Student Profiles

Cristina Espinosa-Da Silva

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2017

Rudy Patrick

• Degree Program:Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2017

Jordan Killion

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2018

Alexis Garduno

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix and Dr. Benjamin Smarr
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sleep and aging

Alexis received a bachelors in bioengineering from Stanford University. After graduating in 2015, she worked in SF to support product development and pre-clinical studies for a Series A biotech start-up. Her background in engineering biomedical devices and interest in advanced technology motivated her path focused on designing studies that promote equitable use of these technologies in diverse populations. She completed a masters in epidemiology from the Oregon Health and Science University - Portland State University School of Public Health, while managing a diabetes coaching incentive program and supporting analysis for HEDIS-initiatives at Moda Health. She spent a lot of the winters outdoor rock-climbing and taking trips to Bend, which was her second home. Alexis started in the doctoral program in 2019, and is currently supported by the T32 program in Advanced Data and Analytics for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. She is also the 2020 APHA recipient of the Laurence Branch Doctoral Research Award. When not staring at a computer, she spends most of her free time surfing and rock climbing, and really enjoys introducing people to the great outdoors.

UCSD

Adrienne Suazo

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019

Osika Tripathi

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. John Bellettiere
• Email: otripath@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Secondhand and thirdhand cannabis smoke, health disparities, global health

Osika has a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in psychology and a minor in Community Health from UC Davis (2015). She then moved to San Diego and completed her MPH in epidemiology at SDSU (2017). After completing her MPH, she worked as a data analyst for the DoD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), working on seroprevalence of HIV and STI studies in Liberia, Guinea, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Burundi. Osika's research interests includes social, cultural, environmental, and biological factors that affect health disparities, specifically cannabis and tobacco smoking behaviors, cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Currently, Osika continues working on HIV/AIDS prevention, and is working on projects concerning cancer mortality among Asian and Hispanic populations in the US as well as cannabis and tobacco smoking behaviors among high risk populations across the world.

Alex Posis

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. LaCroix and Dr. Shaffer
• Email: aposis@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Epidemiology of aging

Alex grew up in San Diego... and is still here in San Diego. He received his bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the land of the mighty Banana Slugs, UC Santa Cruz. He also has a master's in public health from San Diego State University. His current research interests revolve around aging and injury epidemiology. To recharge, he enjoys hanging out with family and friends, running, biking, and camping. You can find him walking Alfie the corgi at sunset.

Google Scholar

Anais Teyton

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Tarik Benmarhnia
• Email: ateyton@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Climate change and health; Environmental Epidemiology

Anaïs is from San Diego and graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Environmental Earth Science. It was during this time that Anaïs became fascinated by the intersection between climate change and health, which is why she completed a Master of Advanced Studies in Climate Science and Policy from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography as well as a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at New York University. Anaïs was selected as a graduate researcher for the Climate Change Research Initiative at NASA, where she examined land surface temperature and heat-related health effects in at-risk New York City neighborhoods. She was also the senior research assistant and interim data manager at NYU's Population Impact, Recovery, and Resilience. Anaïs is especially interested in environmental equity and identifying population interventions to minimize health risks from climate change that simultaneously aid vulnerable populations and do not compromise the integrity of ecosystems.

Eric T. Hyde

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix
• Email: ehyde@health.ucsd.edu
• Prnouns: He/Him/His

Physical activity, wearable devices cardiovascular disease, cancer, epidemiological methods

Hi everyone! I'm originally from Michigan but also spent a good amount of time in Atlanta before moving out here in 2020. My research focuses primarily on accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time, and how these behaviors are prospectively associated with chronic disease outcomes. I am a Fellow in the Integrated Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology T32 Training Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. Prior to starting the JDP program, I was an epidemiologist with the Physical Activity Epidemiology and Surveillance Team in the Physical Activity and Health Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I supported the development of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, and published findings from national surveillance of physical activity behaviors among US adults and youth. I completed my MPH in Epidemiology at Emory University and a BS in Movement Science at the University of Michigan. I love the outdoors, hittin' the beach in the summer, music festivals, all kinds of sports, and I'm a Big Brother with the Big Brother Big Sisters of San Diego.

