Applied Health Behavior Research alumni are using their MS degrees in a variety of ways to advance their careers in health, research, and medicine, and to have an impact on health outcomes across diverse populations.

AHBR student, Haya, prepares for the AHBR poster symposium.

Maraya Camazine

Resident, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center

I wanted to ramp up my resume for medical school applications because everything I currently do in my job is very clinical.  The AHBR program provided me with valuable research experience which will make me a more well-rounded applicant.

It also helped show my academic growth, especially since I worked 40 hours a week (sometimes more) while completing my degree.  An unexpected benefit I got from the program was learning how to better communicate and engage. I now have a more holistic view of how the work I’m doing in a clinical environment applies to the real world.

Kim Cordia

Nurse Manager, Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine

I come from a background in nursing, so AHBR was a bridge that I have used to increase my knowledge of what I’m doing now and move forward to what I want to do in the future.

With my degree I will be more marketable; when promotions/jobs are between me and another candidate, having the masters degree helps. I’ve already been able to move up the ladder from a Nurse Educator to Nurse Manager in my field.

Rahul Dey

Medical Student, University of Missouri Medical School

I was looking for an opportunity to gain experience in clinical research during a gap year, while applying to medical schools.  That’s what attracted me to the program.

My medical school interviewers were very intrigued by the AHBR program and the research I was doing, and I had a lot to share with them about my experience. Because healthcare inequities and public health issues are becoming much more important in the field of medicine, and I was able to vouch for what I had already learned, so being in the AHBR program definitely enhanced my application. I was accepted into the University of Missouri School of Medicine for Summer 2017.

Tyler Frank

Ph.D. Student | Public Health Sciences

Doctoral Research Assistant | Social Policy Institute

Brown School | Washington University in St. Louis

The AHBR program gives you these great opportunities to get involved and evolve. Whether you are more interested in research or in taking certain classes useful in building your professional knowledge, whatever it is, the program can meet your needs.

Whatever the students’ goals are, the teachers are there to help and be a mentor, but ultimately they’re letting us construct our path and figure out what’s best for us.  I’m thrilled to apply the knowledge I’m acquiring in my courses and excited for the opportunity to grow and evolve in my work.

Jennifer Harper


Clinical Research Coordinator, Studies of Early Anxiety Lab (SEAL)
Department of Psychiatry,

Washington University School of Medicine

What I liked most about the AHBR program was the practicality of the classes and how they seamlessly apply to real life research. The Project Management course taught me various ways to run a research study. It was particularly helpful learning from others; their experiences and ideas leading to improved processes and retention rates. One of my favorite classes was the Counseling Skills for Healthcare Professionals, as I took away many useful skills that have allowed me to be a stronger clinical interviewer in the psychiatry lab for which I currently work in.

Meredith Parsons


Staff Scientist,

Bioethics Research Center, 

Washington University School of Medicine

During the AHBR program, I worked as a Senior Public Health Research Technician for the Bioethics Research Center (BRC) at Washington University. Since earning my master’s degree, I have been promoted to Staff Scientist where my role is primarily project management and human resource management on a study examining industry-academia partnerships within neurotechnology development. My transition to a management role was the next step in my career that I had been waiting for. I really enjoy providing training and mentorship to new staff. I also wanted a position where I could focus in on research while still interacting with participants and working with data management and analysis.

Demetrius Perry


Clinical Research Coordinator, Psychiatry, 

Washington University School of Medicine

I am so happy to have found this program! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and the opportunities feel endless. Every expectation was met, and once I started research, every expectation was exceeded. This program has truly set me up for success, as I am now a clinical research coordinator in the Healthy Mind Lab at Washington University. We study how psychedelic medicine can promote healthy brain functioning and improve mental health. I am gaining experience across multiple areas of research and aspire to becoming a lab manager within the next few years. 

Daniel Sheinbein, MD

AHBR Alumnus

Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina

I enrolled in the MS program to gain skills that I could use for medical school and eventually in a career. I wanted to gain more patient interaction and clinical exposure experience.

A lot of medicine now incorporates aspects of public health, and the AHBR program offers classes in health disparities and health behavior theories, so I learned how to address those concerns — not just in Missouri, but across the globe. Medical schools really value diversity and working with diverse populations and I was able to select elective classes focused on that.  In addition, my mentored research addressed the obesity epidemic and I did hands-on work with diverse populations.

I’ll admit I was hesitant about the program at first, but now I’m more well-rounded and versatile — not just as a medical school applicant but as a physician someday as well.