Stanford Population Health Summer Research Program

Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEaD)

Angelica Barrios

Project Title: Social and health impacts of racial representation in law enforcement

Faculty Mentor: Mathew Kiang, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Angelica Barrios (she/her) is an undergraduate student at UCLA, majoring in public health and minoring in labor studies. Her interest in these fields stems from her experience picking grapes alongside her father in California’s Central Valley, starting at the age of 14. During this time, she witnessed the adverse health outcomes that disproportionately affect farm workers, especially those from migrant and immigrant backgrounds. Barrios is dedicated to mitigating these health inequities through research, advocacy, and the development of policies and resources that improve the health and life expectancy of farm workers, a population with a life expectancy of only 49 years.

She has embarked on her research and advocacy journey by conducting environmental health research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Barrios also serves as the External Administrative Director for COMPAS, a UCLA campus organization focused on farm worker advocacy and education, and works as an undergraduate researcher at UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research. In her free time, she enjoys preserving her culture by cooking her mother’s traditional Mexican dishes.

Chavonte Boyd

Project Title: Fairness in Decision-Making for Health Equity: Chronic Kidney Disease

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Professor of Health Policy

Chavonte Boyd (he/him) is a junior at Jackson State University (JSU), pursuing a Bachelor of Science in public health with a concentration in healthcare administration. Boyd holds leadership positions as the JSU Student Government Association Secretary of Student Affairs and the Public Health Student Association Community Service Chair. He is invested in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), health equity, social justice, and student development. Driven by a strong belief in equal rights and opportunities for all, Boyd’s academic and professional journey is characterized by a commitment to creating an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves. Additionally, he is dedicated to eliminating barriers and ensuring all people have access to the resources and tools needed for good health and a successful life.

While at JSU, Boyd researched the impact of implementing DEI practices in healthcare settings and how it can improve patients' experiences and outcomes. He was chosen for an assistantship, where he researched the intersection of COVID-19 and heart diseases. He plans to pursue a career that will allow him to merge his skills and interests, using his educational background to drive meaningful change. After a planned gap year to explore career options, Boyd aspires to enroll in a joint master’s program to obtain a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Public Health.

Camryn Jackson

Project Title: Chronic stress and impact on prostate specific antigen concentration

Faculty Mentor: Marvin Langston, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Camryn Jackson is a senior at Tulane University, majoring in public health with a coordinate major in cognitive studies. As a Baton Rouge native and current resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, where over 60,000 residents lack health insurance and face limited healthcare access, Jackson has witnessed firsthand the health inequities among underserved communities. Driven by a passion for equitable solutions, she has dedicated her college career to conducting research within community organizations. Her research has included topics from reproductive health to food insecurity and healthcare quality. She looks forward to a career in health administration and policy and aims to make a meaningful and long-lasting impact within the field of public health. Aside from her academic pursuits, Jackson finds joy in playing soccer with friends and serving as a peer wellness mentor and advocate to first-year college students. She also holds the roles of co-founder and co-editor of Tulane University’s GEN-ZiNE campus chapter, a global grassroots digital media community for young voices passionate about social change.

Stormy Moffitt

Project Title: Environmental Determinants of Biological Aging

Faculty Mentor: Andres Cardenas, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Stormy Moffitt (she/her) is a dedicated senior at Arizona State University, majoring in healthcare administration and policy with a minor in technical communication. She is a proud tribal member of the Osage Nation, belonging to the Ponca-Peacemaker clan.

Stormy is committed to bridging healthcare access gaps for Indigenous communities through culturally relevant health campaigns. Her recent study of Costa Rica's healthcare system highlighted the significance of sustainability and kinship networks, enriching her understanding of effective healthcare models. Her research interests encompass survey research and design, evidence-based interventions, and the grant-writing process. Outside academics, she enjoys playing guitar, beading, and spending time with her animals.

Deeply rooted in her heritage, she lives by the Osage values of Wazhazhe. Leading with these values, she aims to celebrate culture, preserve sacred lands, and care for the people. She is passionate about addressing tribal health issues by focusing on community strengths rather than deficits. She aims to integrate culturally competent practices into health promotion curricula and to foster relationships between healthcare providers and tribal members. Looking ahead, she envisions a career as a patient advocate, working to create policies that benefit tribal citizens and improve healthcare access for Indigenous populations.

Valerie Muse

Project Title: Exploring the Relationship Between the Gut Microbiome and Child Health in Uganda

Faculty Mentor: Jade Benjamin-Chung, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health

Valerie Muse (she/her) is a student at the City University of New York (CUNY) Hunter College, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health at the Department of Nutrition and Public Health. Before attending Hunter College, Muse studied at CUNY Queensborough Community College, where she obtained an Associate of Science in Public Health.

While attending CUNY Queensborough Community College, Muse studied health insecurities and disparities in the United States. Interested in learning more, Muse actively pursued opportunities to work directly with diverse communities to improve their health and well-being. She worked with organizations such as Northwell Health Department of Community and Population Health through the CUNY Black, Race and Ethnic Studies Initiative and Edible Schoolyard NYC through the CUNY Food Justice Leadership Program. Through these experiences, Muse became interested in public health nutrition to address food, nutrition, physical education, food insecurity, and diet-related diseases, especially with children and adolescents.

