Faculty

faculty photo
Colleen E. Huebner
Associate Professor
PhD  
University of Washington, 1991
Psychology
MPH  
University of Washington, 1994
Epidemiology
BS  
University of Washington, 1980
Psychology
Adjunct Associate Professor, Family and Child Nursing
Adjunct Associate Professor, Pediatric Dentistry

Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
  -  Maternal and Child Health Track, (MPH program)
  -  PhD program in Health Services

Colleen Huebner's research and teaching expertise integrate three overlapping areas in public health and child development. They are: (1) the development of language and emotion regulation and the constitutional and social factors that can influence these processes; (2) parent-child interaction and family functioning during first five years of life; and (3) the design and evaluation of appropriate interventions for children and families at-risk for poor outcomes due to experiential or environmental factors including poverty, low parental education or maternal mental illness. Dr. Huebner is an affiliate member of the faculty of the School of Dentistry and of the School of Nursing where she is a member of the advisory board of the Center for Infant Mental Health and Development. In 2003, Dr. Huebner was appointed by President Bush to the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. She is also a Research Associate with the Center for Human Development & Disability and the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

Contact Information
(office)  F-351B, Health Sciences Building
University of Washington
1959 NE Pacific Street
Box:  357230
Seattle, WA 98195
(voice)  206-685-9852     (fax)  206-616-8370
colleenh@u.washington.edu
(staff contact):  Carmen Velasquez
(voice)  206-543-0312     (fax)  206-616-8370
carmv@u.washington.edu
Teaching Interests
Application of developmental and prevention science to public health practice.
  • HSERV 541
    Topics in Maternal and Child Health I
  • HSERV 541   (Extended MPH Program)
    Topics in Maternal and Child Health I
  • HSERV 592
    Maternal and Child Health Research Seminar
Research Interests
Design, delivery and evaluation of preventive interventions with young children and families; social bases of language, cognitive and emotional development in normal and at-risk children. Language and literacy development; parents' health literacy.
Projects
Healthy Steps for Young Children in HMO
This project,with Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, evaluates a program of expanded prenatal and pediatric health services for families with young children (birth to age 3 years). This project is part of the National Health Steps for Young Children study; it is unique in adding a prenatal component to the national, multi-state project.
http://www.healthysteps.org/
Learning Links I: A county-based approach to support young children
The purpose of Learning Links is to translate findings from experimental research to create a series of developmentally-timed, community-based interventions that support children's progress toward school readiness over the years of 2 to 5. Current research evaluates 3 different modes of delivering information to parents about how to promote early language development through shared reading. The study is supported by funding from the University of Washington's Center on Mind, Brain and Learning.
http://ilabs.washington.edu/
External Funding (sampling of current and past involvement)
Leadership Training in Pediatric Dentistry
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Leggott           Dates:    07/2002 - 06/2012
The purpose of the University of Washington Center for Leadership Education in Pediatric Dentistry is to improve the health of maternal and child populations through training leaders in pediatric dentistry.

Maternal Oral Health: Birth Outcomes and Child Health
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Milgrom           Dates:    09/2005 - 08/2008
Using a analysis of Medicaid claims, this research will assess the progress of dentists towards a "paradigm shift" in adopting a medical model of care where oral diseases are prevented in contrast to the traditional surgical treatment model.

Home-based Intervention to Reduce Oral Health Disparities in Young Children: Subproject of NW/Alaska Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    08/2006 - 07/2008
The purpose is to develop and pilot test an oral health education intervention for low-income rural caregivers of infants and pre-school age children with the goal of supporting parents and other primary caregivers to develop a habit of early and frequent adult-child tooth-brushing. Methods reflect a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach.

Head Start Training in Pediatric Dentistry
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Leggott           Dates:    09/2005 - 09/2007
The purpose of this training program is to improve the health of maternal and child populations including infants and children, and mothers and fathers through training leaders in pediatric dentistry.

Pediatric Dental Residents into Rural Areas
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Berg           Dates:    07/2004 - 06/2007
The purpose of the grant is to expand the accredited University of Washington pediatric dentistry residency program by developing a sustainable community-based pediatric dentistry residence track in a migrant health center in Yakima County, WA, that can be adapted elsewhere.

