ICRE News

August 1, 2019

PhD in CTS Student Successfully Defends Dissertation

PhD in Clinical and Translational Science student Colleen Judge-Golden successfully defended her dissertation on July 24. Her dissertation is entitled “Patient-, Provider- and System-Level Factors Impacting Contraceptive Access and Use.”

Dr. Judge-Golden’s primary research mentor is Dr. Sonya Borrero. Dr. Borrero serves as the director of the Center for Women’s Health Research and Innovation (CWHRI) and as the associate director of the VA’s Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion.

Drs. Judge-Golden and Borrero’s research on birth control dispensing in veteran populations recently made headlines across the country. In her research, Dr. Judge-Golden observed that typically, limits on medication dispensing are understood to be cost-saving policies, as they help prevent a backup of wasted or unused medications. However, in this case, the potential consequences of gaps in use or missed refills of birth control medications, which could result in unwanted pregnancies, outweigh concerns about medication wastage.

Dr. Judge-Golden is a combined MD/PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She will be returning to medical school this fall to complete her medical degree.

Congratulations, Colleen!