Kelly K Gurka,
Assistant Professor Of Epidemiology
About Kelly K Gurka
Kelly K. Gurka is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. She earned an MPH at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, after which she served as a maternal and child health epidemiologist in the Alabama Department of Public Health. Dr. Gurka then earned her PhD in epidemiology with an emphasis in injury prevention and control at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; she was the recipient of the 2007 Susan P. Baker Student Paper Prize. Dr. Gurka held faculty positions at the University of Virginia and West Virginia University prior to arriving at the University of Florida.
With funding from agencies including NIH, CDC, NIJ, and HRSA, Dr. Gurka has published research on a range of topics including maternal and child health, workplace violence, sport-related injury, and substance abuse. Her current research interests include the consequences of substance misuse and abuse and its outcomes including fatal overdose and neonatal abstinence syndrome, particularly related to opioids. Dr. Gurka is a co-principal investigator of a study examining pregnancy-associated death among Floridian women. She is also co-principal investigator of the COPE Study at the University of Florida, an international, multi-site study examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women. She is an investigator on the Florida-DECADE study, a planning grant for studying the impact of substance use during pregnancy on the development of children, for which she leads community engagement. Dr. Gurka is also an investigator on the Social Development auxillary study to the parent ABCD Study. Dr. Gurka has collaborated on numerous projects with clinical researchers in many of the health sciences including Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pharmacy, and Nursing.
Dr. Gurka has taught epidemiology and injury prevention courses and mentored both professional and graduate students. She serves on the Science committee for the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research and is a member of the American Public Health Association, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, and the American Evaluation Association.
Accomplishments
ATRN Scholar
2014
·
Appalachian Translational Research Network
Excellence in Diversity Fellow
2007
·
University of Virginia
Susan P. Baker Student Paper Prize
2007
·
Injury Prevention Research Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
Pre-Doctoral Training Fellow
2006-2007
·
US Public Health Service
Doris Buffet Scholarship for the Prevention of Violence Against Women
2003
·
Doris Buffet Foundation
Pre-Doctoral Training Fellow
2002-2006
·
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Research Profile
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0003-2779-3234
Areas of Interest
- Injury Epidemiology
- Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology
- Substance Use Epidemiology, particularly opioids
- Consequences of substance use, including overdose and neonatal abstinence syndrome
- Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnant women, especially vulnerable populations such as women with SUD
- Impact of health policy related to prescribing practices
Publications
2021
Facilitators, barriers and lessons learnt from the first state-wide naloxone distribution conducted in West Virginia.
Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.
27(4):369-2020
[DOI] 10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043666.
[PMID] 32873604.
2021
Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods and Beverages to Infants of Low-Income Women.
Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
[DOI] 10.1089/bfm.2020.0352.
[PMID] 33781096.
2019
Injury Burden in the United States: Accurate, Reliable, and Timely Surveillance Using Electronic Health Care Data.
American journal of public health.
109(12):1702-1706
[DOI] 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305306.
[PMID] 31622141.
2019
Motives for prescription stimulant use by patterns of non-medical use.
Journal of substance use.
24(4):455-460
[DOI] 10.1080/14659891.2019.1604838.
[PMID] 31814798.
2019
Prevalence of Concurrent Prescription Opioid and Hazardous Alcohol Use Among Older Women: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study of Community Members.
Journal of community health.
44(1):172-177
[DOI] 10.1007/s10900-018-0569-y.
[PMID] 30145703.
2019
Reasons for Early Cessation of Breastfeeding Among Women with Low Income.
Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
14(6):375-381
[DOI] 10.1089/bfm.2018.0206.
[PMID] 30994371.
2019
Sex differences in prescription opioid use patterns assessed through a community engagement program in Florida.
Drug and alcohol dependence.
204
[DOI] 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107568.
[PMID] 31568932.
2018
A Randomized Trial of Prenatal Video Education to Improve Breastfeeding Among Low-Income Women.
Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
13(10):666-673
[DOI] 10.1089/bfm.2018.0115.
[PMID] 30351169.
2018
Comparison of Thigh Muscle Strain Occurrence and Injury Patterns Between Male and Female High School Soccer Athletes.
Journal of sport rehabilitation.
27(5):451-459
[DOI] 10.1123/jsr.2016-0178.
[PMID] 28952868.
2017
Intimate partner violence-related hospitalizations in Appalachia and the non-Appalachian United States.
PloS one.
12(9)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0184222.
[PMID] 28886119.
2016
The Impact of a Prenatal Education Video on Rates of Breastfeeding Initiation and Exclusivity during the Newborn Hospital Stay in a Low-income Population.
Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association.
32(1):152-9
[DOI] 10.1177/0890334415599402.
[PMID] 26289058.
2015
Association Between Childhood Residential Mobility and Non-medical Use of Prescription Drugs Among American Youth.
Maternal and child health journal.
19(12):2646-53
[DOI] 10.1007/s10995-015-1785-z.
[PMID] 26156823.
2015
Days to Return to Participation After a Hamstrings Strain Among American Collegiate Soccer Players.
Journal of athletic training.
50(7):733-41
[DOI] 10.4085/1052-6050-50.2.12.
[PMID] 25978100.
2014
Exploring intended infant feeding decisions among low-income women.
Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
9(8):377-84
[DOI] 10.1089/bfm.2014.0013.
[PMID] 25006693.
2014
Factors associated with utilization of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine during pregnancy among women in Kenya: a cross-sectional study.
