Professor Recognized for Health Equity Research

April J. Rogers, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., was selected as one of two 2021–22 recipients of the Faculty Excellence Award in Community-Based Outcomes and Poverty Research. This award, which was recently developed by the Faculty Research Consortium of the Vincentian Institute for Social Action, identifies full-time St. John’s University faculty members who best exhibit excellence in community-based outcomes and poverty research.

Dr. Rogers is an Assistant Professor and Research Scientist in the Division of Health and Human Services in The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies. Her research focuses on investigating and identifying innovative mechanisms to increase health equity by exploring the influence of health disparities on cardio-metabolic diseases and the associations between sleep health and brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

She has nearly a decade of experience working with underserved and vulnerable populations. Dr. Rogers has done extensive work investigating the role of sociocultural and environmental factors in preventing minority communities from engaging in healthful behavioral practices to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea-related morbidity and mortality.

In addition, she has specific training in sleep medicine, with a focus on health disparities, utilizing community-based, participatory research methods. Her ultimate goals are to conduct innovative and impactful community-based and population-level research that addresses the complex and dynamic drivers of sleep, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, and to utilize mobile technology as a tool to provide personalized approaches to educate and lead to healthful behavior change.

“Given the trajectory of her research, Dr. Rogers is on track to make major contributions to the field in improving our understanding of the interaction between sleep, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain health to promote awareness, early detection, and treatment of these conditions in vulnerable communities,” said Joan S. Tropnas, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chair, and Program Director, Division of Health and Human Services.