Health Geography; Spatial Demography; Health Access and Health Disparities
I am a broadly trained health geographer who uses cutting-edge spatial analysis methods to advance our knowledge of health and cancer disparities. I employ GIScience methods and big data tools to answer substantive research questions about disparities and whether dynamics of place (location and time) increases the prevalence of disease in specific sub-populations. GIScience methods—spatial analysis, geocomputation, and geovisulization—are needed to communicate this knowledge to health researchers, practitioners, and broader communities.
I began working on the Terra Populus project with the MPC in April 2014 after graduating from the University of Iowa. Currently, I focus on researching, developing, and supporting spatial analysis tools for the Terra Populus Project.
My research has focused on understanding small areas and investigating the spatial relationships of these populations, health disparities, and resources. In particular, I have worked on developing algorithms that determine the temporal change of cancer rates, while controlling for a minimum population. In addition, I have developed methods that improved enrollment projections for school districts in the state of Iowa using a spatially adaptive filter. I plan to continue working in the research domain of small area analysis, developing geographic tools that improve estimation techniques.