Google Scholar

Nhat Thai

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Shaffer
• Email: nqthai@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Pediatric health, social determinants of health, health equity

I was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when I was 10 years old. I graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biology. I am currently with the Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties working on their community health needs assessment process. I am also doing autism and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease research. Some of my hobbies include swimming, hiking, doing escape rooms. When I am feeling nerdy, I will build Gundams and watch animes for fun. Fun facts: 1) I can do a little small trick with my nose (I can show it to you in person); 2) I created and managed a MapleStory private server in high school; 3) I am a boba addict.

Nora Satybaldiyeva

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Eric Leas
• Email: ksatybal@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Cannabis/tobacco use, adolescent populations, mental health, data science

Nora was born in Kazakhstan and moved to Los Angeles when she was in the third grade. She received her BS in Biology with a minor in Russian Language from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and an MPH in Epidemiology from San Diego State University (SDSU). She is interested in using freely available data (such as social media) to understand cannabis use among adolescents and young adults. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her dog, Kenny.

Google Scholar

Giovanni Elie Applon

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2021 
• Advisor: Dr. Eyal Oren
• Email: gapplon@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Social Epidemiology, Racial Disparities, Tabacco Control

Hey everyone, my name is Giovanni, but everyone calls me Gio. I'm originally from New York and started my career as a respiratory therapist. I received my bachelor's degree in respiratory care from Indiana University of Pennsylvania back in 2013. In addition to my responsibilities as a respiratory therapist, I helped physicians on research projects to try and reduce readmission to the hospitals due to asthma. These projects have inspired me to continue my education in public health. I ended up receiving my MPH in epidemiology from New York University in 2019 and started my research journey with tobacco control. In addition to tobacco control, I'm also interested in social epidemiology and improving health equity.

Nicole Pippard

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix
• Email: npippard@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Mental health, life course epidemiology

Originally from Los Angeles, Nicole is a pre-doctoral fellow in the T-32 Aging Fellowship program and a graduate student researcher at the Center for Empathy and Technology. At the Center, Nicole works with a multidisciplinary team applying her knowledge of epidemiological methods to a variety of projects addressing the intersection of emerging technologies, human connection, and mental health. She earned her MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan in 2020 (Go Blue!) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from the University of California, San Diego in 2017. Prior to beginning the Joint Doctoral Program, she worked in local government and academia contributing to work in health communication, health education, and research related to physical activity, cognitive decline, and aging. Outside of her professional life, Nicole is an avid runner and enjoys spending time by the water with her spoiled Australian Shepherd, Bennett.

Maria D. Lopez Gurrola, M.D., M.P.H.

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix
• Email: mlopezgurrola@uscd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sedentary Behavior and Social Determinants of Physical Activity

Dr. Maria Lopez Gurrola earned her M.D. at Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Tijuana, Mexico, and her MPH at National University. Maria has over 8 years of public health research experience in the Hispanic/Latino community. Her work with community health research along the US/Mexico Border and work analyzing and managing complex survey data for the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, strengthened her passion and desire to pursue a PhD in public health epidemiology. Her primary interest is understanding health disparities in the underserved communities, specially the Hispanic/ Latinx Community, and the role of sedentary behavior and social determinants of health in chronic disease and aging.

Michelle Ann Caesar

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Shaffer and Dr. Andrea LaCroix
• Email: mcaesar@uscd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Women's Health

Michelle Ann is from San Jose and graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in Public Health Policy and a minor in Psychology & Social Behavior. She completed her MPH from Boston University with a concentration in Epidemiology & Biostatistics and a focus in Maternal and Child Health. Her research interests include reproductive health, maternal and child health, and women’s health overall. She is currently a graduate student researcher at the Center for Better Beginnings at UC San Diego where she is focusing on birth defects, neonatal complications, and pregnancy complications. In her free time, she enjoys baking, traveling, taking Citgo her Norwegian Buhund sightseeing, and trying new food.

Google Scholar

Hanna Barca

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
• Pronouns:

Hannah Battey

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
• Pronouns:

Jaskaran Cheema

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
• Pronouns:

Elizabeth Mikita

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
• Pronouns:

Rita Ryu

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
• Pronouns:

Sandy Bohan

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2015

Hena Din

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2016

Erin Dougherty

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2016

Chelsea Chapman

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2017

Julie Cakici

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Advisor: Dr. Cinnamon Bloss
• Email: jacakici@eng.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) of Genomic Research and improving access and acceptability of genomic research for underrepresented and vulnerable communities.

