HPP Lab Member Charlotte Gilson Named Rising Researcher
The Rising Researcher program celebrates students who excel in research, scholarship or creative activity.
Content
Charlotte Gilson ’25, a sociology major working in the lab of Associate Professor and Chair of Health Promotion and Policy Sarah Goff, has been named a fall 2023 UMass Amherst Rising Researcher. The Rising Researcher program recognizes undergraduate students who excel in research, challenge their intellect, and exercise exceptional creativity.
Gilson is studying sociology while pursuing a pre-med track. While working in the Quality for All (Q4A) lab, she is involved in a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded project that examines pediatric fluoride varnish (FV) application patterns in Massachusetts. FV is a concentrated form of fluoride applied topically to the teeth by a dental or medical professional.
“Studies have found that, when applied regularly, it is an effective measure to prevent dental carries (also known as cavities), one of the most prevalent childhood diseases in the world that disproportionately affects low-income, Black, and Latinx populations in America,” says Gilson. “Despite the effectiveness and safety of FV, very few children receive this treatment in pediatric primary care settings. In our study, we’re assessing the factors preventing and facilitating the widespread application of FV in Massachusetts in hopes of improving oral health access and equity for all children.”
Gilson says the Q4A lab and Dr. Goff have allowed her to combine her passions and research.
“I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to work with Dr. Goff,” says Gilson. “She does such a brilliant job of giving her research assistants opportunities to take on leadership roles in the lab. She gives us independence while letting us know she’s there to provide any support we need. I’m so grateful for her generosity and guidance. Thanks to her, I’ve been able to co-author two published papers as an undergraduate, and now am the first author on another forthcoming paper.”