Dr. Durkin’s research centers on advancing equitable approaches to improve adolescent health through community engagement, youth participatory action research, and implementation science. She collaborates with youth advisory panels and community organizations to co-develop interventions that promote healthy behaviors such as nutrition and physical activity in under-resourced settings. Her work emphasizes sustainability and partnership, aiming to reduce health disparities and strengthen pediatric health research through models that prioritize youth voice and community leadership.
Dr. Durkin’s work spans clinical and community contexts, focusing on youth participatory action research (YPAR) and implementation science to address health behaviors and chronic illness management among children and adolescents. Her NIH F32 postdoctoral fellowship centered on engaging adolescents as co-researchers to design culturally relevant, community-based interventions that address barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. Building on this work, her NIH K23 Career Development Award tests the feasibility of these interventions and evaluates implementation strategies to sustain youth engagement and integrate programs into real-world community settings. Her research also addresses the needs of children and adolescents with chronic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and diabetes, examining topics like adherence, self-management, body image, and weight stigma.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Specialized Mentorship and Training in Coordinating Youth Advisory Panels (YAP) and Patient Public Informed (PPI) Research, Unnumbered, Society of Pediatric Psychology International Collaboration Award, Sponsor, Caroline Heary PhD, University of Galway, 12/15/2022-12/14/2023. Total Amount: $4,000
Principal Investigator, Incorporating Youth Voices in Community-Based Intervention Development to Improve Diet Quality and Physical Activity, F32 HL168806, NHLBI, 09/01/2023-08/31/2025. Total Direct Costs: $148,764
Co-Principal Investigator, Youth Research Consultation Group Pilot, Unnumbered, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinical Research Award, 08/20/2024-08/19/2025. Total Costs: $5,760
Principal Investigator. Active, Nourished, and Empowered Teens (ANET): Co-Development of a Modular Nutrition and Fitness Intervention for Community Youth, K23 HL181208, NHLBI, 09/08/2025–06/30/2030. Total Costs: $978,480
Co-Investigator. Pipeline to Prison or Informal Counselors? A qualitative evaluation of the impact of school resource officers on youth of color. Unnumbered. Children’s Miracle Network Annual Scholar Award. Brown University Health Department of Pediatrics. 01/01/2026-12/31/2026. Total Costs: $ 24,964
