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overview
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Dr. Albright conducts transdisciplinary research spanning the fields of nursing, pediatric oncology, behavioral medicine, health psychology, nutrition, organ donation / transplantation, exercise science, and epidemiology. She has almost 30 years of research experience focused on innovative strategies to promote modification of behavioral risk factors in adults and adolescents. Before coming to the University of Hawaii, she was a senior research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center (1984-2003). In 2008 she was elected as a Fellow in the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Her research interventions encourage self-management of behavioral risk factors for chronic diseases including: dietary intake (modify high fat/low fiber diets), sedentary behaviors (decrease screen time), physical activity (increase home-based, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity), and obesity/weight management (weight loss and weight gain prevention). Much of her research involves innovative technology-driven research interventions that have included: websites, text messaging, tailored telephone counseling, and in-home technology such as a television connected to the internet (i.e., Google TV). As a Principal Investigator she has been awarded (2007-present) almost $11 million dollars in federal grants from several institutes at the National Institutes of Health including: NCI, NIDDK, NHLBI, NIDA and HRSA. In addition, she serves as a Co-Investigator on research grants totaling an additional $40 million dollars (funded by NCI, NINR, DOD, AHRQ, and private foundations such as the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Foundation). Almost all of this research has focused on reducing health disparities for underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly with respect to interventions to reduce health behavior risk factors in both healthy populations and cancer survivors.
Dr. Albright has been an instructor and mentor to undergraduate students at the University of Hawaii (UH) and UH graduate students from nursing & public health, as well as: medical students, pediatric residents, and postdoctoral fellows from the fields of health psychology, epidemiology, nutrition, exercise science, health communications, and public health.
EDUCATION:
1972 B.A. University of Texas; Austin, Texas
Major area: Zoology
1977 B.S. University of Houston; Houston, Texas
Major area: Psychology
1982 M.A. University of Houston; Houston, Texas
Major area: Social Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
1983 Ph.D. University of Houston; Houston, Texas
Major area: Social Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
1986 M.P.H. University of California at Berkeley; Berkeley, California
Major area: Social Epidemiology
Research Themes:
Women’s health, health disparities in ethnic minorities, modification of high risk health behaviors (diet/exercise/sedentary behaviors), primary and secondary prevention strategies (targeting the individual, family, the community/worksite, the built environment, and public health policy).
Research Focus:
Technology-based physical activity interventions with multiethnic postpartum women, worksite –based weight management programs, weight loss interventions for multiethnic postpartum women with a history of gestational diabetes, innovative technology interventions to educate ethnic minority teenagers about their decision to become a designated organ donor on their first driver’s license, and EMR-facilitated physician advice to encourage healthy lifestyles (diet/exercise) in adolescent and young adults survivors of childhood cancers.
Current Research Funding ( as of September 6, 2018):
2018-present Principal Investigator: Hawaii Department of Health: Tobacco Prevention and Education Program and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division; Three State Contracts: $625,257 annual direct costs
Monitoring sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes to underage minors: KATS, FDA, and SYNAR Projects. University of Hawai’i at Manoa; Honolulu, HI
2017-present Multiple Principal Investigator: NIH, NIMHD (R15 MD011474;9/26/17-5/31/2020) MPI: Clem Ceria-Ulep, PhD, RN. Increasing physical activity in Filipino Lay Leaders School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene University of Hawai’i at Manoa; Honolulu, HI
2014-present Mentor, NIH, NIMHD (U54 MD007584; 5/1/2015-4/30/2019; $2,045,482, annual direct costs). Research Centers in Minority Institutions -RCMI Multidisciplinary and Translational Research Infrastructure expansion. MPIs: Jerris Hedges, MD, MS. - John A Burns School of Medicine & Noreen Mokuau, DSW – Myron B Thompson School of Social Work, University of Hawai’i, Manoa, HI
Completed Grants and Contracts at University of Hawaii at Manoa
2017-2018 Mentor; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - New Connections Program Examining cross-sector collaboration in built environment initiatives to increase physical activity Principal Investigator: Lehua Choy, PhD Office of Public Health Studies, Myron B Thompson School of Social Work. University of Hawai’I at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
2014-2018 Principal Investigator. DHHS, HRSA (R39OT26993) Using an Interactive Website, Social Media, and Gamification to Engage/Reframe Deceased Organ Donation for Asian/Pacific Islander College Students. School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; University of Hawai’i, HI
2012- 2017 Co-Investigator, NIH, NCI (1 PO1 CA168530-01, 9/1/2012-8/13/2017). Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, and Cancer Risk in the Multiethnic Cohort. Co-PIs: Loic LeMarchand, MD, PhD & Unhee Lim, PhD. Epidemiology Program. University of Hawai’i Cancer Center; Honolulu, HI
2015-2017 Co-Investigator, NIH/NIDDK (R21DK105413; 7/1/2015-6/30/2017) Brain – Gut Microbiome-Visceral Adiposity Relationships in Multiethnic Adults
Multiple PIs: Unhee Lim, PhD1, Linda Chang, MD2, and Meredith Hullar, PhD3
1 Cancer Epidemiology Program at UH Cancer Center and
2 Department of Medicine at John A Burns School of Medicine
University of Hawai’i at Manoa; Honolulu, HI
3 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
2011- 2015 Co-Investigator, NIH, NCI (1R01CA154644, 9/1/2011- 8/31/2015). Obesogenic environment: impact on breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer risk. PI: Iona Cheng, Ph.D., Cancer Prevention Institute of California, Freemont, CA.
