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Research Epidemiologist/Post Doc
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Stoneville, Mississippi, United States
Dr. Tameka Ivory Walls received a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Chemistry and Master of Science in Environmental Science from Mississippi Valley State University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Epidemiology from Walden University. She completed the New Leader Program in Leadership and Management with USDA Graduate School and was honored by the CDC and other federal agencies as an Emerging Leader in Environmental Public Health. Dr. Tameka Ivory Walls is currently a Research Epidemiologist/Post Doc with the USDA Agriculture Research Service. Her research focus is on determining dietary factors and patterns associated with childhood and adult obesity and related chronic diseases, particularly in underserved and at risk for chronic disease populations. Recently, Dr. Walls was selected as the Southeastern Area Representative for USDA ARS Post Doc Advisory Council. Before being sworn in at USDA, Dr. Walls served as Director of the Mississippi Delta Health (MDHC) Collaborative and the State Director of Heart Disease and Stroke Program with Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). During her tenure, she successfully led efforts in the Mississippi Delta with integrating Clinical Health Outreach Workers in health systems where the model was highlighted in the 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guide for Best Practices for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs, expanded statewide and recommended nationally. Some of her other accomplishments include managed the research project through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that evaluated an alternate method for human papillomavirus (HPV) screening recommending strategies to decrease cervical cancer rates in the Delta; directed and taught the first diabetes prevention cohort that led to the establishment and achievement of national recognition of the MSDH Diabetes Prevention Program; and managed the first epidemiological study of its kind in the MS Delta (Delta Cardiovascular Health Examination Survey) which led to the development of several public health evidence based practices in the Delta. Dr. Walls has facilitated alliances and collaborations with healthcare systems, community based organizations, municipalities, policy makers, and community health workers. She has served as an advisor for clinical community health workers statewide and nationally.
On Demand
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