Maternal and Child Health Public Health Training
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    07/2000 - 06/2005
The MCH Training program exists to educate future leaders and assist current leaders to solve MCH problems, conduct applied research, and collaborate with community and government partners to improve the health and well being of women, infants, children, and adolescents.

3rd Western Maternal and Child Epidemiology Conference
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   Swanson           Dates:    07/2004 - 06/2005
The goal of this project is to organize and provide a Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology conference in April, 2005 for public health practitioners working in state, tribal, and local agencies in the 15 western states of the U.S.

Children's Mental Health Promotion Web Site
Nesholm Family Foundation
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    04/2004 - 03/2005
The project aims to support mental health and physical health providers dedicated to the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of emotional well-being in children by providing related information via the web.

Learning Links: Home Literacy Experiences and Reading Readiness at Age Four
Royalty Research Foundation
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    01/2004 - 01/2005
This study examines potential long-term benefits of an intervention known to support 2- and 3-year-olds children's oral language skills, called "Dialogic Reading".

Learning Links I: A county-wide initiative to support preschool readiness
Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, UW
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    01/2001 - 12/2003
Research contrasts three methods of delivering a universal preventive intervention for parents of two-year-old children. The intervention uses shared picture book reading to promote young children's language development.

Parenting Project
WA State Department of Social and Health Services
PI:   Huebner           Dates:    07/1997 - 07/2002
To develop and field test a new model of preventative intervention to serve mothers who are difficult to engage in more traditional, clinic-based parent education programs.

Maternal and Child Health Public Health Training
Health Resources Services Administration
PI:   Connell           Dates:    07/1983 - 05/2000
The goals of this program are to train leaders in public health aspects of maternal and child health care.


Selected Publications

Huebner CE, Meltzoff AN. A randomized comparison of instructional method on parent-child reading style [accepted 1/05, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology].

Bell JA**, Zimmerman FJ, Huebner CE, Cawthon ML, Ward DH, Schroeder CA. Perinatal health service use by women released from jail. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 2004;15(3):426-442.

Huebner, CE, Dunlop M, Case, A. Containing violence: A case study illustration of Bion's container/contained model as applied to mother-infant intervention. Clinical Social Work Journal 2004;32(2):141-157.

Huebner CE, Barlow WE, Tyll LT, Johnston BD, Thompson RS. Expanding developmental and behavioral services for newborns in primary care; Program design, delivery, and evaluation framework. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2004;26(4):344-355.

Huebner CE. Evaluation of a parent education program to reduce the risk of infant and toddler maltreatment. Public Health Nursing 2002;19(5):377-389.

Dissertation, Thesis and Capstone Committees (recent graduates)
2007
Chair, thesis committee for Leena Bitar
Barriers to obtaining needed dental treatment for Head Start children in Washington

2006
Member, thesis committee for Joseph Kelly
Dental practice with Native underserved: Sources of satisfaction

2006
Chair, thesis committee for Rama Oskouian
Does distribution of dentists in New Hampshire affect access and quality of dental care received by children enrolled in Medicaid?

2006
Chair, thesis committee for Kathryn Payne
The association between psychosocial and demographic characteristics of the mother, child and mother-child dyad and unintentional injury in low-income children

2006
Chair, thesis committee for Yoo-Lee Yea
A comparison of early childhood caries risk assessment techniques in a pediatric medical clinic

2005
Member, thesis committee for Jacque Ives
A process evaluation of Health Trek: A nutrition and media literacy program for middle school youth in Washington State

2004
Chair, thesis committee for Judith Norman
Benefits, challenges, and supports associated with breastfeeding continuation among women who attend prenatal classes

2004
Chair, thesis committee for Josephine Saltmarsh
Youth violence, income inequality, and social capital: an ecologic study


Links
Hear and Say Reading
Contact this website to place an order for: Hear and Say Reading [instructional video for parents and caregivers of young children]. © CE Huebner, February, 2001.
http://www.bainbridgeislandrotary.org/
Public Library Association
A website jointly sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Development and the Public Library Association that provides information about parent education and professional training iniatives.
http://www.pla.org/earlyliteracy.htm
World Association for Infant Mental Health
An interdisciplinary and international association that promotes professional education and the study of the mental health of infants and their families
http://www.msu.edu/user/waimh/