Research Junction Connecting Faculty Across Campus

September 06, 2021
Research Junction
Research Junction is an initiative that aims to catalyze the development of cross-cutting research collaborations.
Dr. Joni Nelson

Meet Dr. Joni Nelson – the next HGTV Star – in the Department of Stomatology. No challenge is too big for this assistant professor in the Division of Population and Oral Health. This pole-vaulting scientist enjoys crafting, brainstorming ideas for her future book, and plotting her course on the C2. Her research interests include investigating oral health from a policy and practice perspective for which she has made significant contributions to dental safety net research and training, particularly in the space of health policy, public health promotion, and healthcare system transformation.


1.    
What is your educational background?

 

Following my Bachelor of Science degree at the University of South Carolina (2008), I received my Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, from the Medical University of South Carolina (2011). In 2015, I graduated from the Arnold School of Public Health in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior from the University of South Carolina. I later completed my post-doctoral training (2015-2017) at the Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Population Oral Health, at the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine.

 

2.     Where is your hometown?

 

As a child of an Army soldier (Major RET), I was raised in a handful of states. However, Hollywood, SC is where my family and I call home.

 

3.     Why did you choose MUSC?

 

I chose MUSC because this institution, its leadership, and culture revolve around quality healthcare research and care delivery. In my graduate studies program and through my previous position in student programs, I experienced firsthand the level of support and nurturing MUSC offered for students. From these positive experiences, I was motivated to return as a faculty member to contribute to research and innovation in population health sciences.

 

4.     What are your current research interests and how did you become interested in this field?

 

My current research interests include investigating oral health from a policy and practice perspective. My interest in this field came from a family member who experienced a great deal of oral health issues with little reconciliation at the local, community-wide, and state levels. I realized that patient education, community engagement, and policy advocacy are necessary tools for population oral health improvement.

 

5.     What has been your biggest scientific contribution to date?

 

Over the last five years I, alongside my team within the Division of Population Oral Health (DPOH), have made significant contributions to dental safety net research and training, particularly in the space of health policy, public health promotion, and healthcare system transformation.

 

For example, I was the co-investigator on an HRSA/Bureau of Health Professions Pre-doctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene Grant, entitled, Rural Oral health ADvancements ThRough Interprofessional training Program (ROADTRIP) (2016-2020). In 2020, our efforts contributed to winning the Gies Award for Innovation in Education, American Dental Education Association (ADEA). This institutional win reflects my leadership role in our safety net curriculum, certificate program, and mentorship of our predoctoral student completers—The certificate program includes a course I developed, DPOH 804, ‘Impacts of Poverty and Healthcare Consumerism’. The course has a unique component of equipping the clinical student with the patient management skills necessary to reduce the risks poverty plays in their patient’s health care outcomes. The motivation for this course was not to be delivered as a theoretical didactic, but as a skill-building course to cultivate an acumen for empathy for patients who do not have a shared lived experience with provider. Brief sentiments regarding the value of the course were captured from the student perspective: Safety net dental practice certificate course

Additionally, I am also the PI for the QUAlitative Design (QUAD) Corp, which is part of MUSC’s Community Engagement Core, South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute. The QUAD Core (QUAlitative Design Core) provides evidence-based consultation for qualitative research and evaluation—with aims to contextualize the voice behind the numbers, remove barriers in translation science and create promising public health interventions of the future.

 

Our portfolio of research was recently profiled in a special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists, dedicated to Diversity and Inclusion. The link to the article, which can be found at https://www.acd.org/publications-2/publications/jacd/ begins on page 43.

 

6.     Is there a scientific area/field you would like to know more about?

I would like to know more about implementation science and its application in population health research.

7.     Would you like to connect with colleagues within a certain field? If so, what field/area?

Absolutely! In addition to implementation science, I have also expanded my research agenda around head and neck cancers. More specifically, I am a recent recipient of the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment (National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research), whereby I will conduct a mixed-methods investigation focused on assessing variances in head and neck cancer for initial staging diagnosis among Medicaid beneficiaries and comprehensive policy analysis on Medicaid benefits that facilitate early detection for head and neck cancer. I look forward to learning and collaborating with other researchers that have similar research foci.

8.     What are some of your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

I am a sucker for a good craft or DIY, trying new local restaurants, listening to good music (I love Hillsong and Maverick City), and encouraging others.

9.     What is your favorite movie, tv-show, food?

My favorite movie is ‘War Room’, ‘The Chosen’ is a TV series I am into right now and my favorite food would definitely have to be seafood. Snow crab legs and crawfish are staples in our house.

10.  Please share one interesting detail about yourself.

I’m not sure if this is interesting, but most people find it to be a fun and interesting fact—I was a pole vaulter in high school and once at practice cleared 14ish feet.

11.  If you had a yacht, what would you name it?

The name of the yacht would definitely have to be C2 (or C squared). This is a reflection of my two sons Cohen (3 years) and Caleb (4 months).

12.  Who would play you in a movie about your life?

This is a hard one for me, but if I had to guess I would say Kerry Washington.

13.  If you were not a scientist, you would be:

I would definitely go into executive management and planning.

14.  What are the top three activities on your bucket list?

Visit Jerusalem, publish a book, and go to a live event at the Olympics.

15.  What’s the best advice you were ever given?

There are two pieces of advice that have always stuck with me. The first piece of advice is from my Ma’ma (maternal grandmother). Due to my petite size, the end of elementary and middle school were not always the most positive experiences with some of my peers. My Ma’ma was aware of most of the teasing about my height and size. Her exact words were, “you look up at them and say if I am too small, then you are too big--God created you beautifully”. This comical but simple statement has always stuck with me in the midst of challenges that seem to be ‘TOO BIG’. The second piece of advice is from my two older sisters. We have a very close relationship with one another and my dad has always referred to us as ‘The Braid’ because there are 3 of us. As big sisters do, they have a knack for noticing when something is wrong and continuously remind me of their support by saying, “It’s ok, you always have us, the Braid.” This advice is special because it’s TRUE. Their genuine loyalty, kindness, and commitment to me in all of my endeavors have shown me characteristics that I now own for myself and interact with others in the same way.

Make a Connection

Drop Dr. Joni Nelson an email at nelsonjd@musc.edu.