The Graduate School’s annual Graduate Education Advancement Board Impact Awards recognize graduate students for contributions they are making to the state of North Carolina. These awards are possible thanks to the unwavering support of the Graduate Education Advancement Board (GEAB).
The longstanding GEAB Impact Award recognizes discoveries with a direct impact on our state in the present time. New for 2017, the Horizon Award recognizes discoveries with future potential to benefit North Carolina (and beyond).
The awards will be presented at the 19th Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on April 20 in the Carolina Club at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center.
Below is an example of one of the award winners. Read more about the all of the winners.
Increasing Walking Among People with Schizophrenia
Julia Browne, Psychology
GEAB Impact Award
Statistics indicate that people with schizophrenia have a life expectancy up to 25 years shorter than people in the general population. This premature mortality often results from preventable causes, such as physical inactivity. Doctoral student Julia Browne conducted a study with the goal of creating a cost-effective and accessible exercise intervention for North Carolinians with schizophrenia. She first met with 14 individuals with schizophrenia and 12 treating clinicians to discuss barriers to exercise and best strategies for increasing exercise. Both groups identified walking as the most accessible and favorable form of exercise and noted the benefits of a group-based program. They also made recommendations to enhance motivation and compensate for barriers; recommendations included the use of pedometers and having a time for “after walk sharing.”
Browne and her research team then created Work Out by Walking (WOW), which featured walking groups, pedometer use, social interaction, goal-setting, daily contact with research staff, feedback on progress and financial incentives. The 10-week program was offered to 16 individuals with schizophrenia who were receiving treatment at a local community mental health center. Participants experienced notable improvement in their activity level, mental and physical health, quality of life and perceived social support.
Browne and her mentor David Penn, Ph.D., partnered with UNC-Chapel Hill exercise physiology expert Claudio Battaglini, Ph.D., and psychiatrist Fred Jarskog, M.D., to develop an enhanced version of WOW. The updated intervention was tested at the same clinic in fall 2016. Browne’s continuing work provides a promising and innovative approach to exercise and may help North Carolinians with schizophrenia lead longer and more fulfilling lives.
“Julia is tackling a significant public health issue in our state: the premature death of individuals with schizophrenia. The beauty of her research is that it can be disseminated to mental health clinics statewide and does not require specialized clinician training or resources. The brightness of her academic career is matched by her passion for helping this clinical population,” said adviser David Penn, Ph.D.
