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INSPIRE Lab News & Publications

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Mathias Student Research Conference 2026 Highlights 

INSPIRE team at the Mathias Student Research Conference

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with American University undergraduate research assistants Alexander Diller (far left), Jacqueline Guajardo (center left) and Imaan Hassan (right) 
 

Imaan and Liana with poster

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with American University undergraduate research assistant Imaan Hassan 
 

Jacqueline and Liana in front of Jacqueline's poster

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with American University undergraduate research assistant Jacqueline Guajardo 
 

American Public Health Association Annual Conference 2025 Highlights 

Alex and Liana next to APHA sign

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with American University undergraduate research assistant Alexander Diller 
 

Liana Petruzzi presents

Dr. Liana Petruzzi presenting at APHA 2026 
 

Liana, Nidhi, and Alex

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with Johns Hopkins University graduate research assistant Nidhi Nakra (center) and American University undergraduate research assistant Alexander Diller (right) 
 

More INSPIRE Highlights

Dr. Liana Petruzzi presenting

Dr. Liana Petruzzi presenting on Community Health Worker and Social Worker collaboration and integration at the Society on Social Work Research’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA

r. Liana Petruzzi presented on the immigrant paradox in perinatal mental health with Risihit Yokananth, an undergraduate student and mentee from UT Austin.

Dr. Liana Petruzzi presented on the immigrant paradox in perinatal mental health with Risihit Yokananth, an undergraduate student and mentee from UT Austin.
 

Dr. Liana Petruzzi speaking with the perinatal panel

Dr. Liana Petruzzi presenting alongside a panel of perinatal researchers and providers at the Society on Social Work Research’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.

Liana Petruzzi with Nidhi Nakra at John Hopkins event.

Dr. Liana Petruzzi had a poster presentation on the implementation of a state-wide, sexual health education program in Texas with collaborators at UT Austin, UT Health Houston, and Healthy Futures of Texas.

Dr. Liana Petruzzi and perinatal presenters

Dr. Liana Petruzzi alongside perinatal researchers and providers at the Society on Social Work Research’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.

Drs. Petruzzi and McClain

Dr. Liana Petruzzi with Dr. McClain Sampson at the Society on Social Work Research’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.

Liana Petruzzi presentation with Nidhi Nakra.

Dr. Liana Petruzzi co-authored an oral presentation on community health worker and social worker collaboration in public health with Nidhi Nakra, a doctoral candidate at John Hopkins School of Public Health.

