Jillian Strayhorn

Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Professional overview

Jillian C. Strayhorn, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at GPH and Associate Director of its Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization (cadio). She is a quantitative methodologist and decision scientist whose research focuses on the complex multi-criteria decision-making that goes into optimizing multicomponent interventions to achieve public health impact. 

Dr. Strayhorn is an expert on the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST), a framework for optimizing behavioral, biobehavioral, and social-structural interventions. Her work in intervention optimization is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together ideas and methods from Bayesian statistics, health economics and multi-criteria decision analysis. The driving mission of this work is to enable more successful identification and advancement of high-value interventions capable of accomplishing complex objectives, including objectives that involve multiple outcomes, efficiency of resource use, or health equity. Dr. Strayhorn collaborates on applications of MOST across various areas of public health, including cancer risk reduction, smoking cessation, HIV, substance misuse, and mental health, among others. 

Dr. Strayhorn earned her BA in Psychology, summa cum laude with distinction in all subjects, at Cornell University, and her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at Pennsylvania State University, where she was the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA predoctoral award (F31) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse . Her latest work has been published in Psychological Methods, Health Psychology, and Translational Behavioral Medicine. 

Education

BA, Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

MS, Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

PhD, Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Honors and awards

Alumni Association Dissertation Award, Pennsylvania State University (2022)

Student Optimization of Behavioral and Biobehavioral Interventions Research Award, Society of Behavioral Medicine (2021)

Merrill Presidential Scholar Award, Cornell University (2014)

Phi Beta Kappa Junior Inductee, Cornell University (2013)

Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Award, Cornell University (2013)

Publications

Publications

Lead exposure and the 2010 achievement test scores of children in New York counties

Strayhorn, J., Strayhorn, J. C., & Strayhorn, J. M. (n.d.).

Publication year

2012

Journal title

Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health

Volume

6

Issue

1

Page(s)

4

Abstract

Abstract

Lead is toxic to cognitive and behavioral functioning in children even at levels well below those producing physical symptoms. Continuing efforts in the U.S. since about the 1970s to reduce lead exposure in children have dramatically reduced the incidence of elevated blood lead levels (with elevated levels defined by the current U.S. Centers for Disease Control threshold of 10 μg/dl). The current study examines how much lead toxicity continues to impair the academic achievement of children of New York State, using 2010 test data.

Martial arts research: prudent skepticism

Strayhorn, J., Strayhorn, J. M., & Strayhorn, J. C. (n.d.).

Publication year

2011

Journal title

Science (New York, N.Y.)

Volume

334

Issue

6054

Page(s)

310; author reply 311

Abstract

Abstract

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Martial arts as a mental health intervention for children? Evidence from the ECLS-K

Strayhorn, J., Strayhorn, J. M., & Strayhorn, J. C. (n.d.).

Publication year

2009

Journal title

Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health

Volume

3

Issue

1

Page(s)

32

Abstract

Abstract

Martial arts studios for children market their services as providing mental health outcomes such as self-esteem, self-confidence, concentration, and self-discipline. It appears that many parents enroll their children in martial arts in hopes of obtaining such outcomes. The current study used the data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten class of 1998-1999, to assess the effects of martial arts upon such outcomes as rated by classroom teachers.

Religiosity and teen birth rate in the United States

Strayhorn, J., Strayhorn, J. M., & Strayhorn, J. C. (n.d.).

Publication year

2009

Journal title

Reproductive health

Volume

6

Page(s)

14

Abstract

Abstract

The children of teen mothers have been reported to have higher rates of several unfavorable mental health outcomes. Past research suggests several possible mechanisms for an association between religiosity and teen birth rate in communities.

Applying a decision-priority perspective in optimizing adaptive interventions.

Strayhorn, J. (n.d.).

Abstract

Abstract

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Intervention optimization as an opportunity to move toward implementability and equitability.

Strayhorn, J., & Collins, L. (n.d.).

Abstract

Abstract

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New advances in optimizing interventions for equitability.

Strayhorn, J. (n.d.).

Abstract

Abstract

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