Student Research Spotlight: Brooke Greenburg (Psychology)
Brooke Greenburg is pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Health Psychology. She is currently in her 4th year of the program.
Briefly talk me through your research journey from your 1st day at NSU to today.
Prior to beginning my graduate training at NSU, I was involved in research at Muhlenberg College, a small liberal arts college in Allentown, PA. While I was primarily conducting social science research, I had the opportunity to experience being a part of several research teams that had projects resulting in local and national conference presentations. In the Summer of 2019, I was a research assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in the Center for Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes (AMPS). During my time at CHOP, I designed a study protocol that examined the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors in patients presenting to a pediatric rheumatology clinic for chronic pain. This experience was the beginning of my pediatric psychology research experience and has informed my line of research nearly five years later.
During my time at NSU, I have been a principal investigator on a mixed methods study that included a systematic review of the literature and an online survey of health providers working in pediatric diabetes clinics on screening practices for disordered eating behaviors. In designing my dissertation, it was meaningful and important for me to include the lived experiences of disordered eating in adolescents with functional abdominal pain syndromes. Incorporating lived experiences was specifically relevant and important to make meaningful conclusions about how to improve screening and interventions for youth with gastrointestinal concerns. During my time at NSU, I have also collaborated on several other projects with lab members resulting in publications.
Include brief summaries of any major accomplishments from your research efforts.
My major paper was recently accepted for a Special Issue of Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. I have also published an invited commentary in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and collaborated on two manuscripts published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology and Diabetes Spectrum. I was awarded the Student Research Award through the Department of Clinical and School Psychology for my dissertation research. Funds from the Student Research Award will be used for participant honorariums and qualitative software for data analysis. I have also attended and presented at several national conferences throughout the United States.
Links: https://academic.oup.com/jpepsy/article-abstract/49/2/95/7590611?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false, https://academic.oup.com/jpepsy/article/48/5/428/7103508?searchresult=1, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33593387/
Summarize the current research you are working on (please do not include any unpublished information that you do not want to make public yet).
Currently, I am in the data collection phase for my dissertation, which is exploring the lived experiences of disordered eating in adolescents with functional abdominal pain syndromes. I am conducting a mixed methods study, which includes surveys and interviews for adolescents affected by dietary restrictions and functional abdominal pain syndromes. This study aims to generate hypothesis for future research to examine the relationship between disordered eating and functional abdominal pain syndromes. This project aims to have a unique cultural component that includes a Latinx group of adolescents to understand how cultural influences impact the manifestation of disordered eating behaviors in the presence of functional abdominal pain syndromes. For example, including this subset of adolescents will help to provide nuance into cultural considerations regarding mealtimes, the meaning of food, and the diet within Latinx families, which is important for developing culturally sensitive and competent screening tools and interventions that.
What made you interested in the type of research you are currently working on?
I became interested in health psychology during my senior year of high school. As I learned about the various types of health psychology research, I realized my passion lies in disordered eating in the presence of pediatric chronic medical conditions, which encompasses the intersection between chronic and physical health. I have also become passionate about weaving cultural influences into my graduate school research interests, which has shaped the trajectory of my research throughout my graduate school training.
What made you decide to work with your current research mentor?
I specifically applied to NSU to work with Dr. Jessica Valenzuela. I was interested in working with her for her intersection of answering meaningful pediatric psychology research questions from a health disparities perspective, which has deeply informed my research, specifically when designing studies. I also appreciate her mentorship style and commitment to service within pediatric psychology. Dr. Valenzuela has been a great inspiration as an emerging pediatric psychologist!
How does this work relate to your future career goals, and what do you plan to do next?
I recently applied for an internship during my fifth year of the doctoral program. Ultimately, I plan to become a pediatric psychologist in an academic medical center. I would like to continue to focus on providing services to youth with chronic pain and meaningfully integrating research and clinical work into my career. I am particularly excited about the opportunities to conduct research and incorporate clinical care within a multidisciplinary medical team to provide comprehensive and collaborative care to patients and their families.
How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? Any specific NSU resources used that you would like to mention?
NSU helped me pursue my personal and professional goals by offering unwavering support and opportunities to explore my research and clinical interests. The psychology program at NSU provides many opportunities to gain clinical skills with varied populations and collaborate with other students on research.
What advice do you have for other students interested in getting involved in research?
It all starts with a question! Consider what you are curious about, what informs your perspective, and what you want to contribute as a scientist.