Selected Publications & Presentations

Publications

  1. Petruzzi, L. J., Garza, B., Patel, S., Brode, W. M., Hanson, K., Degtoff, T., Mora, C., Garay, R., Phillips, F., Cook, R., Mercer, T., & Valdez, C. R. (2025). Addressing Health-Related Social Needs During COVID-19 Through a Hospital-Based, Community Health Worker Program: A Case Study. Health Promotion Practice, 15248399241311289. DOI: 10.1177/15248399241311289
  2. Petruzzi, L. J., Errisuriz, V. L., Valdez, C. R., & Parra‐Medina, D. (2025). The Role of Perceived Neighborhood Factors and the Built Environment on Depression and Stress Among Latinas on US‐Mexico Border. Journal of Community Psychology, 53(1), jcop.23165. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23165
  3. Smithwick, J., Petruzzi, L., Nakra, N. M., Lee, L., Chang, S., Busch, J., & Wilkinson, G. (2025). Effective Integration and Collaboration of Community Health Workers and Social Workers: Essential Strategies for Health and Social Service Systems. The Coalition for CHW-SW Collaboration.
  1. Petruzzi, L.J., Smithwick, J., Lee, L., Delva, J., Fox, L., Wilkinson, G., Vohra-Gupta, S., Aranda, M., Valdez, C.R., Jones, B.J., & the Community Health Worker (CHW) and Social Worker (SW) National Workgroup. (2024). Community health work and social work collaboration and integration in healthcare and public health settings: A conceptual framework. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 47(3), 187-202. DOI: 10.1097/JAC.0000000000000498
  2. Vohra-Gupta., S., Maclaine, B., Kim, N., Petruzzi, L.J., & Rhodes, D. (2024). Critical Race Theory in Social Work Education & Policy Practice: A Scoping Review. Social Work Education, 1-13. DOI: 10.1080/10437797.2024.2338229
  3. Petruzzi, L.J., Milano, N., Chen, Q., Noel, L., Golden, R., & Jones, B. (2024). Social Workers are Key to Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Integrated Care Settings. Social Work in Health Care, 63(2), 89-101. DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2023.2292565
  4. Milano, N., Petruzzi, L.J., Covington, E., Jones, B. & Findley, P.A. (2022). Social workers in integrated care beyond primary care: A scoping review. Translational Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibac082
  5. Noel, L., Chen, Q., Petruzzi, L.J., Phillips, F., Garay, R., Valdez, C., Aranda, M.P., & Jones, B. (2022). Collaborative health and mental health interventions in the United States with Community Health Workers and Social Workers: A systematized review. Health and Social Care in the Community, 00, 1–15. http://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14061
  6. Vohra-Gupta, S., Petruzzi, L.J., Jones, C. & Cubbin, C. (2022). An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Barriers to Healthcare for Women. Journal of Community Health, 1-10.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-022-01147-8
  7. Petruzzi, L.J., Ewald, B., Covington, E., Rosenberg, W., Golden, R., & Jones, B. (2022). Exploring the Efficacy of Social Work Interventions in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review. Social Work in Public Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2022.2104415
  8. Petruzzi, L.J., Prezio, E., Phillips, F., Smith, B., Currin-McCulloch, J., Kvale, E., Eckhardt, G. & Jones, B. (2022). An exploration of financial toxicity among low-income patients with cancer in Central Texas: A mixed methods analysis. Palliative & Supportive Care.https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S1478951522000256
  9. Petruzzi, L.J., Vohra-Gupta, S., Valdez, C., & Cubbin, C. (2021). Nativity Moderates the Relationship Between Nationality and Healthcare Access for Some Latinx Women in the United States. Ethnicity & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2021.1976396
  1. Diller, A., Mukam, J., Petruzzi, L., McCullers, A., Perry, A., Patchen, L. “Exploring social determinants of perinatal health in DC: A community-based, qualitative study.” Poster presentation at the Mathias Undergraduate Research Conference. March 2026. 
  2.  Guajardo, J., Gomez, D., Lopez, R., Murillo, R., & Petruzzi, L. “Nacimiento y Acompañamiento con Equidad y Respeto (NACER): A community based perinatal mental health intervention for Latina Women in Central Texas.” Poster presentation at the Mathias Student Research Conference. March 2026. 
  3. Hassan, I., Chatham, A., Petruzzi, L., Schnarrs, P., Banks, T., & Valdez, C.R. “An Evaluation of Barriers and Facilitators to Community Based Participatory Research in Central Texas.” Poster presentation at the Mathias Student Research Conference. March 2026. 
  4.  Petruzzi, L., Khullar, R., Blake, K., Turner, D., Backus, E. & Furr, T. “The Black Solidarity Model: A Community-Led Approach to Perinatal Health in Central Texas.” Presenter at the Association of Child and Maternal Health Programs Conference. March 2026. 
  5. Petruzzi, L., Palmer Molina, A., Pritt, L., & Paris, R. “The Importance of Participatory Research Methods for Perinatal Program Planning.” Organizer, moderator and presenter of a symposium at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference. January 2026. 
  6. Petruzzi, L., Valdez, C., Schnarrs, P., & Banks, T. “An Evaluation of a Community Academic Partnership for Health Equity Program in a Medical School.” Presenter at the American Public Health Association. November 2025. 
  7.  Petruzzi, L., Valdez, C., Munoz, E., Schnarrs, P. “World Café Conversations as a Meaningful Community Engagement Methodology.” Presenter and moderator at the Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health Sciences Annual Conference. September 2025. 
  8. Petruzzi, L. J., Milano, N., Nakra, N. & CHW/SW National Workgroup. How Integrated are Social Workers and Community Health Workers in Healthcare and Public Health Settings? A Mixed Methods Assessment. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference. January 15-19, 2025.
  9. Petruzzi, L. J., Haiman, M., Sampson, M., Miller, E., Parra-Medina, D., & Valdez, C. R. Social Work Interventions Can Improve Perinatal Mental Health: A Systematized Review. Oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference. January 15-19, 2025.
  10. Petruzzi, L.J., Yokananth, R., Rosenthal, M., Hudson, E., Harper, L., Valdez, C., & Burgermaster, M. Exploring the immigrant paradox in perinatal mental health with a Latina sample from Central Texas. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference. October 2024.
  11. Petruzzi, L.J., Luis, B., McQueen, S., Morales-Campos, D., Calderon-Mora, J. & Parra-Medina, D. Lessons learned from “Talk About It Texas”: A statewide, sexual health education implementation project. Poster presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference. October 2024.
  12. Nakra, N., Petruzzi, L.J., Chang, S. & the SW/CHW National Workgroup. A qualitative exploration of multilevel factors that support effective community health worker-social worker collaboration and health equity. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference. October 2024.