The Shiyanbola Research Group designs innovative tools and interventions that improve medication adherence and disease self-management, reduce disparity gaps in diabetes and related chronic diseases, and increase health literacy. Our interventions improve the health of patients and advance health equity in diverse marginalized communities.
Welcome
The Shiyanbola Research Group is a diverse team of creative minds passionate about patient-centered interdisciplinary research improving medication taking behaviors, health literacy, and health equity.
In our welcoming environment, we conduct research that focuses on patient and community perspectives, stakeholder engagement, innovative scientific tools and methodologies, and improved health outcomes. We are a highly collaborative team, working with many other groups at the University of Michigan, other US and international universities, clinics, pharmacies, community partners, social service organizations, and community-academic networks. Located at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, a top research university, the Shiyanbola Research Group members are supported with research and academic resources, mentoring, and networking opportunities with leading researchers.
Our diverse team is mentored by Dr. Shiyanbola, who has advised doctoral students, visiting international scholars, pharmacy students, and undergraduates with successful career trajectories. Our lab members hold first-author publications, are recipients of competitive scholarships, and are winners of teaching, abstract, and research presentation awards. We invite you to learn more, explore the exciting research occurring in the Shiyanbola Research Group, and meet the talented members of the team who are making a difference in advancing knowledge that improves the health of various marginalized communities.
Research
Managing a chronic disease is one of the most difficult tasks patients face. At least one-half of patients do not take their medicines properly or as recommended by their healthcare provider. This problem leads to poor health outcomes, higher healthcare costs, and even death. Unfortunately, solutions to this problem among marginalized populations such as persons with limited health literacy, chronic diseases like diabetes, and communities of color, are lacking.
The Shiyanbola Research Group strives to advance healthy communities by understanding barriers to medication use and adherence, assessing challenges with the management of diabetes and related chronic diseases, and design novel tools and interventions that improve health outcomes. We do this in cooperation with patient, community, academic, and clinical partners.
- Using patient and partner perspectives to understand barriers to medication use and chronic disease self-management among various marginalized populations
- Examining interdisciplinary approaches to address health literacy and equity gaps in medication use, pharmacy practice, and patient care
- Developing new measurement tools for providers and researchers to advance their science and practice
- Designing and implementing novel behavioral clinical trials and interventions to improve diabetes and other related chronic disease outcomes
- Using mixed methods approaches to assess, design, and implement educational, behavioral, community-based, and clinical interventions
Core Focus Areas
Core 1: Diabetes and Related Chronic Diseases among Marginalized Populations
- We study diabetes self-management in diverse marginalized communities. We develop and implement novel tools and interventions that reduce diabetes outcome disparities in community, pharmacy, and clinical settings.
- Our team has developed and conducted the initial testing of a culturally adapted tool that assesses illness perceptions of African American/Black patients with diabetes. The tool included unique sociocultural influences that often affect perceptions of diabetes in these communities.
- Using a community-engaged approach, we developed and implemented Peers LEAD, our novel intervention to improve medication adherence among African American/Blacks with type 2 diabetes. We tested a newer version of our intervention that incorporates Peers LEAD into an existing widely disseminated diabetes self-management program called Healthy Living with Diabetes. This is called Peers EXCEL.
- Using co-design approach and design for dissemination principles, we adapted a Diabetes Self-Management Education and tested the adapted program in a pilot implementation trial.
Core 2: Medication Use and Adherence
- Our team focuses on longitudinal evaluations of medication adherence outcomes and pharmacy- and community-based interventions to improve medication use and adherence. We evaluated how medication adherence outcomes change over time and explored how psychosocial and interpersonal factors impact medication adherence changes.
Explore related projects
Core 3: Health Literacy and Health Equity
- Using a community-engaged approach, we conduct studies that address health literacy and health equity for diverse, marginalized populations. We have developed and implemented a pharmacist-led intervention that focuses on addressing health literacy and its associated psychosocial factors in a clinic setting.