Driven by her faith and family, Muse aspires to overcome and intentionally address preventable public health issues. She aims to become a public health practitioner, positively impacting, educating, and inspiring others while embracing humility, patience, and empathy. In her free time, Muse enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, running, exploring different cultures through food, nature photography, and scrapbooking.

Dennis Nguyen

Project Title: Examining programs to support food insecurity and housing instability to improve health equity

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Goldman Rosas, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Dennis Nguyen (he/him) is a rising senior at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), majoring in public health with a minor in nursing. He previously attended Evergreen Valley College and earned an associate’s degree in health science. His firsthand experience in a Vietnamese refugee household and as part of the LGBTQ+ (queer) community ignited his interest in addressing healthcare disparities faced within his community.

A first-generation college student, Nguyen aims to pursue an MPH in health policy with a focus on environmental health. Using his expertise in public policy and public health, Nguyen strives to challenge systemic inequities in the Bay Area, advocate for equitable change, and create a supportive environment for Vietnamese and queer individuals in California and nationwide. A Bay Area native, Dennis enjoys coffee shops, museum visits, collecting eclectic vinyl records, and advocating for his community.

Hannah Norberto

Project Title: Fairness in Decision-Making for Health Equity: Chronic Kidney Disease

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Professor of Health Policy

Hannah Norberto (she/her), an Indigenous woman affiliated with the Navajo Nation, is a recent first-generation college graduate from the University of New Mexico. She earned a bachelor’s degree in population health (BSPH) with a minor in community health education. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, was nominated as an Inspiring Graduate, and was highlighted as a Top BSPH Student by the College of Population Health. She interned at the New Mexico Department of Health’s Emerging Infections Program from January to May 2024, providing Indigenous insights into tribal epidemiology. She is deeply committed to improving Native American health and advocating for Indigenous issues. Her goal is to empower Native American youth and address health issues within Indigenous communities, safeguarding their sacred well-being against illnesses and diseases.

As a Diné Asdzáán (Navajo woman), Norberto was born and raised on the Navajo reservation with her family, who proudly express Navajo heritage and traditional values. She aspires to be remembered as a successful Indigenous woman rooted in the Navajo reservation with a graduate degree in epidemiology and/or medicine — a woman who dismantled her generational trauma and fear to uplift Indigenous health. The scarcity of being Indigenous is why she aspires to pursue a graduate degree, carry on the Navajo existence, and be successful in a world where her existence is on the edge of erasure.

Bella Pahulu

Project Title: Examining programs to support food insecurity and housing instability to improve health equity

Faculty Mentor: Tainayah Thomas, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Isabella “Bella” Pahulu (she/her) is from Tracy, California, and is a recent graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in human development and a minor in public health sciences. During her undergraduate experience, she was a softball student-athlete, a two-year chief of the Pacific Islander Student Association, an undergraduate research assistant with the Falbe Lab, and conducted public health research with the Undergraduate Public Health Scholar program at UC Davis. In the Falbe Lab, she contributed to nutritional policy research examining the effects of the Healthy Checkout Ordinance in the Bay Area. She became interested in public health when she discovered the systemic roots of chronic diseases faced by her Pacific Islander (PI) community. This led her to conduct a literature review with Dr. Jennifer Falbe on diet-related chronic disease interventions for Native Hawaiians (NH).

Pahulu is interested in the intersection of culture and health behaviors and would like to develop health programs and continue community-based participatory research in the NH/PI population. After joining the AHEaD program, she feels inspired to explore epidemiology and population health research. She plans on applying for a Master of Public Health program in the near future. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Sage Rowe

Project Title: Life Space - a measure of mobility, health and the environment in aging adults

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Odden, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Population Health

Sage Rowe (They/She) is a public health and political science major with a minor in women’s and gender studies at the University of North Carolina (UNC) - Charlotte. Rowe’s journey to becoming a public health practitioner has led her to discover a field aligning with her values. As a double major, she is able to efficiently connect with students from all majors, fostering conversations surrounding the versatility of public health.

Growing up in western North Carolina has influenced Rowe’s professional interests in rural health disparities, specifically in southern Appalachia. Post graduation, she plans to study public health in graduate school, exploring the complex culture of the southern United States and how to combat inequities within the region. As a first generation college student, Rowe aspires to teach at a four year university, offering the same inspiring mentorship her professors provided them with throughout her undergraduate experience. In her free time, Rowe enjoys spending time back home in Asheville, North Carolina, with her family and two dogs, Pep and Gin.

Ashe Walker

Project Title: Food swaps to improve healthfulness and environmental sustainability of grocery purchases

Faculty Mentor: Anna Grummon, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Ashe Walker (they/them) is a rising senior at West Virginia University (WVU), where they are majoring in psychology with a minor in statistics. Walker's interests lie in the intersection of psychology and public health, particularly in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Walker’s love of research and psychology started freshman year when they participated in WVU’s Research Apprentice Program. Walker’s experience working in two different research labs has shown how the LGBTQIA+ population is often overlooked in research. This experience has led Walker to ensure LGBTQIA+ people are included in research so more can be known about this population. In particular, they want to work on decreasing healthcare disparities for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Walker has also worked as an outdoor orientation leader at WVU, where they take incoming freshmen on camping trips to experience the outdoors and adventurous activities. Walker works to ensure an open and welcoming environment where everyone can be accepted as themselves.

