Ashby F Walker

Ashby F Walker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department: HP-HEALTH SERVICES ADMIN
Business Phone: (352) 273-8278
Business Email: afwalker@ufl.edu

About Ashby F Walker

Dr. Ashby Walker received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Emory University and serves as the Director for Health Equity Initiatives at the University of Florida Diabetes Institute. Dr. Walker is the elected Chair of the American Diabetes Association National Health Disparities Committee and a member of the the Chronic Diseases & Conditions Priority Area Workgroup (PAW) of the Florida State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). Dr Walker has also served on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s scientific review committee. Dr. Walker’s research as a medical sociologist focuses on reducing health disparities in diabetes with a particular focus on communities receiving care at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Dr. Walker is the recipient of seven teaching, mentoring, and curriculum development awards and received the Diversity Champion award from the UF Graduate School in 2021 and was featured as “People to Know” by Diabetes Forecast Magazine in 2019.

Additional Positions:
Director of Health Equity
2018 – Current · University of Florida Diabetes Institute

Accomplishments

Chair ADA National Health Disparities Committee
2023-2025 · American Diabetes Association
Chronic Diseases & Conditions Priority Area Workgroup (PAW) of the 2017 – 2021 Florida State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP).
2020-Current · FL DOH
People to Know
2019 · Diabetes Forecast Magazine, American Diabetes Association
Elected Member of the National Health Disparities Committee
2017-Current · American Diabetes Association

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2018-2021,2023-2024
PHC6937 Special Topics in Public Health
2020-2024
PHC7979 Advanced Research
2019-2021
PHC6601 Seminar in Contemporary Public Health Issues
2018-2021
PHC6405 Theoretical Foundations of Public Health
2019-2020
PHC6946 Public Health Internship
2019-2022
PHC6403 Adolescence, Risk Taking and Health
2019-2021,2024
HSC4930 Special Topics
2018
MDT7090 Elective Topics
2017-2018
BMS4905 Medical Sciences Senior Research
2016
GMS6896 Health Outcomes and Policy Seminar
2021-2022
PHC6941 MPH Applied Practice Experience
2021-2024
PHC7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
2024
HSA6930 Special Topics in Health Services Administration

Research Profile

Dr. Walker is the PI of several funded studies aiming to promote health equity for vulnerable populations with diabetes. Dr. Walker’s research focuses on improving access and utilization of diabetes-related technologies like continuous glucose monitors (CGM) through the use of peer support and the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) provider empowerment model. The ECHO Diabetes program, a $7.69 million evaluation grant, was spearheaded by Dr. Walker and her colleagues at Stanford University and aims to improve access to care for underserved populations living with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in the states of Florida and California. Dr. Walker is currently funded through the NIH NIDDK, The Florida Department of Health, and The Helmsley Charitable Trust. Dr. Walker has published as first author in journals including The Lancet, Diabetes Care, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Frontiers in Endocrinology, and BMJ Open Diabetes.

Areas of Interest
  • Health Disparities and Diabetes
  • Peer Mentoring
  • Project ECHO

