The North Florida Asthma Research Program
Asthma is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Although there is no cure currently available, it can be effectively managed with proper treatment and care. Florida Health Charts reported that in 2022, the state's emergency departments treated at least 81,537 patients for asthma and had 9,447 hospitalizations.
The North Florida Asthma Research Program, led by Dr. Karen MacDonell, uses three primary domains based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model:
- Knowledge about asthma and asthma management
- Motivation to manage asthma
- Skills necessary to manage asthma (e.g. proper inhaler use)
Current Asthma Research
The ATHENA Project
ATHENA is a multisite initiative targeting the same demographic of racial minority young adults in the U.S. This study seeks to develop an effective mobile asthma management intervention tailored to this population, employing various technological components to improve asthma control. Go to the ATHENA Project study page.
North Florida Asthma Research
Our research team is conducting group discussions to understand how emerging minority adults in Florida manage their disease and what interventions are needed to help this population live healthily.
Meet Our Team
Faculty & Team Leaders
Karen MacDonell, PhD, is the North Florida Asthma Research Program Lead Investigator, the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Program Lead Investigator, and an Associate Professor in the Florida State University College of Medicine.
Marie Denis-Luque, MSPH, MPH, works under the supervision of Dr. Karen MacDonell as Program Director.
Amy Hall, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine and works under the mentorship of Dr. Karen MacDonell at CTBScience.
Student Team Members
Sharon Warrior is a medical student at Florida State University.
Jada Lydia Ann Hewitt is a first-year medical student at the FSU College of Medicine.
Rafael Beltroy is a freshman at FSU pursuing a degree in exercise physiology with a minor in psychology.
Kiari A. Johnson is a third-year pre-med student majoring in environmental science.
Velan Thanasekar is a second-year student pursuing a degree in microbiology and cell science and public health at the University of Florida.
Key Publications
- Hall, A. L., Movva, P., Dailey, R., Gibson-Scipio, W., Baptist, A. P., & MacDonell, K. K. (2024). COVID-19 vaccine intentions and attitudes in Black American emerging adults with asthma. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1356. *Senior author. Read the full article: COVID-19 vaccine intentions and attitudes in Black American emerging adults with asthma.
- MacDonell, K.K., Bruzzese, J., Dinaj-Koci, V., Gibson-Scipio, W., Starbird, W., Hall, A., Dailey, R., Jacques-Tiura, A., & Wang, B. (2023). Predictors of adherence to controller medication in urban African American emerging adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma. Journal of Asthma, 1-8. Read the full article: Predictors of adherence to controller medication in urban African American emerging adults with uncontrolled persistent asthma.
- MacDonell, K.K., Naar, S., Gibson-Scipio, W., Lam, P., & Secord, E. (2016). The Detroit Young Adult Asthma Project: Pilot of a technology-based medication adherence intervention for African American emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(4), 465-71. Read the full article: The Detroit Young Adult Asthma Project: Pilot of a technology-based medication adherence intervention for African American emerging adults.