- Enhancing diabetes maNagement with phaRmacIsts and Community Health workers (ENRxICH)- NIH/NIDDK-funded 5-year study 1R01DK136690-01
- AHRQ 1R01 HS029477-01
- Healthy Living for You – NIH/CTSA UW Institute of Clinical and Translational Research (Stakeholder and Patient Engaged Research Pilot)
Honors and Awards
- 2024 Faculty Mentorship Award (Dr. Shiyanbola), UW Insititute of Clinical and Translational Research
- 2024 Midwest Social And Administrative Sciences in Pharmacy Conference Best Abstract Award (Meng-Jung Wen)
- 2024 Society of Behavioral Medicine Evidence-Based Behavioral Medicine SIG Best Trainee Award (Meng-Jung Wen)
- 2023 2nd Place Best Poster for Abstract “Integrating An Adapted Methods-Motivational Interviewing Approach in Enrollment and Retainment of Trial Participants: Lessons Learned from A Pilot Behaviora Intervention Among Black Adults with Diabetes” UW Diabetes Research Day (Meng-Jung Wen)
- 2023 Taiwanese Government Dissertation Grant Award (Meng-Jung Wen)
- 2023 Outstanding Trainee Abstract Award- Diabetes SIG, Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference (Meng-Jung Wen)
- 2023 Mentorship Award (Dr. Shiyanbola), Society of Behavioral Medicine Health Equity SIG
- 2021 Meritorious and Citation Award Winner for Abstract “Development of a Culturally Adapted Illness Perception Questionnaire for African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes”
- 2021 NIH Fellow, OBBSR, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and Office of Disease Prevention Institute on Innovative Approaches to Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials
- 2022 Best Overall Poster Award at 15th Annual Dissemination and Implementation Conference and Best Poster – health equity track, for co-authored abstract “Systems modeling to integrate health equity into implementation science: cultural adaptation of an implementation program for tele- ophthalmology in urban, low-income Black communities”
- 2021 Meritorious and Citation Award Winner for Abstract “Development of a Culturally Adapted Illness Perception Questionnaire for African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes” presented at Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference. Team members: Olayinka Shiyanbola, Deepika Rao (graduate student), Sierra Kuehl and Menggi Zhang (PharmD students), and Daniel Bolt (collaborator)
- 2019 Best Poster in Health Literacy Award for “Investigation of the Barriers and Facilitators of Medication Adherence among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes across health literacy levels”, presented at International Conference of Communication in Healthcare/Health Literacy Annual Research Conference. Team members: Olayinka Shiyanbola and Yen-Ming Huang (graduate student alum)
- 2017 Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for the best paper published in Women’s Health Issues in for ‘Does Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence among Cardiovascular Disease Patients Vary by Gender? Evidence from a Nationally Representative Sample’ Team member: Olayinka Shiyanbola
- 2016 NIH Health Disparities Research Scholar, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Institute
- 2016 Best Poster Presentation Prize Winner for “Refining prescription warning labels: patient and pharmacist perspectives” presented at the International Social Pharmacy Workshop Team members: Olayinka Shiyanbola and Yen-Ming Huang (graduate student alum)
News
July 2024
Dr. Shiyanbola receives a 2024 Faculty Mentorship Award from the UW Insititute of Clinical and Translational Research
June 2024
Meng-Jung Wen receives research award: 2024 Midwest Social And Administrative Sciences in Pharmacy Conference Best Abstract Award
April 2024
Meng-Jung Wen is honored with the 2024 Society of Behavioral Medicine Evidence-Based Behavioral Medicine SIG Best Trainee Award
January 23, 2024
Annika Pickard and Kenzie Hansen Wins First Place Graduate Student Category at ICTR Research Day
January 23, 2024
Living Well and Empowered Program Ends with Appreciation/Dissemination Dinner for all participants, community partners, and collaborators
November 7, 2023
Dr. Shiyanbola co-led a workshop on “Preparing for Promotion with an Eye to the Everyday” at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare 2023
November 7, 2023
Yen-Ming Huang (Alum), Adati Tarfa (Alum), and Meng-Jung Wen (Current PhD student) presented their research at ICCH 2023!
Exciting News from the Lab!
We’re thrilled to share some fantastic updates from ICCH 2023 in Puerto Rico, where our talented researchers – Yen-Ming Huang (Alum), Adati Tarfa (Alum), and Meng-Jung Wen (Current PhD student) made waves with their groundbreaking work in adherence, HIV, and diabetes.
Meng-Jung Wen, under the mentorship of Dr. Shiyanbola, showcased her cutting-edge work on integrating a Method-Motivational Interviewing approach in recruiting Black adults for a diabetes self-management trial. Her poster presentation on Day 1 garnered much attention and admiration.
But that’s not all! Meng-Jung’s independent study, applying network analysis, a innovative approach, to explore illness perceptions in Black adults with type 2 diabetes, has been accepted as a podium presentation on day 3. We can’t wait to hear more about her findings!
Congratulations to all our researchers for their hard work!
September 27, 2023
Meng-Jung Wen wins 2nd place best poster at UW Diabetes Research Day! M. Hansen and A. Pickard selected to present posters
September 27, 2023
We welcomed Tina Kansariwala (Research Specialist-Madison), Delicia Morris (Research Specialist-Milwaukee), Graduate Student- Annika Pickard, and Pharm D students- Lorraine Onchiri and Tegan Quinn
September 27, 2023
Dr. Shiyanbola is invited to speak at NIH/NHLBI Centering Communities in Dissemination Research to Promote Health Equity Workshop
September 27, 2023
Adati Tarfa completes her PhD and accepts Post Doc Position at Yale School of Medicine
June 28, 2023
Meng-Jung Wen Receives Taiwanese Government Dissertation Grant
June 24, 2023
Dr Shiyanbola invited as NIH mixed methods faculty
June 8, 2023
UW–Madison School of Pharmacy
Addressing Beliefs and Perceptions to Improve Medication Adherence – Blog – NIDDK
June 8, 2023
Dr. Shiyanbola is the 2023 Health Equity SIG Award winner! She received the Mentorship Award SBM2023 for her major impact and excellence in the field of health equity as a mentor
June 8, 2023
Dr. Shiyanbola featured as an expert on NIDDK Diabetes Discoveries and Blog
June 8, 2023
Adati Tarfa and Meng-Jung Wen receive awards at the 2023 Society of Behavioral Medicine Meeting