I am passionate about improving the acceptability and acceptability of precision health research. I am a registered nurse with experience in bioethics, genomics, and Implementation Science. I have experience with quantitative and qualitative methods. My current dissertation research in collaboration with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance is exploring the barriers and facilitators of human performance research biobanking with professional athletes in the US. Outside of work, I love hiking, playing with my crazy dog, and getting into good trouble.

 NCBI

Petrona Gregorio-Pascual

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Advisor: Dr. Guadalupe X. Ayala
• Email: pgregori@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Healthy Eating/Beverage Consumption, behavioral interventions, childhood obesity and health disparities among Hispanic/Latino and underrepresented minorities.

I was born in Guatemala and raised in San Diego County since 1989. In 2016, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in 2018 I received my master’s degree in Experimental Psychology both at California State University San Marcos. At CSU San Marcos I was a RISE*R25 Scholar which funded my research focused on applied evidenced based theories to reduce college student’s sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. My current research interests are focused on rigorous public health research that address health disparities in underrepresented populations. Specifically, my interests are in health behavior change theory that promotes the reduction of sugary beverage consumption, a global health problem tied to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Upon joining the JDP, I received multiple fellowships including the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Partnership (2018-2019), and the SDSU University Graduate Fellowship (UGF) at San Diego State University (2019-2020 Academic Year). As a graduate student, I’ve worked on multiple projects including GOALs and PEAS systematic review as well having the opportunity to work on data sets such as OCNO, HER, PEAS, and other studies. I also had the opportunity to work at HealthLINK as part of the Intervention Methods Group, and this has included the development of associated protocols and trainings based on the Intervention Mapping Framework. Currently, I’m leading a systematic review focused on how parentings strategies for eating and physical activity scale (PEAS) have been used in observational studies. With this project, I hold responsibilities for the development and implementation of study activities, supervise research assistants and perform other supervisory tasks related to the project. On my downtime, I love enjoying the San Diego weather and exploring its beautiful landscapes (beaches, aquariums, zoo and safari parks, mountains, etc.). I also love spending quality time with family and friends. My hobby is watching my team Real Madrid play in the Champions League finals. When my team comes to the US on their off season, I go and watch them live. In 2017, I had the opportunity to sit on the sideline with my husband and we came out on national television for 5 seconds.

Google Scholar

Research Gate

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Adhana McCarthy

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018

Jijiang Wang

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018

Jack Andrzejewski, MPH

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Heather Corliss
• Email: jdandrze@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

Jack Andrzejewski (pronouns: they/them/theirs) has been working to reduce social inequities since 2011. Addressing social inequities requires broad social change and calls for interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. Key figures for Jack have been transgender activists, critical race theorists, feminist and queer theory scholars, radical ecologists, educational theorists, sexual and gender minority health scholars, humanitarians, and AIDS activists. The work of these figures continues to inform the way in which Jack thinks about equity and health. Within the field of public health, Jack hopes to build upon collaborative efforts to address health disparities among marginalized populations. Since 2016, Jack's work has focused primarily on transgender health. In particular, Jack is interested in how access to quality, gender affirming health services relates to positive health outcomes for transgender folks. Additionally, they seek to reduce health disparities among transgender people by investigating social and structural factors such as transgender stigma and discrimination and developing intervention strategies to mitigate such factors. Their work is informed by theoretical frameworks that include the gender affirmation framework, minority stress, intersectionality, and syndemics theory. Their primary outcomes of interest are HIV/AIDS and other STIs, substance use, and mental health.

I love the beach and spending time outdoors. I love to swim, go for runs, bike, hike, and play volleyball. I also love good food, good company, and a queer dance party.

Google Scholar

Nicole Chimbetete, MPH, RDN

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Cheryl Anderson, MPH, MS, PhD
• Email: nchimbet@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Nutrition and Health Disparities

I am a Ph.D. student concentrating in Health Behavior at the University of California, San Diego. My academic journey started when I left my home country, Zimbabwe, to pursue a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. I then earned an MPH in Nutrition from the University of Minnesota where I also completed my Dietetic Internship. I am currently working with Dean Cheryl Anderson at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health where I wrote my credentialing exam to be a Registered Dietitian. I am now involved in the design and implementation of randomized clinical trials in nutrition (feeding studies and behavioral interventions) and as well as performing data analyses. I am passionate about examining relationships between structural and social barriers as exposures for various long-term nutrition-related chronic diseases in underrepresented communities. In my 'super-woman hours', I serve as a co-coordinator for the JDP Buddy Program by matching current students with incoming students. I also serve as a Student Representative and active member of the JDP Student Association. When I am not busy with all the above, I love going out for brunch and hiking with friends. I have also recently purchased my first beach umbrella so beach-chilling is the latest vibe. The pandemic also helped me continue my passion of cooking and documenting my home-cooking adventures.

