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Health Research

WVU biostatistician studies link between microbiome and preterm birth

Pregnant African American women are more likely than white women to give birth prematurely, but they’re underrepresented in studies of preterm birth rates. Snehalata Huzurbazar, a biostatistics professor in the West Virginia University School of Public Health, is working to change that.

WVU researcher: HIV epidemic partially fueled by national opioid crisis

Infectious diseases expert Sally Hodder, director of the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute and associate vice president for clinical and translational science at West Virginia University, was part of a national team that published “AIDS in America – Back in the Headlines at Long Last,” a perspective that provides detailed information about the ongoing HIV epidemic.

West Virginia University researchers want to up the game for nationwide physical education standards

Sacrificed by No Child Left Behind in favor of academic achievement, physical education requirements for public schools returned with the subsequent Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, but that doesn’t mean that school systems have consistent—or adequate—standards for their students. That lack sends a critical message to the public and to stakeholders, according to West Virginia University researchers.

WVU researcher studies bystander behavior in sexual-assault prevention

Carry your keys; stick to well-lit streets; don’t go out alone after dark. People receive advice like this every day from friends and family members concerned for their safety. But WVU researcher Danielle Davidov is investigating bystander-intervention programs that engage the whole community, not just potential victims, in preventing sexual violence.

WVU research suggests conflicting drug laws may keep contaminated needles in circulation, contribute to hepatitis C infections

Acute hepatitis C infections rose 98 percent between 2010 and 2015 nationwide, largely because more people were injecting drugs. Using a new needle for every injection can slow the spread of hepatitis C, but getting those new needles isn’t always as simple as buying glucose-meter lancets at the pharmacy. And safely disposing of old needles presents a whole other set of problems.