Overview
Monica J. Mitchell, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and the University Of Cincinnati School Of Medicine. Dr. Mitchell's broad research interests are in understanding child and family coping with chronic illness, and their relation to health status and outcomes, particularly in African-American populations. During her post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Mitchell completed a supplement grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to examine family variables related to nutritional intake and mealtime behavior problems in children with cystic fibrosis.
Currently, Dr. Mitchell is the principal investigator of a study examining nutritional status and depression in children with sickle cell disease. This study is part of a five-year K01 career development grant Dr. Mitchell received from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that involves assessing growth, development, and behavioral functioning in children with sickle cell disease, and adapting an intervention to improve outcomes in this population. Dr. Mitchell is also co-investigator on a study funded through Cincinnati Children's Hospital's NIH-funded Sickle Cell Center to assess disease, health care, family and social challenges in children with sickle cell disease and their caregivers. Her role on this study involved conducting focus groups across the major children's hospitals in Ohio, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Columbus Children's Hospital, and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Dr. Mitchell collaborates on other research projects to understand psychosocial factors in pediatric sickle cell disease, liver disease, headache, cystic fibrosis and diabetes. Dr. Mitchell has published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Headache, Diabetes Care, and Pediatrics.
Dr. Mitchell is co-director of INNOVATIONS, a Divisional / Medical Center program that consults with schools and other non-profit community agencies, including Head Start and the United Way, to conduct program evaluations and identify behavioral health resources for underserved children and families.
Dr. Mitchell's long-term research goals are to develop culturally-appropriate, family-based interventions for children with sickle cell disease and children with other pediatric conditions, and to improve health outcomes in children, particularly African-American children, across a broad spectrum of pediatric conditions.
