Birken Lab

At the Birken Lab we aim to study the implementation of evidence-based practices and the de-implementation of low-value practices in cancer care; middle managers’ role in implementation; and the selection and application of implementation theories, models, and frameworks with a focus on organization and multilevel theories.

Projects

• User-Friendly IT-Enabled Tools for Researchers to Harmonize Interventions, Contexts, and Implementation Strategies / Major Goals: To optimize the usability of methods for implementation researchers to account for the relationship among interventions, contexts, and implementation strategies.
• Pilot of Supporting Transitions AfteR Treatment (START): An Intervention to Optimize Survivorship Care / Major Goals: To facilitate survivors transitions across the cancer care trajectory.
• Organization Theory for Implementation Science (OTIS) / Major Goals: To increase access to theories of how interactions among organizations influence the integration of evidence into practice among implementation scientists.

Our Team

	Sarah Birken, PhD I am an associate professor in the Department of Implementation Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and a member of the Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center. My research focuses on organizational determinants of implementation, middle managers' roles in implementing evidence-based practices, the implementation of innovations in cancer care, and the selection and application of implementation theories. I have received research funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Cancer Research Network, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute. I serve as co-chair of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Research Program Committee on Dissemination and Implementation and as an expert speaker for organizations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Directors. I am also committed to the advancement of women scholars. I have published on the topic and co-host AcaDames, a podcast about women in academia.
	Alex Peluso, MS I am a behavior change and evaluation expert who applies implementation science methodologies to promote health behaviors, specifically healthy eating and physical activity in children and adolescents, as well as optimize cancer care and cancer survivorship for all. I received my bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in health behavior and health education from the University of Texas.
	Cheyenne Wagi, MA, MPH, CPH I am a research associate and joined Dr. Birken's team in 2020. I have master’s degrees in public health and applied medical anthropology. I am a qualitative research specialist with years of experience across the entire research process. I have worked on a variety of public health and anthropological research studies, from individual health behaviors to health systems. I have a special interest in research at the intersection of biocultural phenomena and women's health.
	Aliza Randazzo I am an associate project manager in the Department of Implementation Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. I received my bachelor of science degree in public health from the University of South Carolina. The majority of the projects I provide support for are related to digital and mobile health. Specifically, apps that help patients learn about lung and colorectal cancer screening opportunities and allow them to order their screening test within the program. I also assist on several projects that facilitate implementation of assessment programs and interventions in cancer patients and survivors by optimizing effectiveness.
	Laura Dytrt, MPH I am an assistant project manager in the Department of Implementation Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. I am currently involved in projects focused on using implementation science methods and frameworks to understand disparities in health-related social needs screening in cancer centers and HPV vaccination to inform context-specific adaptations of evidence-based practices. I received my bachelor’s degree in biology from Lenoir-Rhyne University and master’s degree in public health with a concentration in infectious disease management, intervention, and community practice from the University of Pittsburgh.