Post graduation, Walker plans to pursue a PhD in behavior and social health sciences to lessen health inequities and research ways to better support their community. In their free time, Walker likes to spend time hiking, reading books, and relaxing with their cats.

Acacia Coker

Project Title: The ADELANTE Trial: Testing a multi-level approach for improving household food insecurity and glycemic control among Latinos with diabetes

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Goldman Rosas, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and of Medicine and, by courtesy, of Pediatrics

Acacia Coker (she/her) is a rising senior at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, majoring in biology and minoring in public policy and biochemistry. Her interests lie in the intersection of epidemiology, immunology, and public policy.

Acacia spent her youth moving between Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. She witnessed structural inequalities in access to healthcare services and literacy in rural and underserved communities. She was especially impacted by living near Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of petrochemical plants and refineries with one of the highest rates of cancer in the nation, and seeing the effects it had on her community.

Driven by her experiences, Acacia secured an internship at the US Department of Health and Human Services to uncover resilience and risk factors in disaster recovery in education, public health, environmental health, social services, and behavioral health. Acacia also worked at Neighborhood Health, a federally qualified health center in Alexandria, Virginia, to identify disparities in quality assurance of the maternal healthcare department. Additionally, Acacia analyzed clinical COVID-19 data to assess health outcomes based on zip code, race, gender, vaccination, and age at the Scripps Research Institute. Acacia plans to pursue a PhD/MPH in immunology and epidemiology to study and curtail health risks and hazards in populations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to different countries; practicing speaking French, Spanish, and Korean; and singing in the shower.

Bliss Davis

Project Title: The ADELANTE Trial: Testing a multi-level approach for improving household food insecurity and glycemic control among Latinos with diabetes

Faculty Mentor: Tainayah Thomas, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health

Bliss Davis (she/they) is a third-year student at Columbia University studying political science with a public health concentration. Her interests lie at the intersection of behavioral health and the socio-medical sciences. From incarceration and policing to neighborhood development and psychiatric disorders, she is committed to recognizing and addressing the social, political, historical, and economic forces that influence community health outcomes.

Bliss’ diverse experiences with health and advocacy inform her interest in the field. Her personal, familial, and community experiences with the recognition and treatment of mental illness drive her to elevate the importance of mental health in the Black community. Her time advocating with organizations like Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), and the ACLU combined with her experience working with New York’s first overdose prevention center to develop a desire to promote the safety and autonomy of people who use drugs and those who have come into contact with carceral institutions. Finally, her complex relationship with food encouraged her to investigate the role of the food environment in community health outcomes.

In sum, Bliss is enthusiastic about the possible application of harm reduction and abolitionist frameworks to structures perpetuating health inequities. With this background and a commitment to justice and equity, she plans to pursue a graduate degree focusing on health policy, epidemiology, and healthcare management. Outside of her studies, Bliss enjoys reading, playing percussion, and exploring new restaurants, music, and comedy events.

Juan Delgado

Project Title: PSA-based risk-stratified screening for prostate cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Faculty Mentor: Marvin Langston, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health

Juan Delgado (he/him) is a proud student at Pasadena City College (PCC), double majoring in natural sciences and public health with an emphasis in health equity and health disparities. His passion for addressing disparities stems from his lived experience in Los Angeles, where he witnessed firsthand the rampant injustice and unequal access to suitable health care and education within systematically affected neighborhoods. Juan interned at Huntington Health of Cedars-Sinai, where he conducted research and investigations into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and disability equality and justice within a hospital setting. In addition, he collaborated with the nursing outreach team to identify gaps in care within communities of color. Juan has also had the opportunity to conduct research with DayOne Pasadena, a public health nonprofit organization, to identify substance use disparities and adverse outcomes within marginalized communities in the surrounding area. At PCC, Juan served as Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, where he helped create programming and events catered to bridging the equity gap that Black and African American and Latine/Hispanic students face in higher education. These experiences have emboldened and strengthened his passion. Juan is looking forward to pursuing a graduate degree in public health or epidemiology. When he is not busy, Juan enjoys playing soccer, watching films, and collecting Pokemon cards and Funko Pops.

Sheila Mwanda

Project Title: mHealth LifeSpace study of the environment and aging outcomes

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Odden, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health

Sheila Mwanda (she/her) is a recent graduate from Grand Valley State University Honors College, where she majored in allied health sciences and minored in Spanish. She developed a strong appreciation for interdisciplinary learning as she took biomedical sciences, healthcare management, and public health courses. For her senior project through the Honors College, she analyzed the impacts of income and type of health insurance on access to health care. As part of this project, she looked at how it impacts the ability to access healthcare in a timely manner and the capacity to seek preventative care services and access dental insurance. Her interest in public health stemmed from serving as a volunteer contact tracer during the COVID-19 pandemic and participating in the Summer Health Professions Education Program.