Aachal Devi

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Tracy Finlayson
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Oral health equity

I was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. My drive as a public health professional comes from thinking about the role health behaviors play in our everyday life. I am always curious to understand the factors contribute to behavior change, that help build desired behaviors and break down the undesired behaviors. I strive to develop evidence-based interventions that facilitate behavior change at institutional, communal, household and individual levels. My academic training and background are in clinical dentistry, public health, and social and behavioral sciences. I am a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. Over the last 7 years I have work in program development and planning, and both quantitative and qualitative oral health research studies. In India, I trained local women from villages near Puducherry to become dental health workers to provide preventative dental care to schoolchildren. I completed my MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2017. After my MPH, I completed a dental public health (DPH) residency program at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Here I got to Motivational Interviewing course for the Alaska Dental Therapy Educational Program and delivered the course in Anchorage in 2018. My residency opened an opportunity to study Sociology at the University of Chicago as an Oral Health Fellow where I explored exploring the concept of perceived trust and its influence on dental service utilization among older adults My current project “Motivate ME” is an oral health intervention for Latino adolescents where we are using motivational interviewing as a strategy to understand adolescent’s oral health behaviors by providing a non-judgmental and empathetic space for them to voice their opinions and motivations about their oral health and guide them through improving in their oral hygiene behaviors only if they are ready for a change.

Marisa Torres-Ruiz

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019

Dina Hamideh

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Tala Al Rousan
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Refugee Health and Digital Health

Dina Hamideh is a doctoral student in the UCSD and SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health. She offers a background in health behavior, mobile health, and health disparities. Her interests include the influence of behavior and environment on human health, specifically in underserved communities. As a doctoral student, she plans to work in West Bank and assess the influence of occupation-related violence stress on Palestinian adolescent wellbeing e.g., mental health and blood pressure. Dina’s plans to grasp a cross-cultural understanding of community-based healthcare solutions needed to achieve health equity in Palestinian adolescent populations.

Research Gate

Danielle Campbell

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020

Patricia Dionicio

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Sara Gombatto and Dr. Katrina Maluf
• Email: pdionici@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Ella

Reducing health disparities among underserved Latino/a/x/e and Hispanic populations; community-clinic based interventions to promote healthy lifestyles through the use of technological modalities, telemedicine, and mobile health (mHealth) strategies. Chronic disease prevention and management through the implementation of physical activity and exercise.

I grew up in the smoldering town of Redding, CA raised by my incredible and inspirational parents from Guerrero, Mexico. Upon moving to Southern CA, I fell in love with the diversity and community present at Cal State Long Beach (GO BEACH!) where I ultimately received my bachelors in Kinesiology - Exercise Science, Master of Public Health - Community Health Science, and my 2 spoiled cats. I love mentoring and enjoy hiking, being outdoors, kbbq, tacos de al pastor/lengua, and fruitful conversations (research and random topics are both welcome). I am so grateful to be in the field of Public Health engaging in research important to my own community and to be surrounded by the countless opportunities, mentors, and networks present here in San Diego!

 Google Scholar

Junghwan Park

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Eric Heckler
• Email: jup014@ucsdedu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Health, Public Data, Open Science, Physical Acitivity, Visual Programming

I worked in the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2011 to 2020 with a Computer Engineering Specialization. I have pursued how to support welfare and health policies using computer technology, and how to create new policies on the technological capabilities. I believe that a diverse technology culture, including collaborative m-health, open science, and open data, will play a valuable role in achieving a sustainable and healthy society.

LinkedIn

Linda Salgin

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Jerel Cazo
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Dissemination & Implementation Science, LGBT+ Health, HPV, and Health Services Research

I'm a first generation Turkish-Armenian American. I’m passionate about Public Health and have been working in the field for over 10 years. Currently, I am a Sr. Program Manager at San Ysidro Health (SYHealth) where my expertise is in the development and implementation of service and research-oriented programs in community based settings. In particular, I oversee our COVID-19 testing programs and lead our internal Research Ethics Committee which reviews all research projects conducted at SYHealth to ensure that they are in compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations as well as internal policies to protect our vulnerable patient population. Additionally, serve as the Deputy Principal Investigator for the NIH funded All of Us Research Program, which aims to advance precision medicine, where my role is to ensure the successful implementation and evaluation of the study along with leading scientific contributions by the Federally Qualified Health Center Partners.

