Georgia CTSA at UGA: Henry Young, PhD Improving Medication Use & Enhancing Care Communication
In 2013, Henry Young, PhD joined the University of Georgia (UGA) as the Kroger Associate Professor in Community Pharmacy. For the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) he is a co-director of the Integrating Special Populations (ISP) program.
“My research interests focus on medication use, health communication and health outcomes, with a special interest in improving health services for underserved and minority populations,” said Young in an interview with UGA Today.
Young is the principal investigator in Medication Use in Adolescents with Asthma or Other Chronic Respiratory Illness to examine the feasibility of using Ecological Momentary Assessments to measure medication adherence in adolescents with chronic respiratory illnesses such as asthma and cystic fibrosis. The research study is conducted through the UGA Clinical & Translational Research Unit (CTRU) and is supported by the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA).
The Georgia CTSA is a statewide partnership between Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Tech, and UGA and is one of over 50 in a national consortium striving to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country. The consortium, funded through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical and Translational Science Awards, shares a common vision to translate laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, engage communities in clinical research efforts, and train the next generation of clinical investigators.
Young partnered with Lokesh Guglani, MD (Emory University), Maria Len-Rios, PhD (UGA, Grady), Kyle Johnsen, PhD (UGA, Engineering), and Stephen Rathbun, PhD (UGA, Public Health) as recipients of a seed grant study to start new clinical and translational research studies at CTRU. Together, they will further their research in improving chronic respiratory illness medication use by enhancing pediatric care communication.
Other studies and research impacting communities
- Building a network of cultural liaisons to improve the health and well-being of Athens-area Latinos. In 2017, Young received the President’s Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program from UGA, among 12 faculty members, to fund his research.
- Reducing the number of patients readmitted too soon after treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and congestive heart failure by identifying factors (e.g., access to medications) that may help the Taylor Regional Hospital in Hawkinsville, GA minimize readmissions.
- Engaging physicians and pharmacists in rural communities across Georgia to discuss best practices for health care professionals to combat opioid misuse and abuse, focusing on education, and interprofessional collaboration.