Applied research at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS) addresses a wide variety of health problems and issues facing Alaskans, many of which are common to populations in the Circumpolar North. Alaska's rural and multi-cultural environment calls for a multi-disciplinary approach to defining health problems and identifying appropriate solutions.
The ICHS research agenda includes epidemiologic studies of population health, studies of health services, access and utilization, and evaluation of health policy and the effectiveness of new programs.
Available Research Services
Principal Investigator: Lauren Lessard
Funding sources: Alaska INBRE (NIH)
Status: Active
Partners: Alaska DHSS, Planned Parenthood, Anchorage School Based Health Centers, ANTHC, YKHC, Healthy Voices, Healthy Choices (HVHC)
"My Best Alaska Life" is a pilot project to test a decision-making tool that will guide adolescents in planning their future and adopting safer sexual health behaviors to meet their identified goals.
Principal Investigator: Lauren Lessard
Funding sources: PCORI
Status: Active
Partners: Fresno State University; University of California- San Francisco
Randomized, multi-site comparative effectiveness study evaluating enhanced group prenatal care as compared to individual care and the potential impact of each on preterm birth, maternal mental health and perceptions of respectful care.
Principal Investigator: Ruby Fried
Funding sources: USDA Regional Food System Partnership Grant
Status: Active
Partners: Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
The overarching goals of this project are to assess local food systems in the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Region and to begin designing a regional food system through local and regional partnerships.
Principal Investigator: Ruby Fried
Funding sources: AI/AN Clinical and Translational Research Grant
Status: Active
Partners: Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI) Tribal Government, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA)
Using CBPR methods, the primary goal of this study is to understand the factors impacting access to and use of traditional Alaska Native foods, and how culturally-relevant health measures may be related to traditional foods and activities.
Principal Investigator: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: EPA
Status: Active
News Stories: Read more from Alaska Public Media
Dr. Hahn is working with a team of climate and environmental researchers and community partners to develop locally relevant and practical tools for access to health, climate, and environmental data in a useful and understandable way. Additionally, they are evaluating the implementation of low-cost air quality sensors in Alaska in order to support long-term air quality monitoring in the state.
Principal Investigator: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: NSF EPSCoR, Bloomberg American Health Initiative
Status: Completed
News Stories: Read more from the Revelator,
Research Article: Read the full article
Through both quantitative and qualitative research designs, we assessed the health impacts associated with wildfires in Alaska. We conducted the first assessment of the cardiorespiratory health impacts of exposure to wildfire smoke in Alaska through a retrospective analysis of emergency department visits and particulate matter from recent wildfires. This modeling work can support the development of appropriate air quality thresholds for issuing warnings for vulnerable groups in the state.
We also assessed the mental health impacts, coping strategies, and service gaps during the 2019 wildfires through a series of one-on-one interviews and focus groups with individuals, first responders, and behavioral health providers in southcentral Alaska. This work identified the primary mental health issues as well as the most feasible and actionable interventions to consider moving forward.
Evaluation Planning for Recovery Generation for Pregnant & Postpartum ReentrantsPrincipal Investigator: Ruby Fried
Funding sources: Gulling Consulting
Partners: CITC, Alaska Native Justice Center, Alaska DOC
This project contributes evaluation planning and performance measurement expertise to the Cook Inlet Tribal Council's planning grant entitled "Recovery Generation ofr Pregnant & Postpartum Reentrants" that is developing a combined reentry support and co-occurring disorders wraparound services plan to improve outcomes for prenatal and postpartum mothers.
Alaska Alcohol Abuse Prevention Strategies: Assessment of Assets and GapsPrincipal Investigator: Ruby Fried, Travis Hedwig (DPHS)
Funding sources: Recover Alaska/Division of Behavioral Health Alaska
Partners: Recover Alaska, The Alliance
Supporting ongoing efforts to help establish the statewide Alliance: United to prevent alcohol misuse and promote community wellness. Activities include regional and statewide data scans, creation of training modules, technical and IRB assistance, etc.
COVID-19 in Remote AlaskaPrincipal Investigator: Micah Hahn, Ruby Fried, Laura Eichelberger (ANTHC)
Funding sources: NSF Arctic Social Sciences RAPID
Partners: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Principal Investigators: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: Mat-Su Health Foundation
Partners: Onward & Upward
Research Article: Read the full article
Onward & Upward (O&U) develops adventure-based experiential learning curricula for alternative high school students in Alaska. We developed and implemented a three-pronged evaluation framework to assess the impact of the curriculum on 1) fidelity of O&U programming, 2) individual student outcomes, and 3) the impact of the integration of O&U curriculum on the school environment.
Principal Investigators: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: Alaska INBRE (NIH)
Partners: Alaska Office of the State Veterinarian, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, UAA Alaska Center for Conservation Science
Research Article: Read the full article
Ticks and tick-borne diseases are becoming more of a concern in Alaska. We developed a statewide surveillance system for tick monitoring (Alaska Submit-A-Tick program) where individuals can turn in ticks they find on themselves, their family members, pets, or on wildlife for identification and pathogen testing. We developed the state website on ticks, created a REDCap database and protocols for data collection and management, and performed DNA extraction on ticks. We also conducted field work to sample for ticks in recreational areas in Anchorage and the Kenai peninsula via tick drags and small mammal trapping.
Principal Investigators: Tom Hennessy, Co-PIs: Micah Hahn, Ruby Fried, Lauren Lessard
Funding sources: Municipality of Anchorage
We supported the Municipality of Anchorage COVID-19 response through several activities including real-time outbreak modeling, review of options for non-pharmaceutical interventions, and a series of white papers on the impact of the outbreak on specific topic areas.
Principal Investigators: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Research Article: Read the full article
We combined multiple public use datasets to assess the impact of natural disasters on physical and mental health across the 500 largest cities in the U.S. We found that communities that experienced a natural disaster in the previous years compared to those that had not had a higher incidence of poor reported mental health and physical health, high blood pressure and asthma.
Funding sources: APIA and DOE
The primary purpose of this project was to outline critical issues related to the sampling plan for dietary risk assessments related to protecting human health and the environment following nuclear testing on Amchitka Island in the 1960s and 1970s.
Principal Investigator: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
This project supports the quality improvement of statewide newborn screening for congenital heart defects through statistical data analysis and data management consulting.
Principal Investigators: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: University of Alaska Foundation
Research Article: Read the full article
We led a collaborative effort between the Municipality of Anchorage and over 80 working group members to develop an evidence-based strategy for climate mitigation and adaptation activities in the city. The Anchorage Climate Action Plan was adopted by the Anchorage Assembly in Spring 2019.
Principal Investigators: Micah Hahn
Funding sources: National Indian Health Board
We evaluated the effectiveness of geo-location device check-out program in Wainwright on travel safety in unpredictable weather conditions.
