Evidence to Global Impact (E2GI) Lab

ABOUT US

The Evidence to Global Impact Lab (E2GI) is a student-run initiative under the supervision of Dr. Donna Shelley that focuses on various projects around tobacco-related population health disparities in NYC and in low-and middle-income countries. Lab members collaborate with domestic and international partners, and work to translate evidence into health promotion, public policy, health systems change, and community development. 

The lab is centered around implementation science, which is the study of methods and strategies that facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practices and research into regular use by clinical practitioners, public health professionals, policymakers, and more. Essentially, implementation science seeks to close the gap between what we know and what we do. Each project in the lab will begin with research and literature reviews to gain a better understanding of what we know. This allows lab members to curate an evidence-based plan for what to do to address the issue at hand. 

Working closely with NYU’s New York City Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) program, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control, lab members learn and hone critical public health skills as they work on projects that seek to have lasting positive impacts on communities and populations at large.

OUR TEAM

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donna Shelley

Assistant Director: Jackie Saltarelli

Research Coordinator: Reet Kapur

Staff Lead & Project Lead: Avani Bhatnagar Ansari

Lab Lead: Abby Briggs

Project Lead: Camilo Parra

GOALS FOR STUDENTS

• To learn about the role of implementation science in public health research and practice AND to apply implementation science principles to improve adoption of evidence into practice
• To develop skills for data collection, analysis, and project implementation in a wide range of global settings and at multiple levels
• To engage in efforts to disseminate findings that emerge from this work via, including but not limited to, writing reports and recommendations, developing presentations, and implementing social media marketing campaigns 

SKILLS

• Project management
• Data collection & analysis
• Survey development & distribution
• Project implementation
• Development of educational outreach materials
• Advocacy via video calls, phone, email, and social media
• Literature reviews
• Leadership
• Communication
• Social marketing 

OUR PROJECTS

US-Focused Projects

1. Smoking/Vaping Social Marketing Campaign Development and Implementation 

Students will work with faculty and New York City Treats Tobacco in developing and implementing a tobacco-use-related social marketing campaign targeted at NYU students. Students will first conduct formative research by analyzing existing literature and the implementation of past tobacco use campaigns and garnering insights from current NYU students. Grounding their work in health promotion theory and audience insights, students will develop campaign strategy options using the ‘4 P’s’ of social marketing (product, price, place, and promotion). Students will then implement and evaluate the chosen strategy. Note that while social marketing campaigns may include social media, social marketing leverages various channels beyond social media (e.g., physical space, experiential marketing). Throughout the process, students will engage relevant NYU stakeholders on campaign development and implementation. 

2. Advancing Tobacco Policy Implementation and Sustainability Through Advocacy

For the first half of the year, students will work with New York City Treats Tobacco to conduct outreach and education to New York City and State legislators regarding tobacco use in their districts, and tobacco cessation initiatives and programs available to their constituents. Students will conduct outreach by developing written communications to legislators and talking with legislators on Zoom/by phone to discuss tobacco cessation initiatives.

For the second half of the year, students will have the opportunity to collaborate with the other projects in the E2GI lab based on previously collected data to further advocate for NYU’s university smoke-free campus policy. Students will tailor health education sessions to share research findings through community-based outreach to on-campus clubs, organizations, and the larger NYU student body. With a better understanding of the research gathered, students will assess appropriate methods of education, develop, and execute a strategy for educating the NYU community, and advocate for evidence-based policies related to tobacco use treatment on campus. 

Global-Focused Projects

1. Implementing Tobacco Use Treatment in HIV Clinics in Vietnam (VQuit)

VQuit is an ongoing randomized controlled trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of three tobacco cessation interventions among people living with HIV/AIDS who receive care in HIV clinics in Vietnam. The trial is also simultaneously evaluating the implementation processes and outcomes of strategies aimed at increasing the implementation of tobacco cessation interventions in the context of HIV care.  

2. Integration of NCD Care in HIV Health Systems in LMICs

To better understand the application of integration of NCD services into existing HIV care systems on a broad scale, students will conduct a content analysis of existing global and country-level documents. Specifically, students will review official guidelines from public health organizations, including the WHO and The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and from countries that are sponsored under PEPFAR.