Principal Investigator
Project Title:
Exploring Factors Needing Attention to Implement Effective Drug and Mental Health Treatment in Community
My academic background is in organizational behavior and development and I have more than 10 years of experience working in public health research. I believe these qualities provide me with a unique position to develop a research career in implementation research, that focuses on structural factors that serve as facilitators to the adoption of evidence-based practices that address public health issues. Since 2008, I have been involved in the implementation of various federally funded research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Open Society Foundation, and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. I have extensive experience in managing large and complex research studies among vulnerable populations, including my role in the NIDA-funded, Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJDATS-2). I have also developed advanced knowledge in the theory and application of qualitative methodologies and techniques for applied research studies. My doctoral dissertation applied a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the sustainability of a process improvement intervention implemented by the CJDATS-2 initiative to improve treatment access for individuals with substance dependence. I have also served as a qualitative analysis lead for mixed methods studies that provide detailed information about how health care professionals perceived the vulnerable populations they serve and how these attributions impact the services they provide.
graciela.vega@upr.edu