Education
Ph.D. – Community and Behavioral Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health
Graduate Certificate – Biostatistics, University of Iowa College of Public Health
M.P.H. – Kansas University Medical Center
B.S. – Environmental Studies and Political Science, University of Oregon
Areas of Expertise
Behavioral Health Services
Drug and Alcohol Use Disorders
Mental Health
Social Determinants of Health
Introduction
Dr. Pro uses applied quantitative research methods to measure differences in healthcare access and outcomes. He strives to translate research into impact and change across multiple levels of behavior and policy.
Teaching Focus
Dr. Pro teaches students how to use quantitative data to identify trends and correlates of health conditions, healthcare use, and health outcomes. He stresses the importance of being able to interpret and explain statistical results to a wide range of audiences. Clear and creative organization and visualization of complex statistical models are critical skills needed in public health research.
Research Overview
Dr. Pro draws on statistics and epidemiology to study how place matters or how where a person lives affects their access to behavioral healthcare. He studies predictors of treatment dropout and other treatment outcomes. This includes abstinence but also other important indicators of success, such as a reduction in the use of drugs, improved functioning, or safer drug use.
Recent Books or Publications
- Pro G, Richoux C, Bolt M, Kincade A, White R, Kasper C, Zaller N. Factors associated with self-reported overdose reversals using naloxone in Little Rock, Arkansas: Implications for harm reduction service delivery in the US South. J Drug Issues. 2024. Epub 2024 Mar 7. doi: 10.1177/00220426241236686.
- Pro G, Cantor J, Buttram M, Brown CC, Gu M, Mancino M, Zaller N. Geographic and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Access to Methamphetamine Detoxification Services, United States, 2021. Med Care. 2024 Jul 1; 62(7): 464-472. PMID: 38761164.
- Pro G, Cantor J, Willis D, Gu M, Fairman B, Baloh J, Montgomery BE. A Multilevel Analysis of Changing Telehealth Availability in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Settings: Conditional Effects of Rurality, the Number and Types of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Available, and Time, US, 2016-2023. J Rural Health. 2024 Jun 12. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38867390.
- Pro G, Brown CC, Johnson O, Montgomery BEE, Zaller N. Comprehensive and Integrated Services in Specialty Mental Health Treatment Facilities in the US: Differences by the Racial/Ethnic Composition of the Facility’s Clientele, 2020. Community Ment Health J. 2024 Feb; 60(2): 272-282. Epub 2023 Jul 12. PMID: 37436527.
- Pro G, Hayes C, Montgomery B, Zaller N. Demographic and Geographic Shifts in the Preferred Route of Methamphetamine Administration Among Treatment Cases in the US, 2010-2019. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Aug; 237:109535. Epub 2022 Aug 1. PMID: 35714531.
Fun Fact
Dr. Pro was a Peace Corps volunteer in a farming village in Malawi (2007-2010), which continues to shape how he thinks about public health. He squeezes a few examples of research from Malawi into his methods class – How does one interpret a regression coefficient to predict when, how, or under what circumstances a borehole well pump will crack?