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Cha'koya Smith placed first for her poster presentation, “Examining e-cigarette use, adequate sleep and screen media use as risk factors for youth violence in Tennessee," at the 2017 Meharry Medical College (MMC) Student Research Day.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Former Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) intern Cha'koya Smith placed first for her poster presentation at the 2017 Meharry Medical College (MMC) Student Research Day. Her project was titled “Examining e-cigarette use, adequate sleep and screen media use as risk factors for youth violence in Tennessee."
Smith interned with the MVA in November 2015 after learning about the organization’s community efforts. Community Engagement appealed to her because she believed it was important to understand your community as much as possible.
Smith is originally from Wrightsville, Ark., just under 15 miles from Little Rock. She attended the University of Fayetteville-Arkansas and majored in biology, immersing herself in student life by involving herself in the university’s health center. From there, she went to the University of North Texas and earned a Masters in Higher Education.
She was recently featured in an interview with the MVA.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.