Simultaneously, I am a doctoral student within the UCSD/SDSU joint-doctoral program in Public Health. My research interests are grounded in Dissemination and Implementation Science, specifically in the methodologies to ensure the successful adaptation, implementation, and dissemination of research. I am currently working on an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) pilot, where we are interested in understanding how daily socialization and stressors affect tobacco and nicotine use among LGBTQIA+ adolescents to later inform a Just In Time Adaptive Intervention. My goal is to use mixed-methods designs to understand the feasibility & acceptability of our EMA methods, how to best disseminate mobile based smoking cessation apps among this population, and what is needed to improve clinicians advice to use smoking cessation apps amongst their patients.

For my personal life, I have the cutest doggo who loves hiking. I enjoy traveling, cooking, eating good food. My friends, family, and fiancé are my lifeline and keep me grounded. Though I wish to be a stay-at-home dog mom, I find great reward working at a Federally Qualified Health Center where I'm able to implement research and service-oriented projects to support the health of our marginalized communities. For my personal life, I have the cutest doggo who loves hiking. I enjoy traveling, cooking, eating good food. My friends, family, and fiancé are my lifeline and keep me grounded. Though I wish to be a stay-at-home dog mom, I find great reward working at a Federally Qualified Health Center where I'm able to implement research and service-oriented projects to support the health of our marginalized communities.

 LinkedIn

Jessica Swartz

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Lori Tuttle
• Email: j1swartz@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Women's health, health disparities, physical activity and rehabilitation science, LGBTQ+ health, pregnancy and postpartum healing

Jessica is a women's health physical therapist, excited to translate her clinical practice into research! She grew up as a military brat and has lived all over the United States and the world - She still travels every single chance she gets! She settled for many years in Arizona, where she attended Arizona State University and earned her BS in Kinesiology and BA in Psychology (Go Devils!). She went on to obtain her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from San Diego State University in 2016 and joined the faculty as an adjunct professor in 2019. When she's not studying or travelling, you can find her lifting heavy weights, dancing her tail off (she was a cheerleader from middle school through college), watching scary movies, nerding out over all things pop culture, or reading trashy YA novels. She also loves exploring all of the culinary delights and liquid refreshments the world has to offer!

Rowena M. Tam

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Sheri J. Hartman, PhD
• Email: rmtam@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Women's Health/Oncology Rehabilitation

Rowena grew up in sunny San Diego, California and received her bachelor's degree in Communications and minored in Public Policy at UC Berkeley. After working on a goat farm and in the food industry for a couple of years, she returned to school and graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at SDSU. While working as an outpatient physical therapist with an emphasis on women's health, she noticed a lot of discrepancies in her patient's access to healthcare which spurred a return to academia. Outside of research and work, she enjoys camping and hiking with her husband and rescue dog, and trying new and different foods with friends and family.

LinkedIn

Victoria Telles

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020

Shuwen Li

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2021

Carrie L. Nacht

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Erik Stolhom
• Email: cnacht@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sexual health equity, reproductive justice

Former Midwesterner enjoying the lack of snow here in San Diego! Can usually be found spending time outdoors, cooking, reading, or hanging out with my spouse and pets. My goal in this program, and my career as a whole, is to improve sexual health equity among disproportionately affected groups (e.g., racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority groups). I am passionate about reproductive justice, encourage comprehensive sexual education, and hope to improve access to reproductive health services for all.

LinkedIn

Website

Alana R. Lopez

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Felner
• Email: arl011@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

As a student, I'm very passionate about community-based research, mixed methods, health disparities, and Latinx health. Personally, I'm a Seattle native, enjoying the SoCal sun but missing the rain more than a little. I'm a proud auntie of 5!

LinkedIn

Marina Katague

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Kiyomi Tsuyuki
• Email: mkatague@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: Any Pronouns

Violence Prevention

Twitter

Jacob Carson

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Britta Larsen
  
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

I am interested in the Built Environment and health broadly, with specific interest in perceptions of space and physical activity, community capacity building, and participatory research methodologies.

