Evidence to Global Impact

About Us:

The E2GI is an impact-driven, service-oriented research platform that collaborates with partners in the US and globally to develop strategies to move the best evidence into public policies, health systems and communities to improve public health impact.

This is a student-run initiative under the supervision of Dr. Donna Shelley and focuses on various projects that affect population health in NYC and in low-and middle-income countries.

With its local and global partnerships, the lab strives to nurture and hone critical public health skills while providing the opportunity to apply them through its global research projects, thus empowering you to have a positive impact on populations at large.

Goals:

• Expand GPH collaboration with key global partners NGOs, Policymakers, Global Health systems)
• Close gaps between innovation and global health impact
• Build student and partner expertise to put evidence into practice
• Gain Practicum experience

Our Projects:

Toolkit development for evidence-based Global Public Health Policy Implementation:

• Public Health practitioners in communities, organizations and governments are invested in strengthening the research behind how to implement relevant changes into health policies and best practices.. Students  will work with faculty to develop easy to use implementation tools that build capacity and support those whose job it is to get evidence-based public health policies and programs into practice in a range of settings in the US and globally. 
• Student Deliverables:
  • Review literature and available tools for guiding implementation of evidence based interventions in community and health system settings
  • Work with Dr. Shelley on practical frameworks and tools (e.g., worksheets, assessment tools) to guide the implementation process
  • Pilot test the tool with global NGOs and partners 

Examining NYU’s University Smoke-Free Campus Policy Implementation 

• NYU lacks the data on tobacco and nicotine use among students that might inform NYU’s existing University Smoke Free Campus Policy implementation.   The students driving this project will be responsible for conducting a landscape analysis on the current state of nicotine consumption amongst NYU’s undergraduate student body and the school’s ability to screen, support, and treat students who use nicotine products. Special attention will be given to emerging trends in consumption (use of e-cigarettes and oral nicotine products) and treatment (mobile-based cessation interventions). Findings will be used to 1) understand attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors regarding nicotine consumption amongst NYU students, 2) determine what forms of intervention are most appropriate amongst this group, 3) identify the strengths and gaps in the school’s model for responding to these to these trends, and 4) disseminate evidence on tobacco use on campus that will support NYU leadership in implementing their Smoke Free Campus Policy and additional tobacco cessation programs.
• Student deliverables:
  • Create and distribute a survey to assess attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors regarding nicotine consumption and cessation amongst NYU’s undergraduate student body
    • Secure IRB approval for all research initiatives
  • Develop a needs assessment to evaluate NYU student health’s practices regarding screening and treatment for tobacco and nicotine dependence disorders
  • Analyze acquired data to distill possible trends amongst emerging nicotine product users
  • Produce a recommendations report for NYU student health to improve their policy implementation and practices regarding tobacco and nicotine dependence

Advancing tobacco policy implementation and sustainability through advocacy:

• Students will work with New York City Treats Tobacco to identify and track specific citywide, borough, and community policies related to tobacco sales, taxation, and advertising in New York City. Specific topics include the upcoming NYC menthol ban, smoke free campus policies, and e-cigarette advertising tax and sales policies. Students will review the impact of comparable policies in other regions in the US to be able to develop recommendations for these policies in  NYC. With a better understanding of the policy environment, students will help to track relevant policies, assess appropriate methods of education and develop  and execute a strategy for educating policymakers/decision makers and advocating for evidence-based policies.
• Student deliverables:
  • Track the progress of relevant bills and initiatives
  • Evaluate the efficacy and implementation of similar laws passed in other states or cities
  • Draft educational materials for policy/decision-makers who need background information on the harms of tobacco
  • Strategically choose policy/decision-makers who may benefit most from education and advocacy
  • Advocate for tobacco control measures on video calls, by phone, over email, and through social media

Disseminating information on tobacco policy implementation through earned media 

• Students will work with faculty and New York City Treats Tobacco in writing effective earned media pitches using evidence-based health communication strategies with the goal of disseminating relevant information about tobacco policy implementation and research. Using evidence-based health communications strategies, students will first develop a strategic communication and dissemination plan. Students will then implement and evaluate the effectiveness of their earned media dissemination.
• Student deliverables:
  • Compile a list of potential earned media contacts to disseminate information to
  • Create/develop strong NYU earned media campaigns
  • Develop a one-year dissemination strategy for earned media pitches
  • Write effective earned media pitches using evidence-based health communications strategies
  • Send media pitch(es) to media contacts each month
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of earned media dissemination 

Skills:

• Project Management
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis
• Project implementation in a wide range of settings (e.g., clinical, community, housing)
• Multisectoral exposure (e.g. practice, policy, system)
• Manuscripts & Tool development
• Literature reviews, grant writing
• Leadership & communication
• Liaise with local & global partners

Our Team:

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donna Shelley

Project Lead: Sucheta Waghmare