Biography
Dr. Cheryl Vamos is an Associate Professor and a Fellow with the Chiles
Center for Women, Children and Families. She is also a Core Faculty member of
the Collaborative for Research Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH). The overall
goal of Dr. Vamos’ research is to facilitate the translation of maternal and
child health (MCH) evidence into practice for patients, providers, and women
at-large. Within the broad field of MCH, the majority of projects focus on
women’s health,
reproductive health and
MCH oral health, and employ
health
literacy, implementation science, and
technology approaches to
ensure that women (and providers) have the knowledge, skills and resources
needed to be empowered and make informed health decisions. Together, this
research seeks to (1) identify the system-level factors influencing health
behaviors/outcomes and (2) develop and test innovative solutions to improve
women’s health. Dr. Vamos is also committed to contributing to a competent,
diverse workforce through her leadership training roles in the MCHB/HRSA
funded (1)
MCH Pipeline Program (“MCH
Train-A-Bull”) (Project Director) and the
Center
of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice (Co-Investigator).
Further, she serves as the MCH Concentration Chair and Director of the Graduate
Certificate in MCH.
Dr.
Vamos’ current research is guided by theoretical frameworks, employs various
quantitative/ qualitative methodologies, includes primary and secondary data
sources, and comprises interdisciplinary team members (e.g., public health,
medicine, dentistry, community partners, and small business company). She is
also passionate about and values having undergraduate/graduate students and
postdoctoral scholars on her research teams.
Select
research foci to highlight this work are provided below:
-
Prenatal Oral
Health Guidelines.
Aims to address (1) barriers to guideline implementation among prenatal/oral
health providers; and (2) oral health literacy needs among providers and
pregnant women. Funding has included two National Institutes of Health awards (1R41DE023723-01A1;
R03DE024633-02),
USF New Researcher Award, and USF Health’s Women’s Health Collaborative.
- HPV-Related
Primary and Secondary Prevention. Aims to address (1) health literacy needs
among oral health providers with regards to preventing HPV-associated morbidity
and mortality; (2) health literacy assets/needs among rural Hispanic women who
received an abnormal Pap result; and (3) system-level barriers to HPV
vaccination among children residing predominantly in a farmworker community.
Funding has included National Institutes of Health (5R21DE024272-02), American
Cancer Society (ACS 60-16318-99-22-G1), and the Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network, Moffitt Cancer
Center (a National Cancer Institute Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Community Network Program Center - 5U54 CA153509).
- MCH
Quality Improvement (QI). Coordinated by the Florida Perinatal Quality
Collaborative, projects include: (1) promoting access to long-acting reversible
contraception among women in the immediate post-partum period; (2) examining
cultural and contextual issues influencing the high cesarean delivery rates
among low-risk, first-time moms; and (3) evaluating the implementation of the
Obstetric Hemorrhage Initiative. Funding has included the Florida Department of
Health.
Past
research has involved behavioral and psychosocial health issues in the areas of
reproductive cancers, HPV in women and men, patterns of contraception use,
chronic diseases in marginalized female populations, state- and county-level
needs assessments of women’s health, and family planning policy.
Previously,
Dr. Vamos was a Program Manager / Director at the Brant County Health Unit
(BCHU) in Ontario, Canada, where she was responsible for overseeing
epidemiological, research and evaluation activities. Example projects at the
BCHU included: application of health literacy to MCH oral health programming;
social determinants of health and family health; the development of ‘healthy
community’ policies; and an examination of the effectiveness and feasibility of
text messaging in improving compliance rates among sexual health clients. In
addition to supervising a range of public health professionals at the Health
Unit, Dr. Vamos also served as a preceptor for public health students completing
their field placements.
Dr. Vamos has taught various undergraduate and graduate courses at USF
and is actively engaged in presenting professional development activities to
the workforce. Dr. Vamos has also published a variety of articles in
peer-reviewed journals, including empirical research (quantitative and
qualitative), in-depth analyses of controversial public health issues, and
teaching ideas. She has also disseminated her work at numerous international,
national, provincial/state and local conferences. Furthermore, she is active in
professional service, including serving as a Co-Chair for the Perinatal and
Women’s Health Committee, MCH Section, American Public Health Association
(national); Health Literacy Advisory Board member, Hillsborough County Health
Department, Tampa, Florida (county); and reviewer for various journals (e.g., American
Journal of Public Health; MCH Journal; American Journal of Health Education;
Health Promotion International; Journal of Women’s Health; Journal of the
American Dental Association).