Jennifer C. Robinson
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Cancer Epidemiology Program
Ph.D., Nursing, 2006, The University of Mississippi Medical Center
Postdoctoral Fellow, Health Promotion & Risk Reduction,
University of Michigan, 2006-2008
Contact Information
2500 N State St., A206
Jackson, MS 39216-4505
Phone: 601-815-9780
Email: jcrobinson@umc.edu
Research Interests
- Environmental and social determinants of health and health outcomes including cancer
- Physical activity and the role of insufficient physical activity on the incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease
- Spatial relationships associated with health and health outcomes
Research Synopsis
Dr. Robinson's program of research is in physical activity and neighborhood context. She has also concentrated on health disparities associated with geographic location and socioeconomic position and uses a social epidemiological approach. Currently, she is involved in the Deep South Network for Cancer Control using a transdisciplinary approach to determine the effects of energy balance through diet and exercise interventions on outcomes associated with cancer incidence and progression. She has expertise in the use of geographic information systems (GIS), multilevel statistical modeling, physical activity, working with minority populations, and experience with a large, prospective epidemiological study that is investigating known and novel causes of cardiovascular disease health disparities. Her dissertation research focused on social and contextual determinants of individual and neighborhoods and their effect on individual physical activity using a socio-ecological theoretical approach. Much of Dr. Robinson's research utilizes a GIS to spatially locate individuals within neighborhoods. She has recently begun to utilize a handheld global positioning system (GPS) to add neighborhood spatial features including built environmental factors.
Recent Accomplishments and Honors
2007 Fellow, Physical Activity and Public Health Eight-Day Postgraduate Course on Research Directions and Strategies. Sponsored by the CDC and University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center. Competitive selection.
2007 Fellow, American Heart Association Ten-Day Seminar on the Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. Competitive selection.
Selected Publications
- Dubbert, P. M., Robinson, J. C., Sung, J. H., Ainsworth, B. E., Wyatt, S. B., Carithers, T., Newton Jr., R., Rhudy, J. L., Barbour, K., Sternfeld, B., & Taylor Jr., H. (2010). Physical Activity and Obesity in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study. Ethnicity & Disease, 20, 383-389.
- Gallagher, N. A., Gretebeck, K. A., Robinson, J. C., Torres, E. R., Murphy, S. L., & Martyn, K. (2010). Neighborhood Factors Relevant for Walking in Older, Urban, African American Adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 18(1), 99-115. NIHMSID # 182012
- Robinson, J. C., Wyatt, S. B, Hickson, D., Gwinn, D., Faruque, F., Sims, M., Sarong, D., & Taylor, H. (2010). Methods for Retrospective Geocoding in Population Studies: The Jackson Heart Study. Journal of Urban Health, 87(1), 136-150. DOI 10.1007/s11524-009-9403-2. PMCID: PMC2821611.
