Your path into implementation science came through social work. How has that background shaped the way you approach implementation research today?
The field of social work significantly impacts the ways in which I think about implementation science scholarship. Some of the key tenets of social work include the person-in-environment and a strengths-based approach.
The person-in-environment perspective says that human behavior can only be understood by understanding not only the individual but also the layers of their surroundings and the interaction therein. This aligns well with key concepts in implementation science, specifically the importance of understanding context and contextual assessment. Understanding context and how it interacts with an implementation effort is important, not just in the pre-implementation phase, but also throughout implementation and into sustainment.
The strengths-based perspective is foundational to social work practice. In the same way, using a strengths-based approach in implementation research can be transformational and lead to innovations in strategies and mechanisms. To build on this, I work to recognize the strengths and expertise in each person. In implementation research, this manifests as prioritizing feedback and perspectives from innovation deliverers, recipients, and community members.
Much of your work focuses on implementation science methods and theory. For readers who may be less familiar with this area, why does theory matter, and how does it help us understand implementation challenges?
Theory is foundational to all the work we do, whether or not we acknowledge it. Theory underlies our assumptions about why things happen in a certain way. I came to implementation science through Diffusion of Innovations Theory and found that by being explicit in why I thought things happened in a certain way, I could better articulate where gaps existed. Additionally, an intimate knowledge of theory was helpful in coming up with research questions. For example, if you know the stages and factors already suggested by Rogers in the Innovation-Decision process, you can ask better research questions and identify where shifts in knowledge may be occurring in the field.
Knowing theory allows scholars to do a better job of critiquing what has existed and what currently exists. We can more easily identify what has been done before and what is truly novel. In this way, we can better help shape current discussion in the field of implementation science and work collaboratively to advance the field.
Equity is a central theme in your work. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for implementation scientists to improve health equity in the coming years?
Implementation science seeks to close the evidence-practice gap. Despite our best efforts, the gap is only increasing for certain groups across the globe. In the coming years, the need to center and actively address health equity, ensuring that every person has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible, will become an issue of critical importance.
What does this look like in practice? Beyond the typical approaches already recommended by many in implementation science, I’m particularly passionate about learning from all sources of knowledge, ranging from empirical to community and experiential knowledge. Specifically, I want to elevate knowledge and implementation innovations from LMICs and low-resource settings. Historically, the approach has been to take knowledge from the high-income countries, specifically those in the northern hemisphere, and “export” it to other countries. I reject this notion. As someone who sits in the northern hemisphere, I recognize the need for bidirectional learning and listening, specifically from implementation scholars and community members globally.
For researchers who are early in their careers, what advice do you wish someone had given you when you were starting out?
Read, listen, digest, repeat. As an early career implementation scientist or emerging scholar interested in implementation science, it is important to understand and learn from the existing scholarship. Many early career scholars bring a unique combination of insights that are complementary to the existing foundations in the field. In order to make the most meaningful contribution, it is really important for early career scholars to understand and digest what already exists. This seems tedious, and I remember being anxious to make my mark on the field. Yet, building a solid foundation of existing knowledge (and a critique of that knowledge) is key to long-term success in scientific inquiry.
As you take on this editorial role, what are you most excited about? Are there particular areas of implementation science that you hope to help champion through the journal?
I am excited to join Implementation Science Communications to contribute to the field through this service. I’m passionate about the advancement of theory and methods broadly. Specifically, I want to champion scholarship that thoughtfully critiques and advances theory, models, frameworks, and methods. For example, manuscripts should consider the degree to which the applied TMF and methods did or did not support the research goals. For instance, to what degree did CFIR account for the existing context and where did it fall short? How did the use of exploratory qualitative mixed methods limit your ability to interpret your quantitative results? We can continue to advance implementation science through ongoing critical appraisal and reflection of our methods and theoretical applications.
Finally, on a more personal note, how do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I enjoy gardening in the spring, summer, and fall. I have a robust tomato crop from between 7 and 12 plants in any given year. A favorite summer lunch is toasted sourdough with fresh tomato and homemade pesto! I love watching soccer/football. I am the current President of the Stateside Seagulls, the official US supporters’ group for Brighton and Hove Albion of the English Premier League. We currently have over 1,100 members. I also support local US-based soccer and am an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (men) and the Pittsburgh Riveters (women).
📝 Explore the journal and submit your manuscript.
📢Sign up to receive article alerts from Implementation Science Communications