I am very passionate about the outdoors, social justice, and non-hierarchical systems Fun fact: I have been a big part of the San Diego Parkour community for almost 10 years and enjoy acting like a kid as much as possible!

Gino Acevedo

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor: Shu-Hong Zhu, PhD
  
• Email: glacevedo@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Adolescent substance use, Hispanic/Latino adolescent substance use, effectiveness of school-based drug prevention programs.

I am originally from the Central Valley, but have been living in San Diego since 2019. I made the move when I got my first job out of college as a survey researcher at UCSD, working at the KickIt California smoking cessation hotline (formerly California Smoker's Helpline). I recently graduated with my MPH from UCSD and am hoping to continue my current research with the same team! I like to take advantage of the wonderful weather we get here in San Diego by going for distance runs, hiking, beach days, and other outdoor activities.

Kiria Fraga

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Andy C. Lim

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Jerel Calzo
  
• Email: aclim@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

My research interests include adolescent health, sexual health promotion, and LGBTQ+ health. I have a special interest in using community-based participatory research methods.

Floridian getting to know California! In my free time, I can be found reading books, exploring new coffee shops, and trying new recipes with friends and family. Would love to connect with students at all levels, faculty, and community folks!~

Google Scholar

Diana Reyes

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
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Kazi Priyanka Silmi

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2015

Alma Behar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2016

Michael Ediau

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017

Katherine Schmarje Crockett

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017

Lara Schwarz

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Advisor: Tarik Benmarhnia
• Email: lnschwar@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Global climate epidemiology

Lara obtained her bachelor's degree in Environment focusing on the ecological determinants of health from McGill University and a Master in Public Health in Epidemiology from San Diego State University. Her research focuses on the interface between climate and health, applying epidemiological methods to reveal the impacts of extreme weather on population health. Lara’s goal is to quantify the effects of extreme weather events in understudied regions of the globe to understand and address global health disparities that will be accentuated in the context of climate change. In her free time, Lara will be found climbing rocks, camping under the stars, or exploring the underwater world.

Research Gate

Gabriel Carrasco Escobar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2018

Nabamallika Dehingia

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Advisor: Dr. Anita Raj
• Email: nadehingia@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Gender-based violence

Nabamallika Dehingia has multiple years of experience working in gender related studies. Prior to joining the program, she was a research manager at a monitoring and evaluation firm in India, working on studies related to women's maternal and reproductive health. Her current research focusses on violence against women, and social inequities in women's health outcomes. Integrating her love for analytics and passion for gender equality, her current research explores the use of big data and machine learning models for studying gender issues in low resource settings. In her free time, you'll find her baking or tending to her little garden.

Google Scholar

Briana Chronister (Cortez)

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Jose Suarez
• Email: bcortez@health.ucsd.edu

Environmental health

Briana Chronister, MS, is a PhD student in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - San Diego State University (SDSU) Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, Global Health track. She is currently a predoctoral trainee on the T32 in Advanced Data Analytics for Behavioral and Social Sciences Grant funded by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, and is a Hispanic College of Excellence scholar. Her research interest is in environmental health, and more specifically, in identifying social and behavioral factors that increase exposures to toxic chemicals, and assessing their subsequent effects on health. This includes identifying the relationship between toxic exposures and their influence on cancer, cognitive changes, and mental health outcomes. Likewise, she is also interested in identifying the relationship between the built environment, social and behavioral factors, and pesticide exposure. Before beginning her doctoral work, Briana completed her undergraduate and graduate degree at the University of Notre Dame where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, and Master of Science in Global Health.

Linktree

Derek Conkle-Gutierrez

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019

Arnab K Dey

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Advisor: Dr. Anita Raj
• Email: akdey@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Health Inequities, Maternal Health, Reproductive Health, Social Determinants of Health

Arnab is a Ph.D. student in Public Health (Global Health Track) and contributes to the Center of Gender Equity and Health at UC San Diego as a pre-doctoral fellow. His research interests are around intersections of social determinants of health in determining inequities in reproductive and maternal health care utilization focusing on low- and middle-income settings. Before starting his Ph.D. arnab worked for 7 years in the field of Measurement and Evaluation, working on large scale, complex health system interventions in India. During this time, he worked closely with programs that worked on Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health interventions at the community, facility and health system level. This exposure gave him a unique opportunity to learn how large scale programs are designed, implemented and evaluated in a real-world setting. Arnab loves to collaborate with colleagues from different fields to learn and apply innovative methods to answer his research questions. Over the past few years, he has applied traditional epidemiological methods, supervised machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to his work. In his free time, Arnab enjoys playing the harmonica and plays table-tennis with friends whenever he gets the chance!

