Deependra Kaji Thapa
Picture
Deependra Kaji Thapa
Postdoctoral Associate
Positions
- Postdoctoral Associate
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Pediatrics - Nutrition
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana United States
- Research. Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor
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Monitoring and Evaluation
Nepal Public Health Research and Development Center
Kathmandu, Bagmati Nepal
- Graduate Research Assistant
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School of Medicine
University of Tasmania
Sydney, NSW Australia
- Statistics Development Officer
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National Statistics Office
UNDP/National Planning Commission
Kathmandu, Nepal
- Lecturer
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Public Health
Purbanchal University
Kathmandu, Nepal
Addresses
- 1100 Bates St (Office)
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Houston, TX 77030
United States
https://www.bcm.edu/people-search/deependra-thapa-203836
Education
- PhD from University of Tasmania
- 08/2021 - Sydney, NSW Australia
- Public Health, Mental Health
- MPH from Tribhuvan University
- 12/2011 - Kathmandu, Nepal
- Public Health, Epidemiology
- MSc from Wageningen University
- 08/2012 - Wageningen, Gelderland Netherlands
- Public Health, Public Health Research
- BSc from Purbanchal University
- 08/2006 - Kathmandu, Nepal
Honors & Awards
- Finalist - ARISE-2025 (Aging Research – Innovations in Statistical Exploration)
- American Statistical Association (ASA) Data Science in Aging Interest Group (07/2025 - 11/2025)
Professional Statement
As a postdoctoral associate at Baylor College of Medicine, I apply my expertise in public health and research methodology to advance the field of nutrition, obesity, and aging. With over 10 years of experience in research, monitoring, and evaluation, I have led multiple projects, developed proposals, designed studies, and ensured data quality. I have also served as a senior lecturer at CQUniversity, where I shared my knowledge with students and contributed to their academic growth. My passion for public health is driven by a desire to improve health outcomes and promote well-being. I am committed to excellence and continuous learning, and I strive to make a positive impact through my work.Websites
Professional Development
- Obesity Week 2024
- Conference (Participant, 2024)
- Sponsor: School of Pulic Health-Bloomington, Indiana University
- 89th Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Symposium on Senescence & Aging
- Conference (Presenter, 2025)
- Sponsor: School of Pulic Health-Bloomington, Indiana University
- UAB Aging Research Symposium 2024
- Seminar (Presenter, 2024)
- Sponsor: UAB Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging
Selected Publications
- Thapa DK, Najam W, Parker ES, Wang XR, Smith SL, Beyaztas U, Nelson JF, Austad SN, Churchill GA, Allison DB "Life-extending interventions do not necessarily result in compression of morbidity: A case example offering a robust analytical approach." Geroscience. 2025 Nov 12; Pubmed PMID: 41225279
- Najam W, Kpormegbey DE, Thapa DK, Rust B, Golzarri-Arroyo L, Baumgard LH, Fan WTL, Ibrahim JG, Mayorga EJ, Allison DB "Pair-Feeding Study Designs Can Create Biases and Inflate Type I Error Rates: A Simulation Study." Obesity. 2025 Nov 24; Pubmed PMID: 41286579
- Suresh S, Frongillo EA, Thapa DK, Adhikari RP, Kole S, ........ Cunningham K "Exposure to Suaahara II Interventions and Knowledge of Maternal and Child Nutrition and Health Among Mothers, Grandmothers, and Male Household Heads: An Association Study in Nepal." Matern Child Nutr. 2025 Nov 17;11(1):e70134. Pubmed PMID: 41243799
- Sharifnia AM, Pormegbey DE, Thapa DK, Cleary M "A Primer of Data Cleaning in Quantitative Research: Handling Missing Values and Outliers." J Adv Nurs. 2026 Jun;82(1):970-975. Pubmed PMID: 40145308
- Thapa DK, Parker ES, Kandukuri M, Wang X, ……………….., Vorland CJ, Allison DB "Statistical Methods in Aging Research: Improving Current Practices and Embracing Emerging Approaches." Annu Rev Stat Appl. 2025 Nov;13
- Acharya K, Singh DR, Karki A, Cleary M, Thapa DK "Mental health service readiness in Nepal: Insights from the 2021 Nepal Health Facility Survey." PLoS Ment Health. 2025 Jul;2(7):e0000155.
