Research Projects
I am currently working on several projects: (1) predictors of vaccine hesitancy, skepticism, and uptake and trust in science and medicine; (2) COVID-19 mitigation behavior and (mis)information in closed rural religious communities; (3) diagnosis, healthcare coordination, and chronic illness among rare disease patients; and (4) maternal health.
What social, cultural, and structural factors affect science/medicine skepticism including vaccine skepticism? What factors affect COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake?
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. Forthcoming. “Paranormal Beliefs, Vaccine Confidence, and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.” Sociology of Religion.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. Forthcoming. “Echo Chambers in a Closed Community: Vaccine Uptake and Perceived Effectiveness among the Amish and Old Order Mennonites.” The Sociological Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2022.2053315
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2022. “‘God will protect us’: Belief in God/Higher Power’s Ability to Intervene and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.” Review of Religious Research, 64: 475-495.
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. 2022. “Individual’s Use of Religion in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic as Complementary to Their Use of Medically Recommended Responses.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 61(2): 293-313.
Scheitle, Christopher P. and Katie E. Corcoran. 2022. “Endorsement of Religion-Science Conflict as an Expression of Group Solidarity among Graduate Students in the Sciences.” Sociology of Religion, 83(1): 79-101.
Scheitle, Christopher P. and Katie E. Corcoran. 2021. “COVID-19 Skepticism in Relation to Other Forms of Science Skepticism.” Socius, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211049841
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. 2021. “Christian Nationalism and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake.” Vaccine 39(45): 6614-6621.
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad.” Religions 12(1): 1-18.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 60: 3230-3244.
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Rachel E. Stein. 2021. “‘When the Waves Roll High’: Religious Coping among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Religions 12(9): 1-17.
COVID-19 Misinformation and Mitigation Behaviors among Closed Rural Religious Communities
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Sara K. Guthrie, and Annette M. Mackay. “Rituals of Contagion in Closed Religious Communities: A Case Study of Amish and Mennonite Communities in the United States During the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 61(5): 4260-4281.
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad.” Religions 12(1): 1-18.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 60: 3230-3244.
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Rachel E. Stein. 2021. “‘When the Waves Roll High’: Religious Coping among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Religions 12(9): 1-17.
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. Forthcoming. “Paranormal Beliefs, Vaccine Confidence, and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.” Sociology of Religion.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. Forthcoming. “Echo Chambers in a Closed Community: Vaccine Uptake and Perceived Effectiveness among the Amish and Old Order Mennonites.” The Sociological Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2022.2053315
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, and Christopher P. Scheitle. 2022. “‘God will protect us’: Belief in God/Higher Power’s Ability to Intervene and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.” Review of Religious Research, 64: 475-495.
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. 2022. “Individual’s Use of Religion in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic as Complementary to Their Use of Medically Recommended Responses.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 61(2): 293-313.
Scheitle, Christopher P. and Katie E. Corcoran. 2022. “Endorsement of Religion-Science Conflict as an Expression of Group Solidarity among Graduate Students in the Sciences.” Sociology of Religion, 83(1): 79-101.
Scheitle, Christopher P. and Katie E. Corcoran. 2021. “COVID-19 Skepticism in Relation to Other Forms of Science Skepticism.” Socius, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211049841
Corcoran, Katie E., Christopher P. Scheitle, and Bernard D. DiGregorio. 2021. “Christian Nationalism and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake.” Vaccine 39(45): 6614-6621.
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad.” Religions 12(1): 1-18.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 60: 3230-3244.
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Rachel E. Stein. 2021. “‘When the Waves Roll High’: Religious Coping among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Religions 12(9): 1-17.
COVID-19 Misinformation and Mitigation Behaviors among Closed Rural Religious Communities
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Sara K. Guthrie, and Annette M. Mackay. “Rituals of Contagion in Closed Religious Communities: A Case Study of Amish and Mennonite Communities in the United States During the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 61(5): 4260-4281.
Corcoran, Katie E., Rachel E. Stein, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad.” Religions 12(1): 1-18.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, Annette M. Mackay, and Sara K. Guthrie. 2021. “Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Religion and Health 60: 3230-3244.
DiGregorio, Bernard D., Katie E. Corcoran, Corey J. Colyer, and Rachel E. Stein. 2021. “‘When the Waves Roll High’: Religious Coping among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Religions 12(9): 1-17.
