Audrey L. Blewer, Ph.D., MPH, joins the Department of Community & Family Medicine as research faculty, effective Jan. 1. She earned a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 and a master's degree in public health, social and behavioral sciences in 2008 from the University of Florida.
Where were you working previous to Duke? What was your role there?
Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, I was the assistant director for educational programs at the Center for Resuscitation Science in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I was integral in conducting and overseeing educational resuscitation initiatives related to clinical and public education research. As my research portfolio grew, I was identified as an affiliated Ph.D. student by the Institute of Urban Research at the University of Pennsylvania. I was also a fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute, a large institute dedicated to health economics and health policy research at the University of Pennsylvania. Further, given my contribution to cardiovascular research, I was identified as an affiliated fellow by the Cardiovascular, Outcomes, Quality, and Evaluative Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Any other educational or research background information you want to share?
I had the opportunity to co-author a scientific statement for the American Heart Association on improving cardiac arrest through resuscitation education strategies. I am on the upcoming American Heart Association Resuscitation Education Guidelines Writing Group. I was recognized an Ian Jacobs Young Investigator Finalist at the European Resuscitation Congress. I was honored to be identified as an American Heart Association’s Young Investigator at the November 2018 scientific sessions. I currently review for several medical journals, and serve on the Resuscitation Journal Editorial Board. Lastly, I serve as a social media contributor for American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, Emergency Cardiovascular Care Update, and the Society for Epidemiologic Research.
Why did you choose to join Duke Community & Family Medicine?
I am excited to integrate my passion for resuscitation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation education with Duke’s Department of Community & Family Medicine. I look forward to implementing and testing new resuscitation training initiatives in the community and primary care setting, while working with my new colleagues to expand my research ideas to preventive cardiovascular health research.
What are your research interests?
My scholarly interests lie at the intersection of resuscitation science, health disparities research, clinical trials, implementation science, and improving outcomes from cardiovascular disease. My methodological interests include handling missing data in observational and clinical trials and implementation of pragmatic clinical trials. In my recent doctoral work, I was examining how CPR training dissemination strategies can be expanded, and tailored, to target geographic, racial, and socioeconomic disparities in layperson CPR education and bystander CPR delivery.
Are there any major research grants you have been a part of or are currently working on?
I am the principal investigator of an American Heart Association Mentored Clinical and Population Award, examining population-level cardiopulmonary resuscitation disparities. Further, I have been integral in the development and execution of an ongoing pragmatic clinical trial. This infrastructure has led to a NIH-funded R18 implementation and dissemination award and a currently funded Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Communication and Dissemination award.