Jodi Ford
Research Interests
Dr. Jodi Ford’s research focuses on the effects of adverse childhood experiences (e.g., violence, poverty, racism) on physiological stress, their linkages to youth mental health and potential social and structural avenues for intervention and prevention. Her professional life has centered on addressing inequities in health, particularly among children, adolescents and young adults. Through her program of research, she strives to promote optimal youth health and development. Dr. Ford has received external funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to conduct her research. As a faculty member in the College of Nursing, she teaches graduate level courses on the biopsychosocial determinants of health and secondary data analysis, and mentors students at all levels.
Dr. Ford started her career as a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, then worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care after completing her master’s degree. Her clinical experiences informed her program of research as she observed firsthand how exposure to adversity, including poverty, violence, racism and discrimination, negatively affected the health and well-being of children and their families. Dr. Ford earned her PhD in public health from the University of South Florida and her MS and BSN from the University of Florida.
Media Reports:
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HEAL Prevention Cooperative Podcast Series: Women Leading Prevention Science: Engaging Youth Experiencing Homelessness.
heal.nih.gov/news/events/podcast-women-leading-prevention-science#youth
News
Hyeryeong Lee, a first-year PhD student from South Korea, previously worked in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), caring for critically ill children.
The children and nurses in the PICU inspired her. “One particularly memorable moment was when a child who had been hospitalized in the PICU for a long time stopped by the PICU to say hello to us in good health after being discharged. The moment truly supported the impact of our work and brought me joy,” Lee said.
Research aims to identify interventions for young breast cancer survivors