Expertise

Research Interests

  • Health inequalities
  • Social network methods and analysis
  • Social epidemiology
  • Methods and measurement
  • Applied health communication
  • Cancer prevention, control, and survivorship
  • Health-related technology development

Dr. Eddens? research focuses on the methodological development of social network methods to more efficiently understand the social epidemiology of health outcomes such as cancer and the effects of networks on the cancer prevention and control and survivorship continuum. Dr. Eddens has expertise in social network methods and analysis, applied health communication, technology development, and community-based research in rural and urban health disparities. Her research and teaching agenda focus on understanding the role of social networks within social determinants of disease onset, health care access, and health outcomes. She investigates ways to use engaging technology to improve network data collection methods and measurement, to build upon the research on social connections conducted by epidemiologists such as Berkman, Syme, and Kawachi.

Research interest keywords

  • Social network analysis
  • Social epidemiology
  • Methods and measurement
  • Applied health communication
  • Cancer prevention, control, and survivorship
  • Health-related technology development
Degrees
PhD, Washington University in St. Louis, 2012
MPH, Saint Louis University, 2007
BLA, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1999