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health. I also teach one of the MPH core courses: Theoretical Foundations of Individual and Community Health. I have also developed curriculum and activities designed to improve the cultural competence of students in maternal and child health. Through my past experiences teaching courses in health behavior, sexual and reproductive health, women’s health, and community health, I have developed a strong dedication to teaching in both in-class and through online settings. My teaching draws from the social determinants of health and the ecological perspective to encourage students to examine health inequities and their ultimate causes from multiple levels. In my courses, I facilitate critical thinking by engaging students in group discussions and practical application, particularly related to health policy and advocacy.
I recognize mentorship and the development of interpersonal relationships as a critical component of my academic career. I have mentored students in their training to become clinicians, researchers, and public health experts by focusing on professional development and their academic and research goals. My mentoring approach focuses on leading with transparency, intentionality, respect, equity, and empathy. In my collaborations with students, my primary goal is to encourage personal and professional growth, well-being, and success, and I actively strive to promote each student’s individual potential in alignment with their values.
Professional Activities & Awards:
I received the 2022 American Sexually Transmitted Disease Association (ASTDA) Young Investigator Award. I’m a member of the American Public Health Association and serve as a Governing Councilor for the Sexual and Reproductive Health Section. I’m also a member of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, the American College Health Association, the National Coalition for STD Directors, the American Academy of Health Behavior, AcademyHealth, and the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health. I’m on the Editorial Board for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and an ad hoc reviewer for Women’s Health Issues, the American Journal of Sexuality Education, Journal of American College Health, Family and Community Health, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, American Journal of Health Behavior, Journal of Cancer Education, and the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. In the local community, I serve as Treasurer for the Tarrant County Health Equity Alliance.
Scholarly Interests:
I’m a dissemination and implementation scientist and my research has used these approaches to translate evidence-based sexual health guidelines and policies into clinical care. I utilize theory-based, mixed methods approaches and implementation science frameworks to identify and intervene on the multilevel contextual factors that influence dissemination of these guidelines, particularly sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening guidelines, to clinicians and community partners.
My sexual and reproductive health research addresses STI screening and prevention. Recent projects have included an assessment of the implementation of evidence-based chlamydia screening guidelines and syphilis screening policies into clinical care by prenatal providers in Texas. In this line of research, other projects focus on the acceptability and dissemination of chlamydia and gonorrhea vaccines and developing interventions to improve access to STI screening using innovative methods such as consumer-based screening, self-sampling methods, and direct-to-consumer methods. My work also addresses a variety of other sexual health behaviors impacting sexual and gender minority communities, adolescents, and young adults, including condom use, contraception use, HPV vaccination, sexual consent, and sexual violence.
In partnership with the Center for Health Policy, I work with an interdisciplinary team to integrate the National HIV Curriculum into health professions programs, with a goal of creating a pipeline of future health care providers equipped to provide care to people living with HIV in the South. I am the program director of the HSC South Central AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC), where we focus on training healthcare providers in HIV prevention and treatment to improve quality of care.
I also utilize my clinical experience in dental hygiene to explore the relationship between HPV and oral cancers and the oral manifestations of other STIs. My primary line of oral health research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of HPV-related cancer prevention guidelines and provision of the HPV vaccination in the dental settings. My recent work focuses on increasing HPV vaccination rates through interprofessional partnerships with dental hygienists and includes community-based events to improve access to oral healthcare and reduce HPV vaccine disparities.
Overall, the long-term goal of my research is to improve evidence-based guideline implementation and translate research findings into innovative interventions to modify the practice behaviors of healthcare providers and improve the health of communities.
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