Major current and recent projects, with our partner institutions and funders.
2024–present
This project is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and INCAP to scale up diabetes and hypertension treatment in public health facilities around the country.
2024–present
This project builds on Wuqu' Kawoq's long standing Mobile Health Program, but now focusing on specific quality improvement initiatives, including enhanced real-time smartphone decision support, to detect neonatal complications and prevent neonatal deaths.
2023-2027
In low-resource settings, high rates of perinatal mortality are due in part to challenges accessing affordable technologies to screen and monitor high-risk maternal-fetal conditions, such as fetal growth restriction (FGR) and preeclampsia. To address these issues, we are using artificial intelligence to develop techniques for predicting FGR and preeclampsia from low-cost hand-held maternal and fetal Doppler recordings.
2023-2027
We are studying the role of aflatoxin exposure on child growth, and whether the effect of aflatoxin is mediated by the gut microbiome and inflammation. We evaluate aflatoxin exposure and examine markers of inflammation, gut microbiome composition and function, and microbial nutrient extraction and aflatoxin microbial biotransformation.
2022-2028
Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) has taken a terrible toll on young working families living in rural areas of Central America. This project identifies risk factors for CKDu and decline in kidney function in four Central American countries: Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The work is conducted through the SALTRA (Central American Program for Health, Work and Environment) network, connecting locally-based universities, NGOs, governmental organizations, public health authorities and local healthcare workers.
2021-2026
The objectives of this project are to develop and determine the effectiveness of an mHealth smartphone technology which can be used to engage primary caregivers directly in the active monitoring of their infants’ development, and to provide tailored feedback and support for the provision of nurturing care and positive infant developmental outcomes.
2025–present
Pilot study for the Longitudinal Study of Aging in Guatemala (ELEGUA), a planned nationally representative, population-based aging cohort modeled on the Health and Retirement Study and Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol.
2024–present
Randomized trial testing whether food supplementation plus nutrition and lifestyle counseling for pregnant women can improve both maternal weight and infant growth in Maya communities in Guatemala, where child undernutrition and adult obesity commonly occur side by side.
2023-2025
This interdisciplinary project drew together scholars of, and community organizations in, Canada, Brazil, and Guatemala. It explored the pandemic lived experiences of ‘small’ and ‘local’ health and service organizations and activists.
2023-2025
The Promoting Safe and Healthy Workplaces in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador (PREP for Change) project worked to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) conditions for workers in the sugar and garment (maquila) sectors. It focused on workplace illnesses and injuries, chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnt), and COVID-19.
2022-2025
The objective of this project is to understand social networks in indigenous communities as a way to address vaccine concerns and increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
2021-2026
The aim of this study is to conduct a hybrid effectiveness/implementation assessment of the International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) in two LMIC settings, India and Guatemala, within established rural CHW programs. The primary objectives are (a) to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of the GMCD; (b) to use an implementation science framework to understand barriers and facilitators to effective population coverage, provider implementation, and maintenance; (c) to conduct an economic evaluation of the GMCD.
2020-2023
Investigating the impact of daily egg consumption during the period of complementary feeding, in addition to the standard nutritional care provided by Wuqu'Kawoq, compared to the local standard of nutritional care alone on childhood development.
2019-2022
Evaluating new technology to detect early developmental delay in infants at risk.
2019-2021
Investigating integration of home gardening into nutrition interventions to improve growth and diet quality for stunted children.
2018-2021
Using an implementation science framework to evaluate the impact of a home-based self management intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes in two health districts in central Guatemala.
2018-2021
Representative, population-based study surveying prevalence and risk factors for traditional and nontraditional chronic kidney disease in adults in rural Guatemala.
2017-2020
Using a quality improvement framework and care navigation to improve patient satisfaction and emergency obstetrical referral outcomes.
2015-2019
Using smartphones and decision support mHealth applications to support identification and referral of high-risk pregnancies by lay midwives.
2015-2017
Investigating optimal strategies for empowering caregivers and improving nurturing care for infants at risk.