Profile
Dr. Carolina Perez-Heydrich coordinates the Public Health major and minor at Meredith College. She teaches an introductory biology course for non-majors, along with core courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health for the major. Her primary research interests are focused on spatial epidemiology and the interplay between population health outcomes and host-environment interactions. Specifically, her work addresses the role of neighborhood/environmental factors on population patterns of disease, and involves the use of spatial data to address topics associated with infectious disease and public health. Dr. Perez-Heydrich also has experience serving as a statistical consultant/collaborator on population health projects directed by MEASURE DHS and the UNC Spatial Health Research Group. Additionally, she collaborates as a biostatistician on projects related to veterinary public health with other academic as well as federal partners. Prior to starting at Meredith College in August 2013 Perez-Heydrich was a postdoctoral fellow jointly appointed by the Carolina Population Center and UNC Department of Biostatistics. She has a Master’s of Public Health degree in Biostatistics, and a Ph.D. in veterinary medical sciences.
Academic Credentials
M.P.H. in Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2012
Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Florida, 2010
B.S. in Biology, Davidson College, 2003
Research
Dr. Perez-Heydrich is currently mentoring students on the following research projects: (1) Quantifying the indirect effects of community-level interventions on malaria incidence, and (2) Effectiveness of prenatal services on birth outcomes of mothers exposAwards
NIEHS T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2010-12
Morris Animal Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, 2008-10
Publications
Perez-Heydrich, C., J. L. Warren, C. R. Burgert, and M. E. Emch. 2013. Guidelines on the Use of DHS GPS Data. Spatial Analysis Reports No. 8. Calverton, Maryland, USA: ICF International.
Loughry, W. J., C. Perez-Heydrich, C. M. McDonough, and M. K. Oli. (2013). Population ecology of the nine-banded armadillo in Florida. Journal of Mammology, 94: 408-416.
Warren, J. and C. Perez-Heydrich. (2013). Bayesian spatial design of optimal deep tubewell locations in Matlab, Bangladesh. Environmetrics, DOI:10.1002/env.2218.
Loughry, W. J., C. Perez-Heydrich, C. M. McDonough, and M. K. Oli. (2013). Population Dynamics and Range Expansion in Nine-banded Armadillos. PLoS ONE, 8(7).
Perez-Heydrich, C., J.M. Braly, S. Giebultowicz, J.J. Winston, M. Yunus, P.K. Streat_eld, and M. Emch. (2012). Social and spatial processes associated with childhood diarrheal disease in Matlab, Bangladesh. Health & Place. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.10.002.
Winston, J., V. Escamilla, C. Perez-Heydrich, M. Carrel, M. Yunus, P. K. Streat_eld, and M. Emch. (2013). Deep tubewells protect against childhood diarrhea in Matlab, Bangladesh. American Journal of Public Health, 103: 1287-2191.
Emch, M., E. D. Root, S. Giebultowicz, M. Ali, C. Perez-Heydrich, and M. Yunus. (2012). Integration of Spatial and Social Network Analysis in Disease Transmission Studies. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 102: 1004-1015.
Knapp, C.R., C. Perez-Heydrich. (2012). Using non-conspicuous demographic parameters to understand selected impacts of disturbance on a long-lived reptile. Endangered Species Research. 17: 193-200.
Perez-Heydrich, C., K. Jackson, L.D. Wendland, and M.B. Brown. (2012). Combining field studies with published data: A meta-analysis of gopher tortoise survival. Herpetologica. 68(3): 334-344.
Perez-Heydrich, C., M.K. Oli, and M.B. Brown. (2012). Long-term impacts of recurring disease on population dynamics and persistence of a long-lived wildlife host. Oikos. 121: 377-388.
Knapp, C., S. Alvarez-Clare, and C. Perez-Heydrich. (2010). The inuence of landscape heterogeneity and dispersal on survival of neonate insular iguanas. Copeia. 2010(1): 62-70.
Ozgul, A., M.K. Oli, B.M. Bolker, and C. Perez-Heydrich. (2009). Upper respiratory tract disease, force of infection, and effects on survival of gopher tortoises. Ecological Applications. 19: 786-798.