- Villamin P, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Cleary M "From Vulnerability to Stability: Migrant Nurses’ Experiences of Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness." J Nurs Manag. 2025 Mar; Pubmed PMID: 40223872
- Villamin P, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Cleary M "'Why Did They Migrate Here'?: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring Nurses' Motivations for Migration and Regional Relocation." J Adv Nurs. 2025 Jul;81(7):4146-4159. Pubmed PMID: 39817659
- Banks J, Thapa DK, Lopez V, Sahay A, Cleary M "Prevalence and predictors of compassion fatigue among Australian oncology nurses caring for adult cancer patients: A cross-sectional study." Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Feb;74 Pubmed PMID: 39827828
- Banks J, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Sahay A, Cleary M "Compassion Fatigue Among Australian Oncology Nurses Caring for Adult Cancer Patients: Antecedents, Impact and Mediators." J Adv Nurs. 2025 Sep;81(9):5984-5995. Pubmed PMID: 39788559
- Villamin P, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Cleary M "Retaining a Multicultural Nursing Workforce: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective." J Transcult Nurs. 2025 Jul;36(4):352-362. Pubmed PMID: 39953681
- Thapa DK, Frongillo EA, Suresh S, …………….., Kole SK, Cunningham K "Impact of Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme, on health workers' maternal and child health, and nutrition knowledge and skills in Nepal." Matern Child Nutr. 2024 Jun;e13669. Pubmed PMID: 38881273
- Villamin P, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Cleary M "Retention and turnover among migrant nurses: A scoping review." Int Nurs Rev. 2024 Sep;71(3):541-555. Pubmed PMID: 37467162
- Frongillo EA, Suresh S, Thapa DK, Cunningham K, Rana PP, Adhikari RP, Kole S, Pun B, Kshetri I, Adhikari DP, Klemm R "Impact of Suaahara, an integrated nutrition programme, on maternal and child nutrition at scale in Nepal." Matern Child Nutr. 2024 Feb; Pubmed PMID: 38342986
- Jamshidi-Naeini J, Golzarri-Arroyo L, Thapa DK, Pormegbey DE, Allison DB "Ambiguity in Statistical Analysis Methods and Nonconformity With Prespecified Commitment to Data Sharing in a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial." J Med Internet Res. 2024 Apr 3;26:e54090. Pubmed PMID: 38568721
- Alavi M, Lohrasbi F, Thapa DK, Biros E, Lai C, Cleary M "Achieving a representative sample in health research." Nurse Educ Pract. 2024 Jul;78 Pubmed PMID: 38762376
- Cleary M, West S, Kornhaber R, Lohnston-Devin C, Thapa DK, McLean L, Hungerford C "‘The Horse Weaves Magic’: Parents and Service Providers on the Benefits of Horse-Based Therapies for Autistic Children—an Australian Qualitative Study." Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2024 Nov;45(11):1201-1209. Pubmed PMID: 39110870
- Villamin P, Lopez V, Thapa DK, Cleary, M "A Worked Example of Qualitative Descriptive Design: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novice and Early Career Researchers." J Adv Nurs. 2024 Oct 9;81(8):5181-5195. Pubmed PMID: 39382252
- Barizeh L, Jabraeili M, Hoseini MB, Farasi MR, Martyn J, Thapa DK, Cleary M "The Effect of Oral Colostrum Application on the Condition of the Mouth and Incidence of Late-Onset Sepsis Among Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Adv Neonatal Care. 2024 Oct 1;24(5):485-493. Pubmed PMID: 39141690
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Internal and International Migration and the Mental Health of “Left-Behind” Older Parents." International Migration Review. 2023 Mar 17;58(1)
- Alavi M, Thapa DK, Biros E, Cleary "Considerations in the use of concurrent or predictive validity in clinical measurement." Nurs Health Sci. 2023 Jun;25(2):183-186. Pubmed PMID: 37368337
- Cleary M, West S, Thapa DK, Hungerford C, McLean L, Lohnston-Devin C, Kornhaber R "A scoping review of equine-assisted therapies on the mental health and well-being of autistic children and adolescents: Exploring the possibilities." Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2024 Sep;45(9):948-960. Pubmed PMID: 39042874
- Weissman G, Nir R, ……………, Thapa DK, Haik J "The effectiveness of polymeric membrane dressing breast pads vs. Lanolin ointment in relieving breastfeeding-induced nipple pain among postpartum women: A quasi-randomised clinical trial." Breastfeeding Review. 2024 Mar 1;32(2):6-15.
