Transdisciplinary Implementation Science Alliance (TISA)

Principal Investigators

• Jing Li, MD, MS
• Mahesh Kudrimoti, MD
• Gretchen Wells, MD, PhD

Research Priority Area

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular

How to Join

Please contact Jessica Clouser if you are interested in becoming a member.

TISA Member Responsibilities:

• Contribute intellectual resources through collaborative engagement in implementation science-related activities, such as review of proposals, grant proposal submission, manuscript collaboration, training lectures, etc.
• Participate in TISA mentoring activities and/or educational seminars
• Present or lead discussion ≥ once per year at regularly scheduled TISA seminar series or work-in-progress (WIP) sessions
• Serve on TISA review committees (e.g., small pilot program), task forces, and other duties as assigned

Summary

Improvements in patient care depend on breakthroughs in research and translation of research findings into clinical care. But of all the discoveries in research to improve patient care, only a fraction are actually put into practice in clinics and hospitals. This gap between research and practice has fueled the expansion of implementation science research to support the optimal use of evidence-based practices in clinical and community systems of care.

With funding from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Alliance Research Initiative, the Transdisciplinary Implementation Science Alliance (TISA) will work to bring research successes into health care practice, especially across traditional fields. To reach its goal, TISA will practice team science, breaking down the silos that often prevent cooperation between disciplines (e.g., cardiology, oncology) and organizational structures (e.g., scientists, clinicians).

The co-principal investigators of TISA bring different yet complementary experiences to the project. Jing Li, MD, associate professor in the department of internal medicine, has 16 years of expertise in research methodologies, improvement science, and program implementation and evaluation. Gretchen Wells, MD, PhD, professor in the department of internal medicine, is a clinician-researcher with extensive experience in cardiovascular disease risk control and management, especially in women’s heart health. Jerod Stapleton, PhD, associate professor in the College of Public Health, is a prevention scientist with expertise in design and evaluation of behavioral interventions.

TISA will focus first on connections between cardiovascular and oncology sciences. As cancer survivors live longer, heart health becomes increasingly important. Cardiovascular disease now represents a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Cancer patients and survivors would greatly benefit from the evidence-based practices produced by cardiovascular research. But as structures exist now, cancer survivors rarely get the preventive cardiac care they require as they age.

To meet this need, TISA will bring together the Markey Cancer Center and the Linda and Jack Gill Heart and Vascular Institute to coordinate cancer patient care with preventive cardiovascular services such as blood pressure control, treatment of high cholesterol, and lifestyle change management. Through transdisciplinary cooperation and implementation, TISA will bridge the gap between research and practice, offering cancer patients the whole-person care they need to live a long and active life.

Alliance Members

• Amit Arbune, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Ana Bastos de Carvalho, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor – Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
• Erin Burke, MD, Assistant Professor –  Department of Surgery
• Roberto Cardarelli, DO, MHA, MPH, Chair and Professor– Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Niraj Chavan, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Jessica Clouser, MPH – Center for Health Services Research 
• Mark Dignan, PhD, Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Mary Beth Fisher, DO, Fellow – Department of Cardiology
• Rachel Graham, DrPH, Assistant Professor – College of Public Health
• Alla Grigorian, MD, PhD, Associate Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Vedant Gupta, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Pam Hull, PhD, Professor – Department of Behavioral Science
• James Keck, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Aaron Kruse-Diehr, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Public Health
• Mahesh Kudrimoti, MD, Professor – Department of Radiation Medicine
• Mary “Beth” Lacy Leigh, PhD, Assistant Professor – College of Public Health
• Jing Li, MD, MS, Co-Director, Center for Health Services Research – Department of Internal Medicine
• Colleen McMullen, M.A., M.B.A., Assistant Professor – Department of Physiology
• Daniela Moga, MD, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Pharmacy 
• Kevin Pearce, MD, MPH, Professor – Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Anne Ray, PhD, MEd, Assistant Professor – College of Public Health
• Karen L. Roper, PhD, Assistant Professor –  Department of Family and Community Medicine 
• Susan Smyth, MD, PhD, Professor – Department of Physiology
• Ginny Sprang, PhD, Professor – Department of Psychiatry
• Jerod Stapleton, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Public Health 
• Jeff Talbert, PhD, Professor – College of Pharmacy 
• Kshitij Thakur, MD, Assistant Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Gretchen Wells, MD, PhD, Professor – Department of Internal Medicine
• Adrienne Whitt-Woosley,PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor – Department of Psychiatry
• Lovoria Williams, PhD, Associate Professor – College of Nursing
• Mark Williams, MD, Co-Director, Center for Health Services Research – Department of Internal Medicine