We have several research opportunities available for medical students, residents and fellows. More information about the each of the studies described below can be found on our Core Projects page. In addition to gaining research experience, mentees will have the opportunity to be part of our research group and learning community. Please contact Denise Deverts, PhD, devertsdj@pitt.edu, for more information.
Mentored Research in Diabetes Management
Using Technology to Support Diabetes Self-Management
We have mentored research opportunities with an NIH-funded intervention study examining how adults with type 2 diabetes use a mobile phone application (app) that integrates real-time data from continuous glucose and activity monitors with patient-reported data about medication-taking and other self-management behaviors.
Example mentored projects could include:
- How participation in diabetes self-management interventions impacts clinical, behavioral, and/or psychosocial outcomes
- How patients interact with wearable monitors to help choose new diabetes management goals
- How apps for diabetes management can be adapted for people with low tech literacy.
Individual research opportunities will be offered based on the mentee’s interest, experience, and expertise, and may involve attending study specific meetings, collecting new primary data, or analyzing available data.
Primary Care Delivery for Patients with Complex Needs
We have mentored research opportunities with an exciting Veterans Health Administration (VA) funded implementation science program addressing primary care delivery for patients with multimorbidity and other complex healthcare needs.
Research topics include:
- Care for patients with multimorbidity
- Primary care delivery
- Learning health systems
- Implementation and pragmatic trials
Specifically, the High-Risk Veterans (RIVET) 2.0 QUERI Program aims to improve primary care for adults with complex healthcare needs. RIVET is implementing two evidence-based practices aimed at improving healthcare and outcomes across national VA primary care sites: 1) Asynchronous Clinical Reminders (ACR) and 2) Transitional Care Medication Management (TCMM). Clinical reminders are prompts that help the primary care team give recommended check-ups, screenings, and preventive care based on the latest medical guidelines to patients during regular check-ups. ACRs are clinical reminders that can be completed prior to the scheduled primary care appointment. TCMM helps link high-risk patients to clinical pharmacists after a hospitalization who can address medication changes, thereby reducing medication errors/confusion, simplifying complex medication regimens, and reducing the chance of being readmitted to the hospital.
Individual research opportunities will be offered based on the mentee’s interest, experience, and expertise, and may involve participating in pragmatic trial design and delivery, collecting new primary data, or analyzing available data.
VET-PATHS
We have mentored research opportunities with a Veterans Health Administration (VA) funded study addressing primary care and population health tools for patients with multimorbidity and other complex healthcare needs. Research topics include: care for patients with multimorbidity, population health tool development and testing, and pragmatic trials.
Specifically, the Veteran Panel Management Tool for High-Risk Subgroups (VET-PATHS) uses existing EHR data to pre-populate care plans for primary care patients. VET-PATHS relies on machine learning models that are applied in a provider-facing app. The VET-PATHS app is now available to VA primary care teams nationally and has been successfully pilot tested by front line primary care teams. A larger effectiveness trial of VET-PATHS is starting in 2027.
Example mentored projects could include:
- How patterns of healthcare delivery differ for patients with different types of multimorbidity
- How population health tools using machine learning are updated and validated
- Patterns of use of team-based interventions in real-world primary care