2014-2014 Multiple-Principal Investigator. HMSA Foundation; 1/1/2014-12/31/2014; ($95,231 annual direct costs) Evidence-based methods to increase patients’ commitment to their health. Multiple-PI: Michael Nagoshi, MD. John A Burns School of Medicine, Office of Medical Education. School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; University of Hawai’i, Manoa, HI
2007- 2013 Principal Investigator, NIH, NIDDK (R01 DK079684; 7/1/2007-7/31/2013;) Multimedia intervention to motivate ethnic minority teens to be designated organ donors on first driver’s license 9/2009 – 11/2011 -ARRA Administrative Supplement, R01 (DK079684-03S1) School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; University of Hawai’i, Manoa, HI
2010-2013 Multiple-Principal Investigator, Sub-contract: Hyundai Hope on Wheels Foundation Scholars Award (6/1/2012-12/30/2013; $47,227). Reducing obesity in survivors of childhood cancer using an electronic medical record-facilitated clinical management program. Managed by the Hawaii Pacific Health Foundation; Honolulu, HI.
Multiple-PI: Randal Wada, MD -School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene; UH-Manoa, HI
2010-2013 Principal Investigator, NIH, NIDA (9R42 DA031402; 9/1/2010- 8/31/2013). A Home Exercise Program for Women with infants & young children . Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant between the UH School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene, Honolulu, HI and Klein Bluendel, Inc., Golden, CO.
2010-2013 Subcontract Principal Investigator, USDHHS; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (R01 HS019367; 9/1/2010-8/31/2013) Comparative effectiveness of diabetes prevention strategies in women with gestational diabetes. PI: Assiamira Ferrara, MD, Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Kaiser Foundation Research Inst., Oakland, CA
2007- 7/2012 Principal Investigator, NIH, NCI (R01 CA115614; 9/29/2007-7/31/2012). Physical Activity in Women with Infants 7/2009- 7/2012 ARRA Administrative Supplement, NCI (R01 CA115614–03S1)
Recruitment and evaluation of postpartum women with a history of gestational diabetes response to a physical activity intervention and the evaluation of sedentary behavior in an ethnic minority sample of postpartum women.
UH School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene
2008- 2012 Research Core Leader, NIH, NINR (P20NR010671; 9/30/2007-6/30/2012)
Center for `Ohana Self-Management of Chronic Illnesses in Hawaii (COSMIC): Building Research Teams for the Future PI: Jillian Inouye, PhD, APRN; UH School of Nursing & Dental Hygiene
2008- 2011 Project III Co-Leader, Dept. of Defense (W81XWH-06-2-0042, 1/1/2008-6/1/2011; $595,258)
A web-based intervention to improve quality of life and promote healthy behaviors in adult cancer survivors. Leader of Project III: Erin Bantum, PhD. PI: Carl Vogel, MD; University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
2008- 2010 Principal Investigator, NIH, NHLBI (STTR-Phase I, R41HL091592; 9/5/2008- 2/28/2010; $198,162). A Home Exercise Program for Women with Infants and Young Children. Phase 1, Small Business Technology Transfer Grant (STTR) between the University of Hawaii Cancer Center; Honolulu, Hawaii and Klein Bluendel, Inc; Golden, Colorado
2004-2009 Subcontract Principal Investigator, NIH, NHLBI (R01 HL079505, 9/30/04-9/30/09)Work, Weight, and Wellness –The 3W Project. A worksite weight management program for hotel workers. PI: Thomas Vogt, MD, PhD
Kaiser Center for Health Research Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
2004-2008 Subcontract Principal Investigator, NIH, NIDDK (R01 DK062659) Bayanihan Project (Increasing organ donation in Filipinos from Hawaii) PI: Linda Wong, MD; John A. Burns School of Medicine; UH Cancer Center; Honolulu, HI
2004-2008 Co-Investigator, NIH, NCI (R01 CA106744; )Evaluating Errors in Reported use of Dietary Supplements
PI: Suzanne Murphy, PhD. University of Hawai’i Cancer Center; Honolulu, HI
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