Google Scholar

Shweta Tomar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019

Alec J. Calac

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020 
• Advisors: Dr. Timothy K. Mackey
• Email: acalac@health.ucsd.edu 
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

• Tribal Public Health and Infodemiology

  Alec is an MD/PhD student at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. He is a member of the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians. He has a strong research interest in Tribal public health, health technology, social media, and medical education.

  ORCID

Alhelí Calderón Villarreal

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisors: Dr. Steffanie Strathdee & Dr. Georgia Kayser
• Email: acv001@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

The intersection between WASH and substance use research.

Alhelí is a Medical Doctor who graduated from the State University of Coahuila (UA de C), a Master on Public Health - Social and Behavioral Sciences Track, graduated from the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP) in Mexico, and PhD candidate at the Joint Doctoral Program of Public Health - Global Health track at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the San Diego State University (SDSU). She is a co-Director of Women in Global Health - Mexico Chapter, and Correspondent for Mexico in Pandemic Period Collective. Alhelí is also the founder and Director of the - binational and transdisciplinary - Social Environmental Tijuana River Project. Alhelí is currently a Graduate Student Researcher at UCSD Health and has a Diversity Supplement linked with the 'La Frontera' cohort study (PI: Strathdee) among people who inject drugs in the Tijuana-San Diego metropolitan area. Alhelí's interests included public health, global health, health equity, social determinants of health, social and environmental justice, human rights, health policies, migration and health, access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), substance use, menstrual health and poverty, intersectionality and women leadership in health.

Website

Elizabeth Frost

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Reed
• Emaill: efrost@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Border health, WaSH, Women's economic empowerment

Elizabeth is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Elizabeth received her Masters in Public Health from the UTHealth Science Center at Houston and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Houston in 2016. Upon completion of the MPH/MSW program, Elizabeth worked as a case manager for a refugee resettlement agency in Houston and developed a community-based health education intervention for Burmese refugee women living in Houston. Elizabeth then joined the Peace Corps to serve in Rwanda as a maternal and child health volunteer. In public health, Elizabeth has conducted research on topics ranging from nutrition, cancer and tobacco, HIV prevention, refugee health, and women’s health. Her current research interests are in border health and the impact of water access on women’s health, particularly women living in the colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, running, and exploring new places and food.

LinkedIn

Laila Hamzai

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020

Marian Marian

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Ramona Perez
• Email: mmarian@health.ucsd.edu

Rose Naigino

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020

Jennifer Bailey

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021

Araz Majnoonian

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021

Francisca Rivera

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Reed
• Email: frivera@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

My research interests focus on the field of Public-Global Health, and Community Health, with an emphasis in gender and health equity. I am particularly interested in working with underserved Latinx, Indigenous, and Caribbean migrant female populations in the areas of gender and economic empowerment and the consequences of exposure to or experience of sexual violence and harassment, with a vested interest in researching the relationship between the power dynamics that shape and influence the life and health trajectories of females exposed to IPV and GBV, including reproductive and mental health outcomes.

I am a first generation Central American/Caribbean feminist focused on raising my 3 beautiful children, loving my furry pets, plant and gardening enthusiast, who is learning and growing everyday! I strive to expand my knowledge at every opportunity and work towards living an intuitive and conscious lifestyle. I prioritize doing all in my power to give back and empower La Gente, that takes many forms. I engage in community and international service to others, advocate for social justice and equity, and plan to dedicate my life to lifting others up and fighting for equitable access to healthcare for all.

LinkedIn

Ashley Swing

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Faramarz Valafar
• Email: aswing@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

I am a Florida native who has traded one coast for another! Although I am a registered nurse by training, I have been working in public health and research (my true passion!) in various capacities since 2014. Before moving to San Diego to start in the JDP, I lived for five years in Wuxi, China and was working at Jiangnan University. I love traveling, my family, eating delicious food, and getting outside. I'm excited to explore the US west coast for the first time in my life!

