Ada O Youk

Contributions to Public Health

• Mentoring and teaching: My career has focused on mentoring and teaching while incorporating my research activities into my classes. My contributions have been to inspire students to learn and master statistics, regression modeling, design and research methodology as well as learning innovative pedagogical techniques and ways to reach and retain underrepresented students.
  • Ye L, Youk AO, Sereika, SM, Anderson SJ, Burke LE. A three-step estimation procedure using local polynomial smoothing for inconsistently sampled longitudinal data. Statistics in Medicine. 2016;35(20):3613-22. PMC4961582
  • Isiguzo C, Documet P, Demirci JR, YOUK A, Mendez G, Davis EM, Mendez DD. Comparative Assessment of Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates From 24-Hour Recall and Since Birth Methods in Southwestern Pennsylvania Using Ecological Momentary Assessment. J Hum Lact. 2023 Sep 7:8903344231193734. doi: 10.1177/08903344231193734. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37675868.
• Frailty research among Veterans: One of my main areas of work at the VA was regarding novel frailty (Risk Analysis Index (RAI) and operative stress (Operative Stress score (OSS) measures. 
  • Arya S, Varley P, Youk A, Borrebach J, Perez S, Massarweh NN, Johanning JM, Hall DE. Recalibration and external validation of the Risk Analysis Index: a surgical frailty assessment. Annals of Surgery. 2020;272(6): 996-1005.
  • Estock J, Schlegel C, Shinall MC Jr, Varley PR, Youk A, Hoehn R, Hall DE. Interpreting the Risk Analysis Index of frailty in the context of surgical oncology. J Surg Oncol, 2023;127:1062–1070 2023.
• Health Equity Research Among Veterans: Throughout my work at the VA, I have been involved in many different types of research projects all of which relate to health disparities.
  • Boyer TL, Youk AO, Haas AP, Brown GR, Shipherd JC, Kauth MR, Jasuja GK, Blosnich JR.  Suicide, homicide, and all-cause mortality among transgender and cisgender patients in the Veterans Health Administration.  LGBT Health, 2021; 8(3):173-180.
  • George EL, Jacobs MA, Reitz KM, Massarweh NN, Youk A, Arya S, Hall DE. Outcomes of Women Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery in Veterans Affairs Compared to Non-Veterans Affairs Care Settings. JAMA Surgery 2024;159(5):501-509. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2023.8081.
• Statistical analyses of complex exposure histories: The earlier part of my career was in occupational epidemiology, analyzing large occupational cohorts with complex exposure histories.  I applied the analytical methods of exposure computation and statistical analyses used in occupational epidemiology to pharmacy claims data which was novel in pharmaco-epidemiology.  
  • Youk AO, Marsh GM, Buchanich JM, Downing S, Kennedy KJ, Esmen NA, Hancock RP, Lacey SE. Long-term health experience of jet engine manufacturing workers: IX. Further investigation of general mortality patterns in relation to workplace exposures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2013;55(6):709-21.
  • Mundy LM, Youk AO, McComsey GA, Bowlin SJ. Overall benefit of antiretroviral treatment on the risk of bone fracture in HIV: nested case-control analysis in a health-insured population. AIDS. 2012;26:1073-82.