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 the 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 the co-principal investigator for 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 through age 10 years, 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
Research Profile
0000-0003-2779-3234
- 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
Grants
Education
Contact Details
- Business:
- (352) 273-5362
- Business:
- kgurka@ufl.edu