Publications

2023
Blue Circle Health: A Novel Patient-Centered Model of Health Care Delivery for Low-Income Patients With Type 1 Diabetes.
Journal of diabetes science and technology. 17(4):925-934 [DOI] 10.1177/19322968221149008. [PMID] 36710449.
2023
Interventions to address global inequity in diabetes: international progress.
Lancet (London, England). 402(10397):250-264 [DOI] 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00914-5. [PMID] 37356448.
2023
Project ECHO Diabetes Cost Modeling to Support the Replication and Expansion of Tele-mentoring Programs in Non-research Settings.
Diabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders. 14(3):509-518 [DOI] 10.1007/s13300-022-01364-3. [PMID] 36680682.
2023
Psychological Outcomes of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People with Type 1 Diabetes Globally: A Scoping Review.
Current diabetes reviews. 19(5) [DOI] 10.2174/1573399818666220609154132. [PMID] 35692128.
2023
Recruiting historically under-represented individuals into Project ECHO Diabetes: using barrier analysis to understand disparities in clinical research in the USA.
BMJ open. 13(8) [DOI] 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072546. [PMID] 37648378.
2023
Sociodemographic factors associated with major depressive episodes and suicidal ideation among emerging adults with diabetes in the U.S.
Frontiers in endocrinology. 14 [DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2023.1276336. [PMID] 38144571.
2023
The Promising Success of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Diabetes: Case Series.
JMIR diabetes. 8 [DOI] 10.2196/46050. [PMID] 37535407.
2022
Tele-education model for primary care providers to advance diabetes equity: Findings from Project ECHO Diabetes.
Frontiers in endocrinology. 13 [DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2022.1066521. [PMID] 36589850.
2022
Using Peer Power to Reduce Health Disparities: Implementation of a Diabetes Support Coach Program in Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association. 35(3):295-303 [DOI] 10.2337/dsi22-0004. [PMID] 36082018.
2021
A Decade of Disparities in Diabetes Technology Use and HbA1c in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: A Transatlantic Comparison.
Diabetes care. 44(1):133-140 [DOI] 10.2337/dc20-0257. [PMID] 32938745.
2021
Barriers to Technology Use and Endocrinology Care for Underserved Communities With Type 1 Diabetes.
Diabetes care. 44(7):1480-1490 [DOI] 10.2337/dc20-2753. [PMID] 34001535.
2021
Democratizing type 1 diabetes specialty care in the primary care setting to reduce health disparities: project extension for community healthcare outcomes (ECHO) T1D.
BMJ open diabetes research & care. 9(1) [DOI] 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002262. [PMID] 34244218.
2020
Addressing health disparities in type 1 diabetes through peer mentorship.
Pediatric diabetes. 21(1):120-127 [DOI] 10.1111/pedi.12935. [PMID] 31617648.
2020
Primary Care Providers in California and Florida Report Low Confidence in Providing Type 1 Diabetes Care.
Clinical diabetes : a publication of the American Diabetes Association. 38(2):159-165 [DOI] 10.2337/cd19-0060. [PMID] 32327888.
2020
Racial-Ethnic Inequity in Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 105(8) [DOI] 10.1210/clinem/dgaa236. [PMID] 32382736.
2020
Teaching Type 1 Diabetes: Creating Stakeholder Engagement in Biomedical Careers Through Undergraduate Research Curriculum.
Medical science educator. 30(1):69-73 [DOI] 10.1007/s40670-019-00877-0. [PMID] 34457640.
2020
Tele-rounds and Case-Based Training: Project ECHO Telementoring Model Applied to Complex Diabetes Care.
Pediatric clinics of North America. 67(4):759-772 [DOI] 10.1016/j.pcl.2020.04.017. [PMID] 32650871.
2020
The Neighborhood Deprivation Index and Provider Geocoding Identify Critical Catchment Areas for Diabetes Outreach.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 105(9):3069-75 [DOI] 10.1210/clinem/dgaa462. [PMID] 32676640.
2019
Teaching type 1 diabetes: creating stakeholder engagement in biomedical careers through undergraduate research curriculum
.
2018
Geographic access to endocrinologists for Florida’s publicly insured children with diabetes.
The American journal of managed care. 24(4 Spec No.):SP106-SP109 [PMID] 29689143.
2017
Socioeconomic Status and the Domestic Allocation of Type 1 Diabetes Care
PLAID. 3(1):16-26 [DOI] http://dx.doi.org/10.17125/plaid.2017.97.
2016
Type 1 diabetes through two lenses: comparing adolescent and parental perspectives with photovoice.
International journal of pediatric endocrinology. 2016 [DOI] 10.1186/s13633-016-0020-z. [PMID] 26793242.
2015
Disparities in social support systems for youths with type 1 diabetes.
Clinical diabetes : a publication of the American Diabetes Association. 33(2):62-9 [DOI] 10.2337/diaclin.33.2.62. [PMID] 25897185.
2015
Erratum: Disparities in Social Support for Youths With Type 1 Diabetes. Clinical Diabetes 2015;33:62-69.
Clinical diabetes : a publication of the American Diabetes Association. 33(3) [DOI] 10.2337/diaclin.33.3.159. [PMID] 26202839.
2015
Puppy Love, Adolescence, and Chronic Illness: The Importance of Pets for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.
Journal of patient experience. 2(1):21-24 [DOI] 10.1177/237437431500200105. [PMID] 28725812.
2015
Using photography as a method to explore adolescent challenges and resilience in type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association. 28(2):92-8 [DOI] 10.2337/diaspect.28.2.92. [PMID] 25987807.
2013
Framing food and diabetes: Exploring the perspectives of youth with type 1 diabetes through photography
. 5(6):347-355

Grants

Aug 2023 ACTIVE
Understanding T1D and Insulin-Requiring Diabetes in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC): A National Needs Assessment
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST, LEONA & HARRY
Jul 2023 ACTIVE
Project ECHO Teleclinics for Rural Providers
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FL DEPT OF HLTH
Jan 2023 – Jun 2023
UFDI ECHO DIABETES PROPOSAL
Role: Project Manager
Funding: FL DEPT OF HLTH
Jan 2023 ACTIVE
Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research Renewal – PILOT
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: GEORGIA CTR FOR DIABETES TRANSLATION RES via NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK
Apr 2022 ACTIVE
T1DTechCHW: Enhancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) Model to Promote Diabetes Technology Use in Young Adults from Underrepresented Minority Groups (YA-URMs) with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ALBERT EINSTEIN COL OF MED via NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK
Aug 2021 ACTIVE
Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: EMORY UNIV via NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK
Jul 2019 – Dec 2023
Project ECHO T1D: HCT Trial
Role: Co-Project Director/Principal Investigator
Funding: STANFORD UNIV via HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST, LEONA & HARRY
Jan 2018 – Jun 2019
ECHO Type 1 Diabetes: A Feasibility and Planning Proposal
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST, LEONA & HARRY
Sep 2017 – Nov 2018
Young Adult Racial Disparities in Type 1 Diabetes (YARDD)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: JAEB CTR FOR HLTH RES via HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST, LEONA & HARRY
Aug 2016 – Jul 2017
Promoting health equity for youth with type 1 diabetes through outreach, networks, and education: All for ONE
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: JAEB CTR FOR HLTH RES via HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST, LEONA & HARRY

Education

Ph.D. Sociology
2007 · Emory University

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 273-8278
Emails:
Business:
afwalker@ufl.edu
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
PO Box 100195
GAINESVILLE FL 32610
Business Street:
1225 CENTER DR
GAINESVILLE FL 32610