Dr. Aliaga’s research focuses on perinatal epidemiology and healthcare quality improvement measures with the goal of optimizing translation of best evidence into practice. In particular, Dr. Aliaga focuses on the epidemiology of late preterm birth, using statistics to examine provider and site-specific practices that may contribute to higher rates of preterm birth within certain regions.
Dr. Aliaga also mentors medical students, residents, and fellows who are in the process of pursuing their primary research projects, and is committed to working with learners to encourage and support future generations of researchers. Some of these mentor-led projects have included a systematic review of participation rates of families in pharmaceutical trials in neonates, an examination of health care costs associated with pediatric palliative care programs, and an evaluation of a simulation-based educational curriculum for teams in the UNC neonatal intensive care unit.
She has established collaborative research relationships with colleagues at Duke University, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and RTI International.