Jasmine Uysal

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Jay Silverman
• Email: juysal@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Prevention of violence against women and children, sexual and reproductive health, epidemiology of violence and reproductive health, program design and evaluation, implementation science and scale-up of evidence-based interventions

Jasmine Uysal, MPH, is a Survey Researcher III at the Center on Gender Equity and Health (GEH) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where she has worked for over five years. She works to design, implement, evaluate, and scale interventions to prevent gender-based violence and improve women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health, rights and empowerment, including through male engagement approaches. Currently, Jasmine manages a consortium of projects (>$1 million in investments) under Dr. Jay Silverman working to improve reproductive autonomy and reduce and respond to violence against women at the clinic-level. Current investments that she manages are in Kenya, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Nigeria. As part of this work, this year they were awarded an R21 where Jasmine now serves as a Co-Investigator. At GEH, Jasmine also works with Dr. Rebecka Lundgren on her portfolio applying social behavior change approaches focused on shifting social norms to improve sexual and reproductive health and prevent violence against women and children and to scale male engagement approaches to violence prevention in Uganda. Before joining GEH, Jasmine received her MPH in Community Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Here she served as co-investigator on two domestic reproductive health research studies based in the United States. Jasmine is now pursuing her doctoral degree from the UC San Diego and San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health – Global Health. Her research interests include social and structural determinants of violence against women and children and reproductive health, epidemiology of violence prevention and reproductive health, implementation science, and bringing evidence-based SRHR and violence prevention interventions to scale.

Research Gate

Oluwatosin Jegede

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2021
• Advisor: Dr. Natasha Martin
• Email: jegede5380@sdsu.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Prevention of infectious diseases among people who inject drugs. Disease surveillance, forecasting and epidemic intelligence. Disease modeling, and economic modeling. Global health governance, power dynamics and health equity.

I am a physician who derive fulfillment and pleasure in disease prevention over the treatment of illnesses. I am here to make global health inclusive for a sustainable health development.

Google Scholar

Kristina Brandveen

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Paula Stigler Granados, PhD
• Email: kbrandveen@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Kristina received her MPH with concentrations in Global Health & Community and Behavioral Health from the Colorado School of Public Health and her B.A. in Foreign Language (Spanish Language and Literature) from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked on research teams in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Her passion for working on projects surrounding public health and social justice initiatives was influenced by her childhood growing up in a bicultural household with Surinamese and African American parents. In the future, she would like to pursue a career in academia devoted to social justice and positive public health outcomes within marginalized communities of the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In her free time, she likes to binge watch Netflix and HBO and try new coffee shops.

Kirstin Rose Kielhold

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Shira Goldenberg
• Email: kkielhold@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Kirstin has a wide range of public health interests and is currently doing research on sex work, people who inject drugs, and people living with HIV. She has a MS in Global Health from UC San Francisco and her BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Her Masters’ research focused on how technology can be used to bridge gaps in sexual health specifically around consent. Kirstin has also worked at the SF AIDS Foundation and the California Department of Public Health doing harm reduction centered work at syringe exchange sites. She just recently moved to San Diego and is so excited to call this place her home for the next few years. In her spare time, she enjoys relaxing at the beach and exploring new places with her friends.

Elsa Ghebrendrias

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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• Pronouns:

Anna Lussier

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Shannon McBride

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Andile Mkhonta

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Sara McElroy

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated : August 2021
  

Purva Jain

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated: December 2021
  

Chelsea Obrochta

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated: December 2021
  

Paige Sheridan

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated: December 2021
  

Adam Maihofer

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated :  June 2022
  

Nicole Glass Nabors

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated: June 2022
  

Benjamin Schumacher

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Graduated: June 2022
  
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix

Aging and behavioral epidemiology

Ben was born and raised in San Diego, where he obtained both his B.S. in Public Health (UCSD) and MPH in Epidemiology (SDSU). Ben, his wife, and their Mini Australian Shepherd, Henry, are excited for him to finish his diessertation titled, "Developing, Validating, and Applying Measurements of Relative Intensity Activity from Observational Accelerometry Studies"

Google Scholar

Brittnie Bloom

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Graduated: December 2021
  

Matthew Stone

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Graduated: December 2021
  

Haley Ciborowski

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Graduated: June 2022
  

Carlos Rivera Saldana

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Graduated: June 2022
  

Daniel Crouch

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: June 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Shaffer
• Email: djcrouch@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Environmental and infections disease epidemiology

I love life, but it's more fun with kids.

Hobbies: movies, beach days, exercising, surfing, swimming, golfing, hiking, and saving Princess Peach

Favorite food: Indian curry, sushi, falafel

Favorite Movie: Pan's Labyrinth