Jerik is a doctoral student and Woodruff Fellow in the Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences department at Emory University. His current research interests involve characterizing pathways linking structural social determinants of health with individual health outcomes in chronic disease. He is specifically interested in how structural factors shape how people living with chronic disease manage their conditions, interact with their health care providers, access care, and engage with their communities. Jerik is currently working with faculty advisor Dr. Cam Escoffery to evaluate the implementation of several epilepsy self-management programs. For his dissertation research, he intends to focus on issues relevant to people living with lupus.
Prior to his doctoral studies, Jerik completed a BA in anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis and an MPH at Saint Louis University concentrating in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. He has previously worked with community-based health organizations in Montana and as a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine, focusing on unmet needs of people living with lupus.
Areas of Interest
- Behavior and Health
- Chronic Diseases
- Community Based Research
- Health Disparities
- Healthcare Systems
- Rural Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Social Epidemiology
- Spatial Analysis/GIS
Education
- Bachelor of Arts 2017, Washington University in St. Louis
- Master of Public Health 2021, Saint Louis University
Publications
- Leung, J., Kloos L., Kim, A.H., Baker, E.A. , 2021, Development of a digital toolkit to improve quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. , Digital Health, 7,
- Leung, J., Baker, E.A., Kim, A.H., 2021, Exploring intentional medication non-adherence in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the role of physician–patient interactions, Rheumatology Advances in Practice, 5,
- Ra., J., Leung, J., Baker, E.A., Kim, A.H., 2021, Patient perspective on using digital resources to address unmet needs in systemic lupus erythematosus. , Arthritis Care & Research, 73,
- McMorrow, L., Leung, J., Strand, V., Kim, A.H., 2021, Patient-Reported Outcomes in SLE, Outcome Measures and Metrics in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus , ,
- Leung, J., Ra, J., Baker, E.A., Kim, A.H., 2019, “…Not Having the Real Support That We Need”: Patients’ Experiences With Ambiguity of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Erosion of Social Support. , ACR Open Rheumatology, 1,