Delays in Diagnosis, Healthcare Coordination, and Chronic IIlness among Rare Disease Patients
I am currently engaged in a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary community-engaged research project on intestinal malrotation—a rare congenital birth defect that occurs in utero due to the fetus’ bowels not rotating to the normal position. All people with intestinal malrotation are at an increased risk of volvulus—a life-threatening complication in which the intestines twist, cutting off blood supply to the bowel. Yet, research shows that misdiagnosis is common and many studies identify a delay between presentation of symptoms and diagnosis, thereby increasing the risk of death and morbidity. Once diagnosed, Ladd’s surgery is typically performed to move the intestines into a safer position that reduces the likelihood of a future volvulus. Ladd’s surgery is considered a definitive ‘fix’ with continuing symptoms post-Ladd’s considered uncommon. My research explores the social, structural, and psychological factors that delay diagnosis of rare diseases and amplify delays for marginalized people. I also examine how patients of rare diseases navigate the healthcare system when their symptoms are not believed to be connected to their rare disease.
I am a scientific advisor to the Intestinal Malrotation Foundation and a co-chair of a multi-institutional interdisciplinary medical and patient advisory board for an intestinal malrotation patient-generated registry. Drawing on data from that patient-generated registry (i.e., patient-reported outcomes) for intestinal malrotation, our first paper identifies the characteristics of the patient population and their experiences, which is currently under review. One of the key findings of this research is that most people with the condition continue to experience symptoms even after Ladd’s surgery. We are working on a follow-up paper using a large electronic health records database (TriNetX), which corroborates these findings. We are further exploring this research topic by conducting interviews with patients to capture their experience prior to, during, and after diagnosis.
Martinez, Sydney, Scott C. Fligor, Savas Tsikis, Meagan Short, Katie E. Corcoran, Amy Rogers, Kathleen M. Gura, and Mark Puder. “IMPOWER: A National Patient-Generated Registry for Intestinal Malrotation Exploring Diagnosis, Treatment, and Surgical Outcomes.” Under Review.
I am currently engaged in a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary community-engaged research project on intestinal malrotation—a rare congenital birth defect that occurs in utero due to the fetus’ bowels not rotating to the normal position. All people with intestinal malrotation are at an increased risk of volvulus—a life-threatening complication in which the intestines twist, cutting off blood supply to the bowel. Yet, research shows that misdiagnosis is common and many studies identify a delay between presentation of symptoms and diagnosis, thereby increasing the risk of death and morbidity. Once diagnosed, Ladd’s surgery is typically performed to move the intestines into a safer position that reduces the likelihood of a future volvulus. Ladd’s surgery is considered a definitive ‘fix’ with continuing symptoms post-Ladd’s considered uncommon. My research explores the social, structural, and psychological factors that delay diagnosis of rare diseases and amplify delays for marginalized people. I also examine how patients of rare diseases navigate the healthcare system when their symptoms are not believed to be connected to their rare disease.
I am a scientific advisor to the Intestinal Malrotation Foundation and a co-chair of a multi-institutional interdisciplinary medical and patient advisory board for an intestinal malrotation patient-generated registry. Drawing on data from that patient-generated registry (i.e., patient-reported outcomes) for intestinal malrotation, our first paper identifies the characteristics of the patient population and their experiences, which is currently under review. One of the key findings of this research is that most people with the condition continue to experience symptoms even after Ladd’s surgery. We are working on a follow-up paper using a large electronic health records database (TriNetX), which corroborates these findings. We are further exploring this research topic by conducting interviews with patients to capture their experience prior to, during, and after diagnosis.
Martinez, Sydney, Scott C. Fligor, Savas Tsikis, Meagan Short, Katie E. Corcoran, Amy Rogers, Kathleen M. Gura, and Mark Puder. “IMPOWER: A National Patient-Generated Registry for Intestinal Malrotation Exploring Diagnosis, Treatment, and Surgical Outcomes.” Under Review.
Maternal Health
I also conduct community-engaged research and service in the area of maternal health as a trained patient advocate for the EndPreeclampsia non-profit organization, which seeks to educate, support, and advocate for pregnant people who are diagnosed with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Carina Perrone, and Jeralynn S. Cossman. “The Influence of Reproductive History on Post-Reproductive Mortality: A Case Study of Amish Women.” The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 2(1): 62-79.
I also conduct community-engaged research and service in the area of maternal health as a trained patient advocate for the EndPreeclampsia non-profit organization, which seeks to educate, support, and advocate for pregnant people who are diagnosed with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Stein, Rachel E., Katie E. Corcoran, Carina Perrone, and Jeralynn S. Cossman. “The Influence of Reproductive History on Post-Reproductive Mortality: A Case Study of Amish Women.” The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities 2(1): 62-79.