Sheila’s professional interests include health communication and education, equity in healthcare access, and utilizing policy to create systemic changes in the healthcare system. In the fall, she will begin working as a health education specialist for high schools in the West Michigan region. In her free time, Sheila enjoys art, reading, and watching documentaries and baking shows.

Sarah Lucero

Project Title: Environmental causes of social inequalities in biological aging

Faculty Mentor: David Rehkopf, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, of Medicine, and, by courtesy, of Sociology and of Pediatrics

Sarah Raquel Lucero (she/her) obtained a Bachelor of Science in health sciences with a concentration in public health from California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) in Hayward. Time at CSUEB brought attention to how she can make a greater impact on population health through epidemiological research, program planning and evaluation, and implementation to address public health issues. Sarah previously worked as a Student Research Assistant for the Department of Public Health at CSUEB with faculty mentor and epidemiologist Dr. Ryan Gamba MPH, PhD. Her research focused on health outcomes surrounding food and housing insecurity among college students in the U.S. Sarah’s prior undergraduate research includes mortality reduction among ethnic minority populations related to colorectal cancer and lung cancer; reproductive health; mental health; homelessness, and how basic needs impact health outcomes among children, veterans, and older adults over the lifespan.

The opportunity to collaborate with AHEaD has impacted her dedication to academic advancement in graduate studies towards a MPH and PhD in Epidemiology. Sarah’s interest in research stems from personal experience as a first-generation college student, mother, and Latina/Chicana woman. After witnessing how underserved communities face health inequities, particularly from historical trauma, Sarah became interested in investigating the root causes of disease associated with racial discrimination and environmental factors among underrepresented communities, and hopes her research will reduce negative health outcomes through policy change. In Sarah’s free time she enjoys spending time with her family, outdoor activities in nature, gardening, and working on ceramic art.

Dani Plascencia Delgado

Project Title: Community of practice with promotoras/community-health workers: Addressing social needs among the Latinx community

Faculty Mentor: Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health

Dani Plascencia Delgado (they/them) is an incoming senior transfer student at University of California (UC) Berkeley majoring in social welfare. Prior to transferring, Dani attended De Anza Community College and received an AA in social and behavioral sciences. At De Anza, Dani found a passion for grassroots activism as a Vasconcellos Institue for Democracy in Action (VIDA) intern leading the “Fund Students First Campaign” to reshape campus safety and on-campus policing through an anti-racist lens. Additionally, Dani has been a part of Evolve CA, a San Francisco-based grassroots organization, working towards fully funding California’s public education system through Prop 13 reform. Dani is part of the UC Berkeley UndocuAlly committee, serving as an undergraduate intern facilitating staff training that aid in establishing allyship and understanding of the undocumented student experience.

As a first-generation and formerly undocumented student, Dani’s interest in health equity research stems from lived experiences. While a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Dani researched the accessibility, notions, and perceptions of undocumented college students on social services and its agencies. In future plans, Dani aims to join the small pool of Latinx researchers tackling restrictive immigration policies and socio-political issues that cause health disparities within immigrant communities. As a future researcher, educator, and community activist, Dani is interested in finding macro and micro-level approaches to improve not only the behavioral health of the undocumented/migrant community but also the health policies surrounding inequitable care. A Bay Area native, Dani enjoys trying new hiking trails and coffee shops, going to the gym, spending time with their cat, and being in the company of loved ones.

Nakaya Frazier

Project Title: Fairness in decision-making for health equity: Chronic kidney disease

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Professor of Health Policy

Nakaya Frazier (she/her) is a rising senior at the University of California, Merced, majoring in public health with a minor in psychology. Her interest in learning about the socioeconomic factors that influence people's health and well-being stems from her own experience and background growing up in a disadvantaged community in Oakland, California. She hopes to implement programs and policies that can address health inequality and promote health equity within disproportionately impacted populations.

As a current student residing in Merced, she has come to understand how California’s Central Valley struggles with the impacts of health inequities, specifically food insecurity. To address this, she participated in the UC Merced Student Success Internship program under the NextPlate Project, where she connected surplus food from restaurants with local residents and students who experienced food scarcity.

Post-graduation, Nakaya plans to continue her education by pursuing a master's degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology. In the future, Nakaya hopes to conduct research that incorporates how the social determinants of health affect population health among racial minorities. In her free time, Nakaya enjoys listening to music, swimming, and traveling with friends.

Kelvin Nguyen

Project Title: Fairness in decision-making for health equity: Chronic kidney disease

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Professor of Health Policy

Kelvin Nguyen (he/him) is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned a degree in health and human sciences with a minor in public health. Kelvin was born to Vietnamese refugees and grew up in a disadvantaged community, where he experienced a lack of affordable and accessible healthcare. He is interested in utilizing health policy and public health research skills to address healthcare disparities within underserved populations.

