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Maxwell A. Barffour

Campus: Springfield

Details

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2017, University of California Davis; Davis, CA, USA
  • PhD, International Health, 2014, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • MPH, Epidemiology Concentration, 2008, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
  • BSc, Biochemistry and Nutrition, 2004, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ghana

Teaching

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health Seminar: Clinical and Experimental Study Designs
  • Independent Research Study
  • Biostatistics in Health Science
  • Health Behavior
  • Public Health Field Experience
  • Capstone Project/Public Health

Research and professional interests

  • Morbidity and mortality outcomes of preterm and small-for-gestational age newborns
  • Therapeutic or preventive Zinc supplementation and diarrhea outcomes in children.
  • Response in growth hormones and binding proteins in response to micronutrient interventions
  • Effects of micronutrient supplements on neuro-development in children.
  • Interactions between sleep disorders, micronutrients status and developmental outcomes in children
  • Interactions between iron, anemia and malaria in children.
  • Inflammation and the biomarkers of nutritional status.
  • Development of novel models for diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency in the context of concurrent infections.
  • Spatial distribution of risk factors for childhood undernutrition and infections
  • Evaluation of digital and mobile technology for assessing and delivering health care in low and middle income countries.
  • Efficacy of bio-fortified foods in improving health and nutritional status in children, pregnant and lactating women.
  • Safety and benefits of iron-based intervention in malaria endemic regions.
  • Portable Field Dark Adaptometry for diagnosis of functional vitamin A deficiency.
  • Disease burden attributable to comorbidities among children in low income countries.

Selected publications

  • Barffour, M.A., Hinnouho, G. M., Kounnavong, S., Wessells, K. R., Ratsavong, K., Bounheuang, Hess, S. Y. et al (2018). Effects of Daily Zinc, Daily Multiple Micronutrient Powder, or Therapeutic Zinc Supplementation for Diarrhea Prevention on Physical Growth, Anemia, and Micronutrient Status in Rural Laotian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pediatr. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.11.022
  • Hinnouho, G. M., Bernstein, R. M., Barffour, M.A., Arnold, C. D., Wessells, K. R., Ratsavong, K., . . . Hess, S. Y. (2018). Impact of Two Forms of Daily Preventive Zinc or Therapeutic Zinc Supplementation for Diarrhea on Hair Cortisol Concentrations Among Rural Laotian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 11(1). doi:10.3390/nu11010047
  • Wessells KR Brown KH, Kounnavong S, Barffour MA, Hinnouho GM, Somphou Sayasone S, Hess SY et al;Comparison of two forms of daily preventive zinc supplementation versus therapeutic zinc supplementation for diarrhea on young children’s physical growth and risk of infection: study design and rationale for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Nutrition 2018, 4.
  • Barffour MA, Schulze KJ, Coles CL, Chileshe J, Kalungwana N, Siamusantu W, Arguello M, Moss WJ, West KP, Jr., Palmer AC: Malaria exacerbates inflammation-associated elevation in ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor with only modest effects on iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia among rural Zambian children. Trop Med Int Health 2018, 23:53-62.
  • Barffour MA, Schulze KJ, Coles CL, Chileshe J, Kalungwana N, Arguello M, Siamusantu W, Moss WJ, West KP, Jr., Palmer AC: Comparability of Inflammation-Adjusted Vitamin A Deficiency Estimates and Variance in Retinol Explained by C-Reactive Protein and alpha1-Acid Glycoprotein during Low and High Malaria Transmission Seasons in Rural Zambian Children. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018, 98:334-343.
  • Hinnouho GM, Barffour MA, Wessells KR, Brown KH, Kounnavong S, Chanhthavong B, Ratsavong K, Kewcharoenwong C, Hess SY: Comparison of haemoglobin assessments by HemoCue and two automated haematology analysers in young Laotian children. J Clin Pathol 2017.
  • Barffour MA, Schulze KJ, Coles CL, Chileshe J, Kalungwana N, Arguello M, Siamusantu W, Moss WJ, West KP, Jr., Palmer AC: High Iron Stores in the Low Malaria Season Increase Malaria Risk in the High Transmission Season in a Prospective Cohort of Rural Zambian Children. J Nutr 2017, 147:1531-1536.
  • Palmer AC, Craft NE, Schulze KJ, Barffour M, Chileshe J, Siamusantu W, West KP, Jr.: Impact of biofortified maize consumption on serum carotenoid concentrations in Zambian children. Eur J Clin Nutr 2018, 72:301-303.
  • Hess SY, Hinnouho GM, Barffour MA, Bounheuang B, Arnold CD, Bell D, Marts TH, Kounnavong S: First Field Test of an Innovative, Wider Tape to Measure Mid-Upper Arm Circumference in Young Laotian Children. Food Nutr Bull 2018, 39:28-38.
  • Healy K, Palmer AC, Barffour MA, Schulze KJ, Siamusantu W, Chileshe J, et al. Nutritional Status Measures Are Correlated with Pupillary Responsiveness in Zambian Children. The Journal of nutrition. 2018;148(7):1160-6.

Awards and honors

  • Nobel Laureates Meetings: 2015 Young Scientist Participant, Lindau, 2015
  • DSM Doctoral Research Fellowship- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014
  • Elsa Orent Keiles Fellowship in Nutritional Biochemistry- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2014
  • Federik Bang Immunology Research Award- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2013
  • DSM Micronutrient Scholarship, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2012
  • Centre for Global Health Research Grant- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2011
  • Delta- Omega Research Scholarship, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2011
  • Johns Hopkins University- Canadian International Development Agency Student Investigator Support, 2011
  • Johns Hopkins University- HarvestPlus Student Investigator Support, 2011
  • Johns Hopkins University- Department of International Health Tuition Scholarship, 2010
  • Missouri State Outreach Graduate Scholarship, Missouri State University, 2006