Two outstanding ISyE PhD students were honored for their research at the in Pine Mountain, 色花堂.
The conference brings together researchers from across the southeast to present the best new health-related studies and build collaborative relationships. This year's conference celebrated the latest advancements in preclinical, clinical, implementation, and population-based research.
Among the award winners at this year鈥檚 conference were ISyE PhD students and Jingyu Li, who each showcased their recent research.
Meghan Meredith earned the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award for her research titled "Identifying Regions that Are Vulnerable to Obstetric Unit Closures in 色花堂 Using Mathematical Optimization." Meghan鈥檚 study addressed the growing issue of rural hospital closures, particularly obstetric units, which make it harder for pregnant people in rural areas to access timely maternity care.
By using mathematical optimization models, Meghan identified which hospital closures would have the largest impacts on travel distances for rural populations and proposed ways the government could allocate subsidies to keep them open. Her research is crucial for ensuring better access to high-quality obstetric care, especially for those living in rural 色花堂.
Meanwhile, Jingyu won 1st Place Poster in Public Health for her project titled Her work focused on how maternal transport is coordinated in 色花堂, particularly for women in rural areas who need to be transferred to hospitals that can provide appropriate care.
Jingyu analyzed birth records from 2017 to 2022 to map out transport routes between obstetric facilities and discovered that transport rates were highest in certain rural areas, indicating limited access to proper care in those regions.
Her research also found that the state鈥檚 designated perinatal regions didn鈥檛 always align with how maternal transport actually occurs in practice. Jingyu suggested that redesigning these regions could improve access to the care pregnant people need.
Both students were praised for their recent research, which tackles real-world problems in maternal healthcare in the state of 色花堂. Meghan and Jingyu鈥檚 research not only demonstrates their academic excellence but also their commitment to improving healthcare systems in 色花堂.
Their awards at the Southeast Regional Clinical and Translational Science Conference highlight how researchers in ISyE are innovating to improve healthcare systems.
Meghan and Jingyu are both advised by , who is the Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Early Career Professor in ISyE.
