Dissertation Defense: An Examination of Recruitment and Retention of Pregnant Individuals for Neuroimaging and Developmental Studies of Early Life
Dissertation Defense
An Examination of Recruitment and Retention of Pregnant Individuals for Neuroimaging and Developmental Studies of Early Life
Oziomachukwu Chinaka
Graduate Student, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Graduate Research Assistant, Howell Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
August 10, 2026 at 10 a.m.
About this Dissertation
Birthing individuals have long been underrepresented in research, despite initiatives like the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act advocating for increased inclusion of women and minorities. As research is being conducted in biomedical fields on maternal and infant health to attain equitable health outcomes for all individuals who bear children, studies need to prioritize inclusion of diverse groups from various ethnicities, ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Current literature in various fields has given recommendations on how to recruit underrepresented participants and insights to barriers that are faced when recruiting and retaining these participants, from the perspectives of underrepresented communities; however, the perspectives of researchers have been understudied and limited in current research. Researchers within biomedical research focused on observational studies play an important role in the recruitment and retention (R&R) of participants as they act as a bridge between individuals and the research itself. Their perspectives could provide insights to improving current R&R practices for diverse populations. The proposed study aims to conduct a descriptive evaluation examining R&R within the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study national consortium and various data collection site-level characteristics and procedures that influence R&R from the perspectives of research personnel.
More About the Candidate and Project
Education
Virginia Tech, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Ph.D. Candidate
Virginia Tech, M.P.H., Public Health Education
Virginia Tech, B.S., Human Development
Training
Graduate Research Assistant, Howell Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Mentors
Brittany Howell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC; Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Committee Members
- Kristina Jiles, Ph.D., M.S., M.P.H., CHES, Research Assistant Professor, Public Health Extension Specialist, Center for Public Health Practice and Research, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
- Tiffany Drape, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education
- Brenda Jones Harden, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology; Director, PEARL Lab, University of Maryland College Park
Publications
Chinaka, O., Turner, J., Porter, N., Jiles, K., Howell, B. (manuscript under review). Strategies for Recruiting Geographically Diverse Pregnant People into a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Neurodevelopment: A Prospective Qualitative Study.
Carreno, C. A., Evans, M. E., Lockhart, B. K., Chinaka, O., Katz, B., Bell, M. A., & Howell, B. R. (2025). Optimizing infant neuroimaging methods to understand the neurodevelopmental impacts of early nutrition and feeding. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 71, 101481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101481
Harden, B. J., McKelvey, L. M., Poehlmann, J. A., Edwards, R. C., Anunziata, F., Beasley, L., Bomberger, M., Chinaka, O., De La Cruz, S., Gurka, K., Parkinson, M., & HBCD Recruitment, Retention, and Community Engagement Workgroup (2024). The HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD) experience: Recruiting and retaining diverse families in a longitudinal, multi-method early childhood study. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 69, 101421. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101421
Baker, C., Chinaka, O., & Stewart, E. C. (2021). The time is now: why we must identify and address health disparities in sport and recreation injury. Injury epidemiology, 8, 1-7. doi: 10.1186/s40621-021-00320-2.
Oral Presentations
Chinaka, O., Howell, B. (2025, April 4 – 5). Preliminary Examination of Recruitment and Retention Efforts within the HBCD. [Oral Presentation]. 21st Annual Yale Bouchet Conference on Diversity and Graduate Education. New Haven, Connecticut.
Chinaka, O., Howell, B. (2024, November 12 ). Family-Centered FIT Neuroimaging in Theory and Practice [Oral Presentation]. Fetal, Infant, and Toddler Neuroimaging Group (FIT’NG) Together Series. Virtual.
Chinaka, O., Howell, B. (2023, October 5-6). Evaluating Infant MRI Study Recruitment Efforts: A Thematic Analysis of Mothers' Feedback to Improve Study, Recruitment, and Retention Strategies. [Oral Presentation]. Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) Summit. Morgantown, West Virginia.
Poster Presentations
Chinaka, O., Howell, B. (2025, September 7 - 8). Preliminary Examination of Recruitment and Retention Efforts within HBCD (Pre-registered report). [Poster Presentation]. Fetal, Infant, and Toddler Neuroimaging Group Annual Conference 2025. Dublin, Ireland.
Fox, N., Nelson, C., Harden, B., Ossorio, P., Morriss, A., Chinaka, O., (2025, May1-3). Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study: Charting Development Across the First Years of Life. [Paper Symposium]. SRCD 2025 Biennial Meeting. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Chinaka, O., Howell, B. (2024, September 17-19). Preliminary Examination of Recruitment and Retention Efforts within HBCD. [Poster Presentation] HBCD Annual Meeting 2024. San Diego, California.
- NIH Administrative Supplement: 3U24DA055325-05S1 Graduate Researcher | $86,657
- NIH NIDA U01 Diversity Supplement: 3U01DA055357- 03S1 (2024 -2026) Graduate Researcher | $152,950 | Terminated April 2025
- VT Graduate Research Development Program (GRDP) Award (2024) Graduate Researcher | $1,000
- Diversity Scholar Award, Virginia Tech Graduate School (2024)
- Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society- Inducted Spring 2025
- American Evaluation Association Case Study 2026 - Top 5 out of 11 teams Virginia Tech Health Science & Technology Shark Tank Hokie Pitch- 3rd Place (2022)
- Vice President, Black Graduate Student Association at Virginia Tech (2025 -2026)
- Volunteer, Global Service Immersion, Dominican Republic (2026) — Partnered with Community Service Alliance on community-driven health and infrastructure projects supporting families and youth in underserved communities.
- Panelist, COVES Alumni Panel (2026)
- Panelist, " Impacting Science Policy" - TBMH Professional Development Class (2025)
- Fellow, Graduate Residential Fellowship, Residential College at West Ambler Johnston (2025 -2026)
- Fellow, Commonwealth of Virginia Fellowship, Virginia Biotechnology Association – Virginia Science, Engineering and Medicine Academy (2025)
- Reviewer, Graduate Professional Student Senate Grant (2025) – Evaluated graduate student grant proposals against a structured rubric, assessing project design, feasibility, and projected outcomes; providing written feedback to support applicants in strengthening their future submissions.
- Reviewer, HBCD Study- Reviewed HBCD study measures for clarity, accessibility, and participant comprehension; provided structured feedback to ensure data collection instruments were understandable and appropriate for the target population.
- Panelist, First Generation Graduate Student Luncheon
- Host and Creator of "Black Women in Research Showcase," Center of the Arts, Blacksburg, Va (2024)- Showcase strived to connect, inspire, and educate by highlighting the achievements and experiences of Black women Ph.D. students at Virginia Tech, promoting a more inclusive and informed community through a platform for Black women Ph.D. students to exhibit their research, their why, and their journey toward earning a Ph.D. through photography. - (2024)
- OFIS Ambassador, Aspen Institute & Coda Societies (2024–2025) — Co-led community presentations on maternal health and health disparities for students, organizational leaders, and public audiences.
- Senator Representative for the Roanoke Graduate Student Association in the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) (2023 -2024)