The 2019 Nashman Prize for Community Based Participatory Research, second place: Aiswarya Bulusu
Study: Dental health assessment in autistic youth: Results from a national study of children’s health.
Partner: Local Young Adults with Autism
Aiswarya Bulusu is a Masters student in Epidemiology in the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Given her previous experiences volunteering in village dental camps near her home in India, Aiswarya developed an interest in dentistry and oral health. In Sean Cleary’s PUBH 6299 course, she had the opportunity to serve with SPARC (specially adapted resource clubs) as well as engage with young adult autistics attending Dr. Cleary’s course.
“Due to my interest in oral health, I asked them about their experiences and opinions on dental healthcare and was taken aback to learn that most of their experiences were unpleasant and frightful. This motivated me to focus my research inquiry on what is the current status of dental health and preventative care in oral health among autistic youth, by examining the existing data from National Survey of Children’s Health.” Aiswarya presented her findings to the autistic young adults, their families, and to SPARC staff. Her future research interests will build upon these findings and upon these stakeholders’ reactions the findings and to their experiences with oral health. She continues to serve with SPARC.
The Nashman Prize for CBPR recognizes excellence in Community-Based Participatory Research and is awarded annually in April at the GW Research Showcase.
