Sara Andrews is a Research Public Health Analyst who designs and implements innovative qualitative and mixed methods approaches to research and evaluation within RTI’s Genomics, Ethics, and Translational Research Program. She has expertise in managing complex projects, including the voice of research participants into studies through qualitative research methods, and stakeholder engagement. She is proficient in NVivo qualitative data management software.
Ms. Andrews eagerly seeks out ways to incorporate her science education and public health nutrition background into her work in the genomics and rare disease realm. For example, in 2020 she was awarded a professional development award to conduct a year-long project focused on nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and precision nutrition, with a particular focus on the dietary management of Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Ms. Andrews leads the team that implements and evaluates outreach and recruitment efforts for Early Check, a research study that provides free, expanded screening of all North Carolina newborns for conditions not included in the state’s newborn screening panel. In this role, she facilitated the implementation of MyChart recruitment for Early Check and served as a liaison with North Carolina WIC programs that are sharing information about the study.
Ms. Andrews led data collection and analysis for a project with the Immune Deficiency Foundation to better understand the challenges faced by parents of children with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). She also helped design the data collection and analysis approach for the evaluation of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s newborn screening portfolio.
In multiple projects, Ms. Andrews has contributed to the creation of resources for parents and families based on research findings, such as research summaries and blog posts for Our Fragile X World and a web-based resource to aid parents of children with SCID in making treatment decisions.
Prior to joining RTI in 2016, Ms. Andrews worked as a Project Manager and Qualitative Analyst with the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service. She is a Registered Dietitian and a member of the American Society for Nutrition. Her notable publications include "Just tell me what's going on": The views of parents of children with genetic conditions regarding the research use of their child's electronic health record.