During high school, he received certifications as both a patient care technician (PCT) and emergency medical technician (EMT) to learn firsthand about the U.S. healthcare system. This helped inform his knowledge of the socioeconomic issues that contribute to disease and illness. Utilizing his experience as a medical provider, he began working with nonprofit organizations through Americorps to learn about community-level efforts to improve health and well-being. Kelvin learned the value of communication with community members, partners, and stakeholders in promoting wellness when helping to implement outreach programs to alleviate food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. While at USC, he helped conduct research projects on healthcare disparities, such as the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on minority populations and policies to improve healthcare utilization. Additionally, Kelvin worked as an advanced provider for the Emergency Medical Services of USC (EMSC) organization, where he served the wider Trojan community during campus events.

In the future, Kelvin plans to pursue a graduate degree in epidemiology and health policy to contribute to research designed to improve health equity and access in communities similar to the one he grew up in. In his free time, Kelvin enjoys cooking, following the latest automotive trends, and exploring new experiences with friends and family.

2022 AHEaD Scholars

Nina Edwards

Project Title: Teamwork, Targets, Technology, and Tight Control in Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: 4T Study

Faculty Mentor: David Maahs, Lucile Salter Packard Professor of Pediatrics

Nina Edwards is a senior at the University of Arizona Honors College. She is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Care, Health, and Society, with a Public Health and Pre-Health Professions minor. She is involved on campus as incoming Co-Director of the Student Health Advocacy Committee, a student government organization that aims to improve preventive health education and resources for students.

Nina is originally from Anchorage, Alaska, and is Tlingit and Tsimshian Alaska Native. Inspired by her family’s commitment to Tribal Health, she hopes that her future career will contribute to health equity for Alaska Native, American Indian, and otherwise rural or underserved communities. She has broad interests in the ways health can be improved at the population level through addressing social determinants of health, public policy, and healthcare systems. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in medicine and/or public health. In her spare time, she loves to hike, play guitar, practice yoga, and read.

Karrington Hendrix

Project Title: Environmental causes of social inequalities in biological aging

Faculty Mentor: David Rehkopf, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health and of Medicine (Primary Care & Population Health)

Karrington Hendrix (she/her/hers) is an incoming junior at California State East Bay majoring in Health Science with a Public Health Concentration.

Before transfering to Cal State East Bay, Karrington’s exploration into public health began when a close family member started to struggle with mental illness. Karrington recognized a gap in the healthcare system for treating black youth with mental illnesses and since then has been dedicated to advocating for black youths' mental health.

Through the AHEaD Research program with mentor Dr. David Rehkopf, Karrington hopes to better understand the impact of population health research in hopes of conducting her own research on the impact that predominantly white schools have on black and brown mental health and academic performance, with the goal of increasing the number of person of color (POC) counselors in said school systems. Until then Karrington volunteers at the Berkeley Free Clinic as part of their Peer Counseling Services, providing a non judgemental space for individuals experiencing homlessesnes and drug addiction to express themselves with the opportunity to obtain assistance. In her free time, if she is not trying out a new restaurant, Karrington enjoys reading science fiction books.

William Hutson

Project Title: Influence of weather and environment on the efficacy of water, sanitation, and handwashing interventions in rural Bangladesh

Faculty Mentor: Jade Benjamin-Chung, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

William Hutson (he/him) is an incoming MPH student at Washington University in St. Louis. Through his leadership roles in his university’s Minority Association of Premedical Students chapter during his undergraduate degree, he gained exposure to ways physicians can impact their patients’ health on a community or population level. He now hopes to be a physician who works to both treat and prevent disease for his patients by addressing the social factors influencing their health. He is passionate about reducing health inequities that impact marginalized communities, and especially hopes to address inequities in addiction treatment access and gun violence. He plans to use his interests in epidemiology and health policy, along with his perspective as somebody who grew up surrounded by these issues to advocate for people of color in the St. Louis community and worldwide. In his free time, he loves hiking, listening to Motown music, and pretending he’s an NBA analyst when discussing basketball with his friends.

Joaquin Luqueño

Project Title: Trends in police shootings in the United States

Faculty Mentor: Mathew Kiang, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

Joaquin Luqueño is a junior at the University of California Davis, majoring in Economics (specialization in Data Analytics & Economic Analytics) with a double minor in Public Health and Sociology. Hailing from Southeast Los Angeles, he has experienced first-hand the systemic issues in inadequate access to healthcare facilities and the lack of resources needed for a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, he works at the intersection of medicine and economic theory in order to improve the access and quality of healthcare within low-income communities and to make medical knowledge more accessible to marginalized populations.

At UC Davis, Joaquin also serves as a Public Health Ambassador, a sociology research assistant, and the vice president of the Sociology Association. His most impactful position has been serving as a Public Health Ambassador in the wake of COVID-19 and distributing knowledge about policies and resources to the Davis community. He also has gained experience in academic research at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, where he assisted with a data science project on Latinx intersectionality. Thanks to these experiences, Joaquin aspires to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health or Medicine., concentrating on health economics. During his free time, Joaquin enjoys learning about video content creation, trying out new restaurants, and playing Pokemon Go.

Mileati Melese

Project Title: Improving Equity for Health Care Payments

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Associate Professor of Health Policy

Mileati Melese graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with a major in biology and a minor in mathematics. Her interests in using data to improve public health stem after she took a course in biostatistics and reflected back to her experience growing up in Tigray and the scarcity of public health data and how that might have negatively impacted health and health outcomes of vulnerable communities. Mileati plans to continue her graduate degree in quantitative methods of health to improve and innovate preventative public health measures and post-care or follow-up interventions that can potentially lead to favorable health outcomes and enhance the health of the general public. In her free time, Mileati enjoys cooking.

