My name is Brittney Sheena and I am a rising senior at Tulane University majoring in neuroscience and minoring in public health and Spanish. During the fall of 2016, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through an independent study project, I learned how the systematic dismissal of detection and intervention practices in response to maternal depression at the governmental and physician levels contribute to the prevalence of the illness. This research was inspired by my work at the Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Lab at Tulane Medical School where we assess how the mother-child relationship can influence child neurodevelopment. I am also a member of Tulane Emergency Medical Services, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Mortar Board Honor Society. I hope to work as a physician in the maternal child health field as well as advocate for improved health outcomes.
This summer, I am excited to work with Dr. Alyssa Lederer on sexual health education research and further develop my research skills. Unfortunately, the prevalence of STIs is increasing for the first time in almost a decade. With young people disproportionately affected by STIs, sexual health education is crucial to mitigate the contraction and transmission of adverse sexual infections. I have the incredible opportunity to access the STI knowledge of college students through a qualitative lens. Through content analysis, I hope to capture knowledge gaps that may not be represented in quantitative assessments. As a neuroscience and public health student, I have a profound appreciation for scientific advancement and how research can influence systematic practices. I hope our findings inform health education and influence methods to limit the prevalence of STIs.
My goals for this summer include: (1) refining my qualitative research skills, analytic assessments, and scientific writing and (2) identifying insufficiencies in health education to improve sexual health outcomes.