Researcher Spotlight: Andrea Mitchell, Senior Research Admin Coord – Cardiology

What is your professional background?
I have a Master’s in Public Health from Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) with a specialty in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. In the past, I’ve worked on projects that studied intergenerational drug use among women in metro Atlanta, and the efficacy of treatment options for women with bleeding disorders. More recently I’ve been working on the creation and implementation of a patient-designed consent process for acute cardiovascular illness, and research investigating the integration of cost discussions into clinical encounters for heart failure patients among other projects.

Which division do you work in? Who is your mentor?
I work in the Division of Cardiology at the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Institute (ECCRI) as part of Dr. Neal Dickert’s team.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
Patients and their family members can be an amazing and helpful resource when designing a study. Having lived experience with the study topic makes them experts in things many researchers may never have considered (such as the burden of being presented with excess information during a consent process that occurs during a patient’s cardiac event). Utilizing their input creates more respectful processes that are better suited to the needs of patients and their families. Promoting shared, patient-centered decision-making is another way to show respect for a patient’s preferences while also encouraging patient engagement in their treatment.

What do you like most about Emory?
I love working on Emory’s beautiful main campus. The casual, organic mixing of students, staff, and faculty around campus creates a lively, friendly, creative environment that I enjoy. There are endless possibilities for collaboration among divisions and research teams which keeps work exciting and interesting.

What is your favorite movie or TV show?
Lately, I’ve been re-watching Parks and Rec and Derry Girls.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Every year I rip out another strip of my front lawn and replace the grass with native plants. In addition to being beautiful, they are very low maintenance once established and are a vital support for native wildlife. I definitely see more birds, butterflies, and other woodland creatures in my little urban yard since I started my shrink-the-lawn project (plus I spend less time mowing, watering, and raking).

What is a fun fact about you? 
I’m taking my kids to Iceland this summer!