Hodan Mohamed

Project Title: The Built Environment and Life Expectancy in Santa Clara County

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Odden, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

Hodan Mohamed is a senior at James Madison University pursuing a degree in Health Sciences with a minor in Humanitarian Affairs. She is interested in pursuing a career in Public Health in hopes of addressing the needs and concerns of populations’ experiencing humanitarian emergencies. Her interest stems from her parents immigrating to the United States from Somalia due to conflict in their home country and opened her eyes to the intersectionality between global health and conflict. She also has an interest in the health disparities in minority populations and community health. In the future, Hodan aspires to pursue a Masters degree in Public Health, Global Health or Population Health. During her free time, Hodan loves reading, listening to music and spending time with family and friends.

Justin Naidu

Project Title: The Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care for the Latinx Community

Faculty Mentor: Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Instructor, Epidemiology & Population Health

Justin Naidu is a first-generation undergraduate student at the University of California, Merced double majoring in Sociology & Public Health with minors in Psychology & Community Research and Service. He was born on the small island of Fiji and immigrated with his family to the San Francisco Bay Area.

As a student residing in Merced, Justin has encountered many people from diverse immigrant backgrounds in the Central Valley struggling with the impacts of health inequities, including low COVID-19 vaccination rates, tobacco-related diseases, and food insecurity. Because of the persistence of these health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Justin came to understand the importance of epidemiology and population health. In addition to his personal experiences, Justin previously conducted qualitative research under the guidance of Dr. Andrea Polonijo at UC Merced, where he identified facilitators and barriers to HPV and meningitis vaccination among MSM populations in the Inland Empire.

Justin is motivated to pursue a career in social epidemiology with the aim of incorporating community engagement and the social determinants of health. In the future Justin hopes to work alongside with Asian and Pacific Islanders communities. In his free time, Justin enjoys traveling with his family, listening to K-Pop music, and playing video games.

Stephanie Perez

Project Title: Improving Equity for Health Care Payments

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Associate Professor of Health Policy

Stephanie Perez is a recent graduate from UCLA, where she earned a degree in International Development with minors in Global Health and Global Studies. She enjoys audiobooks, making little crafts for friends, a good allegory, and of course, public health.

Her special area of interest lies within dental public health and bridging the gap between clinical and preventive oral healthcare for underserved populations. This is in part due to her personal experiences navigating care as a low-income, daughter of immigrants growing up in Compton, where she witnessed great need within her community. Since oral health is such a huge indicator of systemic health, she hopes to improve health outcomes for all by increasing access to dignified healthcare through policy and further understanding disparities in the social epidemiology of disease burden.

In the future, Perez plans on pursuing an MPH/DDS degree and bring a perspective to oral health delivery that involves education as preventative care, community-based participatory research, and the advancement of oral epidemiology as a discipline. Until then, she will be obtaining her post-baccalaureate and focusing on further understanding the unique needs of various communities beyond her own.

Jaleel Poole

Project Title: Recipe4Health: A comprehensive approach to addressing food insecurity and chronic disease to promote health equity

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Goldman Rosas, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health and of Medicine (Primary Care & Population Health)

Jaleel Poole is a recent graduate of Denison University and will be attending Columbia University in Fall 2022 to obtain his Masters’ of Public Health degree in Chronic Disease Epidemiology. He is passionate about health disparities in cardiovascular diseases and their connection to food apartheid (a term emphasizing the role of racist and oppressive structures in creating nutrient-deprived food environments) in disinvested, disenfranchised Black communities. Jaleel’s interest for this subject emanates from having grown up in food apartheid and losing family members to diabetes and heart diseases who had a history of unhealthy eating because of limited, infrequent access to healthy, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food. Through internships with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Food Systems Division of Columbus Public Health, Jaleel developed a profound comprehension of the structural determinants— racism and poverty— driving the differences in the prevalence of food insecurity and chronic disease mortality between Black and white populations in the US. Through his AHEaD research project with Dr. Lisa Goldman Rosas, he is hoping to improve his understanding of how epidemiologists design and employ multi-sectoral initiatives to reduce reliance on emergency food systems and build community partnerships that promote food sovereignty and security. Jaleel enjoys eating food just as much as he enjoys studying it, trying new vegetarian and vegan foods as often as he can. He also enjoys biking along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront, exploring the outdoors, and listening to hip-hop/rap music.

2021 AHEaD Scholars

Filsan Abdisatar

Project Title: Algorithmic Fairness in Population Health

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Associate Professor of Health Policy

Short Bio: Filsan Abdisatar is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Public Health with a minor in informatics. She is passionate about addressing health disparities to increase quality healthcare for all. She is also interested in health policy and public health informatics. Her passion stems from growing up in a low-income neighborhood. Filsan has seen first-hand the effects of gentrification, pollution, lack of affordable healthy food and chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes have had on her community. She interned with a local community organization in learning about environmental impacts on the community and collaborated with other residents from the community to organize community-building projects. During her free time, Filsan enjoys swimming, listening to podcasts, trying new restaurants and recipes, and playing with her cat.