- Thapa DK, Dahal H., ………., Paudel P, Thapa J "Stigma, depression and quality of life among people affected by neglected tropical diseases in Nepal." Int Health. 2023 Dec 20;15(Suppl 3):iii79-iii86. Pubmed PMID: 38118156
- Thapa DK, Acharya K, Karki A, Cleary M "Health facility readiness to provide antenatal care (ANC) and non-communicable disease (NCD) services in Nepal and Bangladesh: Analysis of facility-based surveys." PLoS One. 2023 Mar 13;18(3):e0281357. Pubmed PMID: 36913361
- Cleary M, Thapa DK, Lopez V. Williamson M, Sahay A, Kornhaber R "Mentoring students in doctoral nursing programs: A scoping review." J Prof Nurs. 2023 Feb 15;45:71-88. Pubmed PMID: 36889896
- Cleary M, West S, Thapa DK, Kornhaber R "Putting Cats on the Spectrum: A Scoping Review of the Role of Cats in Therapy and Companionship for Autistic Adults and Children." Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2023 Apr 9;44(6):505-516. Pubmed PMID: 37075312
- Poudel S, Adhikari C, Yadav RK, Yadav DK, Thapa DK, Jakovljevic M "Disempowered Mothers Have Undernourished Children: How Strong is the Intrinsic Agency?." Front Public Health. 2022 Feb 3;10 Pubmed PMID: 35186848
- Williams AD, O'Brien J, Mulford J, Mathew R, Thapa DK, …….., Bird ML "Effect of combined exercise training and behaviour change counselling versus usual care on physical activity in patients awaiting hip and knee arthroplasty: A randomised controlled trial." Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2022 Aug 28;4(4):100308. Pubmed PMID: 36474797
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Psychometric properties of the Nepali language version of Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales (DASS-21)." Nurs Open. 2021 Jun 23;9(6):2608-2617. Pubmed PMID: 34161668
- Alavi M, Hunt GE, Thapa DK, Cleary M "Conducting systematic reviews of the quality and psychometric properties of health-related measurement instruments: Finding the right tool for the job." Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2021 Sep 30;43(4):317-322. Pubmed PMID: 34591740
- Cleary M, Thapa DK, West S, Westman M, Kornhaber R "Animal abuse in the context of adult intimate partner violence: A systematic review." Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2021 Nov;61
- Karki K, Singh DR, Maharjan D, KC S, Shrestha S, Thapa, DK "Internet addiction and sleep quality among adolescents in a peri-urban setting in Nepal: A cross-sectional school-based survey." PLoS One. 2021 Feb 18;16(2):e0246940. Pubmed PMID: 33600410
- Malini H, Lenggogeni DP, Windah A, Qifti F, Thapa DK, West S, Cleary M "Covid-19, Chronic Illness and Technostress." Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2021 Aug 31;43(2):189-192. Pubmed PMID: 34464236
- Cleary M, West S, Thapa DK, Westman M, Vesk K, Kornhaber R "Grieving the loss of a pet: A qualitative systematic review." Death Stud. 2021 Apr 21;46(9):2167-2178. Pubmed PMID: 33881389
- Thapa DK, Levett-Jones T, West S, Cleary M "Burnout, compassion fatigue, and resilience among healthcare professionals." Nurs Health Sci. 2021 May 13;23(3):565-569. Pubmed PMID: 33860606
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, West S, Cleary M "The influence of online health information on health decisions: A systematic review." Patient Educ Couns. 2020 Nov 21;104(4):770-784. Pubmed PMID: 33358253
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among older adults: A cross-sectional population-based study." Nurs Health Sci. 2020 Oct 26;22(4):1139-1152. Pubmed PMID: 33026688
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Migration of adult children and quality of life of older parents left-behind in Nepal." Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2020 Sep 30;20(11):1061-1066. Pubmed PMID: 32998184
- Alavi M, Hunt GE, Visentin DC, Watson R, Thapa DK, Cleary M "Seeing the forest for the trees: How to interpret a meta-analysis forest plot." J Adv Nurs. 2020 Dec 14;77(3):1097-1101. Pubmed PMID: 33314246
- Cleary M, Kornhaber R, Thapa DK, West S, Visentin D "A quantitative systematic review assessing the impact of burn injuries on body image." Body Image. 2020 Feb 25;33:47-65. Pubmed PMID: 32109831
- Cleary M, Kornhaber R, Thapa DK, West S, Visentin D "A Systematic Review of Behavioral Outcomes for Leadership Interventions Among Health Professionals." J Nurs Res. 2020 Oct 28;28(5):e118. Pubmed PMID: 32769553
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Hunt GE, Watson R, Cleary M "Being honest with causal language in writing for publication." J Adv Nurs. 2020 Feb 8;76(6):1285-1288. Pubmed PMID: 32020658
- Cross M, Lee S, Bridgman H, Thapa DK, Cleary M, Kornhaber R "Benefits, barriers and enablers of mentoring female health academics: An integrative review." PLoS One. 2019 Apr 18;14(4):e0215319. Pubmed PMID: 30998791
- Kornhaber R, Visentin D, Thapa DK, West S, Haik J, Cleary M "Burn camps for burns survivors—Realising the benefits for early adjustment: A systematic review." Burns. 2019 Jan 9;46(1):33-43. Pubmed PMID: 30638667
- Alavi M, Visentin DC, Thapa DK, Hunt GE, Watson R, Cleary M "Chi-square for model fit in confirmatory factor analysis." J Adv Nurs. 2020 May 7;76(9):2209-2211. Pubmed PMID: 32323338
- Spitz RW, Thapa DK, Mokalla TR, Najam W, Brown AW, Allison DB "Conclusions Are Not Supported by the Published Statistical Analysis. Comment on López-Toledo et al. Flaxseed Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Mexican Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial." Nutrients. 2026 Jan 5;18(1):170.
