Associate Professor
Unit: Health Outcomes Research and Policy
Auburn University
Harrison College of Pharmacy
4306b Walker Building
Auburn, AL 36849
Email: kbl0005@auburn.edu
Phone: 334-844-8360
Fax: 334-844-8307
Kimberly B. Garza, PharmD, MBA, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Health Outcomes Research and Policy at the Harrison College of Pharmacy. She is also the Graduate Program Officer for her department and holds a position as a Faculty Fellow in the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn University. Dr. Garza’s primary research involves the application of behavioral theory to study preventive health behaviors and behaviors to minimize progression of disease, including medication adherence, diet, and physical activity. Specifically, she uses incentive systems and immersive technologies, such as virtual reality and haptic devices, to influence health behavior and perception of risk and severity of chronic disease. She also applies these technologies in the classroom to promote the development of empathy among student pharmacists for patients with chronic conditions. She collaborates with investigators from computer science, mechanical engineering, medicine, education, kinesiology, nursing, and psychology to study health behaviors related to heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, immunization, and prescription drug abuse. Her secondary research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). She conducts educational research in the following areas: deliberate practice, empathy-building activities, curricular development, professional identity formation, peer coaching, and mentoring.
Dr. Garza's research collaborations also include community partners such as East Alabama Medical Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Yale Medicine, and Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Garza is active in several national and international professional organizations, serving as past chair of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Research and Graduate Affairs Committee and past chair of the AACP Graduate Education Special Interest Group.
9/1/2023-8/30/2024
Auburn University Biggio Center and Office of Informational Technology AUX Immersive Learning Experiences Grant
EmpathyVR: Expansion of a Haptics plus Virtual Reality Application to Promote Empathy for Patients with Chronic Diseases
The objective of this proposal is to further expand the virtual reality experience for student pharmacists that combines VR and haptic devices to simulate physical impairments experienced by patients with chronic diseases in order to build empathy and promote professional identity formation.
Role: PI
Funded for $33,280
7/1/2023-6/30/2024
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Grant
Incorporation of Virtual Reality in the Curriculum to Promote Empathy for Patients
The objective of this proposal is to measure the effect on student learning and learner satisfaction when incorporating a learning activity to promote empathy development that utilizes virtual reality and haptics into the PharmD curriculum.
Role: Principal Investigator
Funded for $4,000
9/1/2021-8/30/2023
Auburn University Biggio Center and Office of Informational Technology Student Learning Through Immersive Virtual Experiences Grant
Combining haptics with VR to support professional identity development in student pharmacists through empathy for patients
The objective of this proposal is to develop and implement a virtual reality experience for student pharmacists that combines VR and haptic devices to simulate physical impairments experienced by patients with chronic diseases in order to build empathy and promote professional identity formation.
Role: Principal Investigator
Funded for $82,664
9/15/2020-7/31/2024
National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Building and Innovating: Digital Health Technology and Analytics (BIGDATA) p30 Core Center for Clinical Research
The objective of this Center is to harness health information technologies and make them available to support a broad base of investigators both within the institution, and externally to collaborating stakeholders. I serve as an expert in outcomes research and implementation science in the Methodologic Core, acting as a consultant on projects supported by the CCCR.
Role: Co-Investigator (Curtis, PI)
Funded for $2,983,001
9/1/2016-8/31/2018
Food and Drug Administration
Building and Innovating: Digital Health Technology and Analytics (BIGDATA) p30 Core Center for Clinical Research
Educating groups influencing generic drug use
The objective of this proposal is to understand roles of key groups and the extent of their influence on generic drug use in order to provide additional and effective outreach to meet their informational needs.
Role: Co-Investigator (Qian and Harris, co-PIs)
Funded for $499,847
5/1/2016-4/30/2018
Auburn University Intramural Grants Program
Patient preferences for and perceptions of medication adherence incentives
The objective of this proposal was to explore perceptions and preferences for medication adherence incentives among a nationally representative sample of adults with chronic conditions, and to explore the association between these preferences, perceived barriers to medication adherence, and patient characteristics.
Role: Principal Investigator
Funded for $8,975
9/1/2015-8/31/2017
Merck Investigator Studies Program
Impact of a multicomponent immunization intervention on pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccinations: A randomized controlled trial of community pharmacies in two states
The objective of this proposal is to increase the current level of pharmacy-based immunization delivery of pneumococcal vaccine and herpes zoster vaccine and foster practice change to sustain the intervention effect.
Role: Co-Investigator (Westrick, PI)
Funded for $199,998.88
1/1/2014-12/31/2014
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Investigator Award
Effectiveness of different financial incentives to improve medication adherence
The objective of this proposal was to determine the relative effectiveness of interventions for medication adherence that use frequent feedback and incentives, based on concepts from behavioral economics.
Role: Principle Investigator
Funded for $11,000
2/1/2012-1/31/2013
Auburn University Intramural Grants Program
The association between body weight, value of the future and dietary behaviors
The objective of this proposal was to evaluate the association between value of the future and dietary behaviors in underweight/healthy weight individuals compared to overweight/obese individuals.
Role: Principle Investigator
Funded for $4,000
HORP 7520 Social and Behavioral Theory in Health (Spring)
PYPD 9320 Longitudinal Experience I (Fall)
PYPD 9340 Longitudinal Experience III (Fall)
PYPD 9350 Longitudinal Experience IV (Spring)
PYPD 9370 Longitudinal Experience VI (Spring)
PYDI 9070 The Art of Wellbeing (Spring)
PYDI 9970 Immersive Technologies in Healthcare (Spring)
Currently serving as the HORP Graduate Program Officer
Ahmed Kamel (PhD student) – Co-advisor
Nick McCormick (PhD student)
Heqin Yang (PhD student)
Brandy Davis (PhD candidate)
Natalie Hohmann (PhD, 2019)
Heba Aref (MS, 2018)
Justin Owensby (PhD, 2017)
Thanasak Lertpichitkul (MS, 2015)