Pierre Alvin Go

Project Title: Algorithmic Fairness in Population Health

Faculty Mentor: Sherri Rose, Associate Professor of Health Policy

Short Bio: Alvin Go is a graduate of UC Davis where he studied Mathematical and Scientific Computation. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, he has seen firsthand the effects of housing instability and the homelessness epidemic that closely follows it. Through this, he learned about challenges such as mental illness, substance abuse/dependency, and the insufficient availability of appropriate resources which prevent members of these marginalized populations from obtaining better living conditions. Alvin has interests in learning about and utilizing statistical and machine learning tools in order to identify and predict which individuals are at risk of homelessness so that early interventions (access to the appropriate healthcare services, safe and stable housing, etc.) can be implemented, thereby mitigating the risk of homelessness. In addition, some of his broader study interests include neurological diseases, and infectious diseases.

Jessica Hernandez Castaneda

Project Title: Recipe4Health Intervention

Faculty Mentors: Lisa Goldman Rosas, Assistant Professor (Research) of Epidemiology & Population Health and of Medicine (Primary Care and Population Health) and Associate Faculty Director of Community Engagement, Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences; and Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Instructor, Epidemiology & Population Health

Short Bio: Jessica Hernandez graduated this spring from the University of California, Merced with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health. During her undergraduate experience, Jessica held multiple leadership positions through organizations such as Global Medical Training, Delta Epsilon Mu and Tri Delta. She also conducted qualitative research through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center program, under Dr. Denise Payán at UC Merced where she compared nutrition environments across three South Los Angeles neighborhoods. In the future, Jessica aspires to attend graduate school and obtain a Masters or PhD degree in Community Health Sciences or Health Promotion. Her ultimate goal is to be able to give back to her community by promoting health education to underserved communities. During her free time, Jessica enjoys exploring new cities, reading, and baking.

Kayla Kinsler

Project Title: Influence of Incentive Amount of Physician Participation

Faculty Mentor: Julia Simard, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health and, by courtesy, of Medicine (Immunology & Rheumatology)

Short Bio: Kayla Kinsler is a recent graduate of Howard University where she earned a degree in Human Development with a minor in psychology. Broadly, she is passionate about the importance of educating the public about their health as well as doing research to decline the maternal mortality rate. Her interest in Public Health and Maternal and Child Health began during the fall semester of 2018 when she took a course on the Sociology of Death and Dying. In the course, she learned about the high maternal mortality rate for black women in America, as well as the many other health inequities that disproportionately affect minorities. Inspired by this new knowledge of health disparities, Kayla interned with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, conducting research on food insecurity in the Philadelphia area. Kayla has also worked for the past year as the family care coordinator for Chicago Birthworks Collective where she connects families in the Chicago area to doula services in an effort to bridge the gap in quality maternal healthcare.

Kayla aspires to pursue a career in public health with a focus on maternal and child health. She will be attending Brown University’s School of Public Health in the fall as a Health Equity Scholar to pursue her Master’s of Public Health (MPH). When she is not busy reading about health disparities in America, she enjoys listening to music and playing sudoku.

April LaGrone

Project Title: African-American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES): Seeking to understand ovarian cancer outcomes in African-American women

Faculty Mentor: Melissa Bondy, Stanford Medicine Discovery Professor and Professor and Chair of Epidemiology & Population Health, and Co-Director, Center for Population Health Sciences

Short Bio: April LaGrone is a junior attending Michigan State University studying public health in pursuit of a career in Epidemiology, where her focus centers on the lessening of health disparities and increasing health equity, particularly in communities of color that are disproportionately affected by chronic disease. After her diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 7, her passion for health was ignited due to many of her first-hand experiences of navigating the healthcare system as a Black woman, and the complications that followed. Recently, April has spent her time mentoring fellow first-generation college students, including assisting with the coordination of accommodations for students with disabilities within the classroom. Outside of academics, April loves cooking and finding new recipes to try, spending time outdoors and journaling.

Suron Lockett

Project Title: Proteomic Signature of Adversity

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Odden, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

Short Bio: Suron Lockett is a rising senior at Tougaloo College where he is majoring in Biology. In the spring of 2019, he was selected to be a member of the Undergraduate Training and Education Center of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), the largest single-site epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease in African Americans. Through this program, he has garnered a passion for researching and creating solutions that lessens the burden of the health disparities that impact African Americans in Mississippi. As a result of this passion, Suron plans to pursue a career in the fields of Population Health and Epidemiology. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing tennis, and exploring the Mississippi food scene.

Sameen Mahmood

Project Title: Community-Academic Partnerships

Short Bio: Sameen Mahmood is an incoming senior at UCLA pursuing a degree in Psychobiology with a minor in Biomedical Research. As a clinical research assistant and coordinator for UCLA’s Happy Feet Clinic, she is deeply interested in dissecting the underlying framework of chronic illnesses from both a research and clinical perspective. Through volunteering with persons experiencing homelessness and underserved individuals, she has also become eager to tackle socioeconomic catalysts to long-term health outcomes. Merging her passion for scientific research and community health, she aims to dedicate herself to health equity, broaden healthcare accessibility, and further health policy efforts in the future. During her free time, she loves going for a run, playing video games, trying authentic recipes, and hiking!