Maternal and child health journal.
18(5):1104-13
[DOI] 10.1007/s10995-013-1340-8.
[PMID] 23912315.
2014
Non-robbery-related occupational homicides in the retail industry, 2003-2008.
American journal of industrial medicine.
57(2):245-53
[DOI] 10.1002/ajim.22283.
[PMID] 24248892.
2013
Appalachian versus non-Appalachian U.S. traffic fatalities, 2008-2010.
Annals of epidemiology.
23(6):377-80
[DOI] 10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.04.001.
[PMID] 23619016.
2013
Comparison of hamstring strain injury rates between male and female intercollegiate soccer athletes.
The American journal of sports medicine.
41(4):742-8
[DOI] 10.1177/0363546513475342.
[PMID] 23408592.
2013
Rural healthcare disparities: challenges and solutions for the pregnant opioid-dependent population.
The West Virginia medical journal.
109(4):22-7
[PMID] 23930558.
View on:
PubMed
2012
An examination of strategies for preventing workplace homicides committed by perpetrators that have a prior relationship with the workplace or its employees.
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.
54(12):1533-8
[DOI] 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31826e2928.
[PMID] 23138043.
2012
Sport-related kidney injury among high school athletes.
Pediatrics.
130(1):e40-5
[DOI] 10.1542/peds.2011-2082.
[PMID] 22711726.
2012
Workplace homicides among U.S. women: the role of intimate partner violence.
Annals of epidemiology.
22(4):277-84
[DOI] 10.1016/j.annepidem.2012.02.009.
[PMID] 22463843.
2011
Emotional, developmental and behavioural co-morbidities of children with chronic health conditions.
Journal of paediatrics and child health.
47(10):742-7
[DOI] 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02044.x.
[PMID] 21449905.
2011
In-hospital cardiac arrest: impact of monitoring and witnessed event on patient survival and neurologic status at hospital discharge.
Resuscitation.
82(7):845-52
[DOI] 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2011.02.028.
[PMID] 21454008.
2011
Intraoperative factors and the risk of respiratory complications after pneumonectomy.
The Annals of thoracic surgery.
92(4):1188-94
[DOI] 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2011.06.022.
[PMID] 21958762.
2011
Sex differences in concussion symptoms of high school athletes.
Journal of athletic training.
46(1):76-84
[DOI] 10.4085/1062-6050-46.1.76.
[PMID] 21214354.
2010
Internal pilots for observational studies.
Biometrical journal. Biometrische Zeitschrift.
52(5):590-603
[DOI] 10.1002/bimj.201000050.
[PMID] 20857422.
2009
A review of the Journal of Pediatrics: the first 75 years.
The Journal of pediatrics.
155(1):16-20, 20.e1
[DOI] 10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.08.049.
[PMID] 18926546.
2009
Contrasting robbery- and non-robbery-related workplace homicide: North Carolina, 1994-2003.
American journal of preventive medicine.
37(1):17-23
[DOI] 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.03.013.
[PMID] 19423270.
2009
Human papillomavirus profile of women in Belize City, Belize: correlation with cervical cytopathologic findings.
Human pathology.
40(7):942-9
[DOI] 10.1016/j.humpath.2008.12.015.
[PMID] 19299000.
2008
National study of physical and sexual assault among women with disabilities.
Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.
14(2):87-90
[DOI] 10.1136/ip.2007.016451.
[PMID] 18388227.
Grants
Jul 2021
ACTIVE
Reducing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the Covid-19 Era and Beyond
Role: Consultant
Funding: FL DEPT OF HLTH
Nov 2019
– Apr 2021
Improving Lactation Success in Mothers of Critically Infants Using Personalized Real-Time Biomarker Based Text Messages
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL
Sep 2019
ACTIVE
Florida Development in Early Childhood: Adversity and Drug Exposure (FL-DECADE) Study
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIDA
Jul 2019
– Jun 2020
FADAA
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FL ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ASSO
via SUBSTANCE ABUSE MENTAL HLTH SER ADMIN
Sep 2018
– Aug 2019
Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States (CE15-1501) Year 4
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: WEST VIRGINIA UNIV RES CORP
via CTRS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Jul 2018
ACTIVE
ABCD – Social Development Study
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: UNIV OF PITTSBURGH
via US DEPT OF JUSTICE NATL INST OF JUSTICE
Sep 2017
– Aug 2018
Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: WEST VIRGINIA UNIV RES CORP
via CTRS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Mar 2016
– Aug 2017
Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States (CE15-1501)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: WEST VIRGINIA UNIV RES CORP
via CTRS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Nov 2015
– Feb 2016
Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention: Boost for State Prevention
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: WEST VIRGINIA UNIV RES CORP
via US DEPT OF HLTH AND HUMAN SER
Education
PhD in Epidemiology
2007
·
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MPH in Epidemiology
1999
·
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
2016-2021
PHC6001 Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health
2020
PHC7918 Independent Study
2017-2021
GMS6847 Translational Research and Therapeutics: Bench, Bedside, Community, & Policy
2019
PHC6601 Seminar in Contemporary Public Health Issues
2019
PHC6946 Public Health Internship
2017
PHC4101 Public Health Concepts
2021
PHC6941 MPH Applied Practice Experience
2021
PHC6971 Research for Master’s Thesis
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 273-5362
Emails:
- Business:
- kgurka@ufl.edu