About Us

Preparing our pediatric patients to be successful in the world of adult health!

Purpose

Founded in 2006, the main focus of the STARx Program is to develop and improve self-management skills and disease knowledge among adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions. We have created self-management and transition readiness assessment tools that identify areas of knowledge and skill deficits among patients ages 12 and older. Based on identified areas of need, education and intervention is then provided in an individualized, culturally, linguistically and age-appropriate fashion.

Interdisciplinary Team Members

STARx (Self-management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx=Treatment) Program Founder and Director: Maria Ferris, MD, MPH, PhD

Senior Investigator: Stephen Hooper, PhD

Co-Investigators: Eniko Rak, PhD, CRC; Miranda van Tilburg, PhD; Coretta Jenerette, PhD, RN, CNE; Nina Jain, MD; Cynthia Fair, DrPH (Elon University); Richard Faldowski, PhD, Kelly Moore, PNP, Robert Campbell, PhD , Byron Jaeger, Diane Cejas, MD, MPH, Nina Jain, MD

Research Assistants: Maggwa Ndugga, Brett Buchman, Leslie Arroyo,

Medical and Graduate Student Researchers: Yi Zhong, Cunyuan Huang, Michael Webster-Clark

Funding

The UNC Children’s Hospital provides funding for the full-time Transition Coordinator position. Part-time graduate, undergraduate and Research Consultant positions are occupied by dedicated researchers and students who contribute their time and expertise on a volunteer basis.