According to Columbia University, the T32 position is a National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded training program to help prepare a new generation of seven postdoctoral trainees. The trainees will be provided with research, support, didactic courses, networking opportunities, and financial assistance to conduct interdisciplinary research using informatics and precision medicine approaches to advance health equity and facilitate evidence-based practice in underserved populations. 

The program, entitled “Reducing Health Disparities through Informatics (RheaDI),” provides world-class mentorship in sciences and training in competitive grant writing and is committed to an educational environment designed to provide trainees with the necessary skills to become successful independent investigators.

Scroggins said this program was one of her top choices, and she is excited about this opportunity. “I will be working with professors with different expertise in epigenomics and health disparities research in perinatal populations and machine learning, which fit well with my interests,” Scroggins said. “The director of the T32 program told me that my recommendation letters were ‘glowing’ and ‘impressive,' which made me stand out from others, so I am very grateful to my DUSON support Dr. Karin Reuter-Rice, Dr. Debra Brandon, and Dr. Qing Yang. 

The RHeaDI Fellowship program’s training activities are aligned with three scientific areas: promoting innovation, technology to improve health and 21st century nurse scientists, and innovative strategies for research careers. During Scroggins time, she will be conducting research, publishing research abstracts and papers, and advancing grantsmanship skills.

Scroggins said that based on the program’s focus, she hopes to further her substantive and methodological training in maternal-infant health disparities research, particularly around epigenetics, Social Determinants of Health, and cardiovascular disease health, using machine learning and machine learning-based algorithms. 

“Receiving further training from and collaborating with experts in health disparities and equity research would be critically valuable for me to achieve my long-term goal to illuminate complex pathways between various factors (e.g., clinical, biological, social determinants of health) and maternal-infant health outcomes, which would contribute to reducing racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality including preterm birth,” Scroggins said.

During DUSON’s 2023 Spring Hooding and Graduation Ceremony, she was awarded a Ph.D. in nursing. Scroggins is a native of South Korea and is married to her husband Daniel of 12 years.