Eric Melendez

Project Title: The Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care for the Latinx Community

Faculty Mentor: Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa, Instructor, Epidemiology & Population Health

Short Bio: Eric Melendez is currently attending his second year at Mission College and is studying to become a Mechanical Engineer. He also is also interested in population health and learning about health disparities within his community. These interests stem from his service while in the United States Army. During his first deployment overseas, he experienced firsthand the value of ethical and sustainable change and how easily a marginalized group of people can suffer against fierce adversity. This experience motivated Eric to pursue a higher education so he could increase the potential scope of his service. Eric’s goal is to pursue a career in bioengineering or public health to attempt to find solutions to problems faced at home and abroad. When not working on his studies, Eric enjoys kayaking and visiting State Parks around the Bay Area.

Lanae Notah

Project Title: Quantifying the impacts of wildfires

Faculty Mentor: Mathew Kiang, Instructor, Epidemiology & Population Health

Short Bio: Lanae Notah grew up on the Navajo Nation in Tohatchi, NM. She is a senior at New Mexico State University (NMSU) where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Public Health degree, with a minor in Business Administration. Her studies in Public Health have introduced her to a more complex understanding of the deficiencies surrounding, and need to improve, community health. Gaining more knowledge in study design will be beneficial to her future work, especially regarding: the why and how of which designs best address which questions; how to interpret data that has the power to confuse or to clarify; how to balance conflicting needs; and how to approach the human dimension in quantitative studies. Lanae currently serves as the American Indian Science and Engineering Society Vice-President at NMSU. She volunteered as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer on the Navajo Reservation and at a local COVID Antibody testing clinic. She plans to further her education in the medical field and give back to her community by working on the Navajo Nation. When she is not studying or in class, Lanae enjoys running and helping her younger siblings develop their abilities in playing sports.

Jourdan Ratcliff

Project Title: Place and Longevity: Neighborhood and Life Expectancy in Jackson, MS

Faculty Mentor: Michelle Odden, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health

Short Bio: Jourdan Ratcliff is a senior at The University of Texas at Arlington studying Public Health. Jourdan grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex where she volunteered with grassroots organizations that focus on health promotion in marginalized communities. In her senior year of high school, Jourdan proposed a plan to implement a “Safe Sex Club“ at her alma mater—gaining immense support from peers and faculty. Jourdan’s plan did not come to fruition, but the support she received solidified her love for health communication and population health. In the summer of 2016, Jourdan decided to formally pursue a career in public health, thus changing her major from computer science to public health.

Jourdan will receive her Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in December 2021. Post-graduation, she will obtain her community health worker certification and prepare to take the CHES exam the following spring. In her free time, Jourdan loves to learn new skills, spend time with family, listen to podcasts and music, and try new recipes found on obscure cooking websites. She looks forward to becoming a certified health educator and wants to strengthen her community through culturally relevant health education and promotion.

Lee Romaker

Project Title: The New Deal, Women's Emergency Employment, and Infant Mortality

Faculty Mentor: David Rehkopf, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health, of Medicine (Primary Care and Population Health), and, by courtesy, of Sociology, and Co-Director, Center for Population Health Sciences

Short Bio: Lee Romaker (they/them or he/him) is a rising junior at Tufts University, double majoring in Community Health and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Lee was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. From a young age, Lee has been passionate about healthcare reform and social justice, and has personal experience with the barriers trans and queer people face when accessing medical care. They hope to contribute research to the limited field of transgender public health, and is particularly interested in transmasculine lung health and the impact of anti-trans legislation on trans communities' mental health. At Tufts, Lee is a co-coordinator for the Sex Health Representatives, a member of the Interfaith community, and a writer for the Tufts Observer magazine. In his free time, Lee can be found playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, drinking coffee out of a jar, or watching video essays.

Charles Yellow Horse

Project Title: The "Indian New Deal" & The Tribes of the Southwest

Short Bio: Charles Yellow Horse is a senior at Arizona State University (ASU) majoring in Health Sciences with a concentration in public health promotion. Charles is from Fort Defiance, AZ of Diné Bikéyah (Navajoland), and is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. After receiving an associate degree in Computer Science from a Tribal college (Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute), he enlisted into the United States Air Force where he completed eight years of service with two assignments abroad. During his active duty service, he was inspired by the importance of health and wellbeing in multiple aspects of airmen’s lives during their overall service and after transitioning from active duty.

Charles is committed to working with Native American veterans to promote their health and wellbeing holistically, promoting in all dimensions of health including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health. Through supporting them, Charles aspires to empower Native American veterans to become the agents of positive change in their families and communities. In his internship with the American Indian Student Support Services (AISSS) at ASU, he organized and hosted the first AISSS Veteran Wellness Initiative to support Native American veteran students. His career goal is to become a public health advocate to eliminate health inequities for and with Native American peoples and communities. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in the public health field to investigate the health concerns and resilience of Native American veterans through the social determinants of health framework.