UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1125

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Jessica Bahorski
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): jbahorski@fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Nursing
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Florida State University, College of Nursing
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/20221/DSCF4531.remini-enhanced.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): {Empty}
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Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): {Empty}
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): {Empty}
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: A multiphase project to improve use of responsive feeding among vulnerable mother-infant dyads
Project Keywords: infant feeding, qualitative research, maternal-child home visiting programs
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
nursing, medicine, psychology, interdisciplinary medical sciences, child health and development, nutrition - could be others but these come to mind.

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: No, the project is remote
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
Infant feeding practices include both what infants are fed and how infants are fed.1-3 Breastfeeding for longer durations, the introduction of complementary foods after 4 months of age, and responsive feeding contribute to healthy infant growth.2,4,5 Healthy infant growth is associated with healthy weight later in childhood.6,7 Responsive feeding occurs when a caregiver learns, recognizes, and responds promptly and appropriately to the infant’s cues of hunger and satiation.8 Theory posits that responsive feeding promotes awareness of internal cues for the infant, and thus, self-regulation that contributes to healthy eating and weight trajectories across developmental stages. Interventions to promote responsive feeding in mother-infant dyads have proven successful in promoting responsive feeding,9,10 healthy infant weight gain,10,11 and infant eating behaviors.12-14 Prior work supports that mothers who breastfeed are more likely to engage in responsive feeding.15,16 A novel premise of the current proposal (Aim 1) is that a bidirectional association between breastfeeding and responsive feeding may exist (Figure 1). The latter finding would support the value of training mothers in responsive feeding techniques to increase the likelihood and duration of breastfeeding. 
The Candidate and her team developed an individualized responsive feeding intervention, Learning Early Infant Feeding Cues (LEIFc). LEIFc comprises brief videos, written material, and face-to-face coaching sessions guided by a validated coaching approach called SS-OO-PP-RR (or “super,” Setting the Stage, Observation and Opportunities to Embed, Problem Solving and Planning, Reflection and Review).17 A feasibility and fidelity study of the LEIFc intervention is complete. The proposed study aimed to understand needs of mothers enrolled in government funded maternal-child home visiting programs (Early Head Start, Healthy Start) related to infant feeding. Additionally, input from the maternal-child home visiting program personnel was also sough. Interviews were conducted with mothers and home visiting personnel staff. The data need to be analyzed.



Research Tasks:
qualitative data analysis, assistance with intervention refinement, literature review

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Required - ability to conduct literature searchers, use of word and excel, will need to complete CITI training
Recommended - ability to navigate in Teams
Will teach qualitative analysis techniques

Mentoring Philosophy:
I believe that individuals learn by doing thus my mentoring philosophy is to coach students in learning new tasks then allowing them to complete the tasks. I provide a lot of resources for which I expect the student to review and then we can discuss any questions or gaps that remain. Although this project can be completed from afar, I believe face-to-face meetings enhance engagement between mentor and mentee.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33358252/; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36853761/
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: No
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
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UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2025
update url: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=32lBTqrpdrkpNddIGVCsq1ZVQpyxTKsVIiAHn5JCrAk