- Kornhaber R, Visentin D, Thapa DK, West S, McKittrick A, Haik J, Cleary M "Cosmetic camouflage improves quality of life among patients with skin disfigurement: A systematic review." Body Image. 2018 Sep 10;27:98-108. Pubmed PMID: 30212716
- Thapa S, Thapa DK, Buve A, Hannes K, Nepal C, Mathei C "HIV-Related Risk Behaviors Among Labor Migrants, Their Wives and the General Population in Nepal." J Community Health. 2017 Apr;42(2):260-268. Pubmed PMID: 27638032
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Migration of adult children and mental health of older parents ‘left behind’: An integrative review." PLoS One. 2018 Oct 22;13(10):e0205665. Pubmed PMID: 30346972
- Dahal HR, Kumar S, Thapa DK "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders among the Survivors of 2015 Nepal Earthquake, in Dhading, Nepal." Sleep and Hypnosis. 2017 Aug;20(2):128–139.
- Thapa DK, Visentin D, Kornhaber R, Cleary M "Prevalence of Mental Disorders among Older People in Nepal: A Systematic Review." Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2018 Apr;16(62):181-190. Pubmed PMID: 30636762
- Cleary M, Kornhaber R, Thapa DK, West S, Visentin D "The effectiveness of interventions to improve resilience among health professionals: A systematic review." Nurse Educ Today. 2018 Oct 11;71:247-263. Pubmed PMID: 30342300
- Cleary M, Visentin D, Thapa DK, West S, Raeburn T, Kornhaber R "The Homeless and Their Animal Companions: An Integrative Review." Adm Policy Ment Health. 2020 Jan;47(1):47-59. Pubmed PMID: 31456130
- West S, Kornhaber R, Visentin DC, Thapa DK, Cleary M "The role of the health professional supporting consumers who use ‘Dr Google’." J Adv Nurs. 2020 Jun 2;76(9):2217-2219. Pubmed PMID: 32420628
- Alavi M, Visentin DC, Thapa DK, Hunt GE, Watson R, Cleary M "Using risk and odds ratios to assess effect size for meta‐analysis outcome measures." J Adv Nurs. 2020 Oct 13;76(12):3231-3234. Pubmed PMID: 33047856
- Thapa DK, Niehof A "Women's autonomy and husbands' involvement in maternal health care in Nepal." Soc Sci Med. 2013 Jun 14;93:1-10. Pubmed PMID: 23906115
- Alavi M, Visentin DC, Thapa DK, Hunt GE, Watson R, Cleary M "Exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis in clinical studies: Which one should you use?." J Adv Nurs. 2020 May 4;78(6):1886-1889. Pubmed PMID: 32255218
- Mokalla TR, Parker ES, Smith DL Jr, Becerra-Garcia LE, Robertson OC, Thapa DK, Kandukuri M, Rust BM, Allison DB "Association between cagemate number and risk of death in mice: a time-varying covariate analysis using Cox frailty models." Geroscience. 2026 Jan 9; Pubmed PMID: 41514094
Funding
- XPRIZE Healthspan Longitudinal Data Analysis Select Award
- $10,000.00 ( 12/31/2025 - 07/31/2026 ) Grant funding from American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)
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