Student Profiles

Adrienne Suazo

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019

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.

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.

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.

Lara Berghammer

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

Joycelyn Burridge

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

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.

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Hannah Barca

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Heather Corliss
  
• Email: hbarca@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Mental Health Epidemiology, LGBTQ+ Health, Adolescent Health, Psychometrics

Hi everyone, I’m Hannah! I earned my BS in Public Health and MPH in Epidemiology from University of Nevada, Reno. I’m originally from Northern Nevada, and after finishing my MPH, I moved to San Diego to join the JDP. My background includes epidemiologic research, teaching, and program evaluation. I’m especially interested in psychiatric epidemiology, with a focus on queer youth, and I’m passionate about finding better ways to measure complex concepts in population health research. Outside of academia, I love going to the zoo, visiting museums, catching concerts, and spending time with my German Shepherd/Husky mix, Valkyrie.

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Hannah Battey

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Eyal Oren & Dr. Heather Pines 
  
• Email: hbattey@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Infectious disease epidemiology

Hannah Battey earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her M.S. in Human Biology from the University of Copenhagen. Her research interests include infectious diseases, vaccine and diagnostic development, and global health. She is currently a graduate student researcher at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, where she focuses on identifying immunological targets in bacterial pneumonia. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys hiking, exploring local breweries, and spending time with her orange tabby, Carrot.

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Jaskaran Cheema

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
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Elizabeth Mikita

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Rita Ryu

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Vanessa Davila Conn

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
• Email: vdnvilaconn@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: she/her/hers

HIV/STIs

Vanessa Dávila Conn is a physician who holds a medical residency in Preventive Medicine and a Master in Public Health in epidemiology from the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. She received her Bachelor's degree in General Medicine from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico. She also holds diplomas in Public Policy Evaluation, and in Information and Communication Technologies for Education.

She has experience in project design, data collection and management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, se worked both as a general practitioner at the largest COVID-19 center in Mexico City and as a public health advisor at the General Directorate of Epidemiology in Mexico. Additionally, she has scientific publications on SARS-CoV-2, HIV networks and HIV drug resistance. Her research interests include HIV and other STIs risk factors, treatment and prevention, and implementation studies.

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Andrea Krzyzaniak

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
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Myunhee Lee

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Humberto Parada, Dr. Shira Goldenberg
  
• Email: myl019@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: he/him/his

Cardiovascular disease prevention among underrepresentative population, women cardiovascular health, AI in clinical research

I received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering & computer science from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology and then worked as a software engineer. Afterward, I pursued a medical degree at Kyungpook National University in South Korea and subsequently worked as a physician specializing in cardiology. My work involved treating patients and participating in multiple clinical research projects focusing on secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In 2023, I moved to the U.S. to further develop my research skills and gain a deeper understanding of public health. I enrolled in the UCSD MPH program and have been thoroughly enjoying my time in San Diego, joining in various sports activities such as surfing, swimming, and more with my beloved family.

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Kayla Saadeh

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Shira Goldenberg
  
• Email: ksaadeh@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Social and structural barriers to sexual health prevention

Kayla earned her BA in Political Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, followed by her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from The George Washington University. She has spent the last decade working at various levels of government public health agencies, including working COVID at the Orange County Healthcare Agency, and on HPV and mpox in the STD Control Branch at the California Department of Public Health. Kayla's interest in social and structural barriers to sexual health prevention evolved over her time working in STIs at CDPH as well as through her experiences volunteering as an HIV test counselor. Kayla has lived all over California, and loves calling this beautiful state home. In her free time, she loves taking her Husky-Doberman, Harper, to the dog beach, watching reality TV, and making sourdough bread. 

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Sandy Bohan

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

Adhana McCarthy

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

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.

Marisa Torres-Ruiz

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

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!

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Linda Salgin

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Advisor: Dr. Jerel Calzo
• Email: lsalgin@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Implementation Science, Tobacco Cessation, Mixed-Methods

My name is Linda Salgin and I am a Doctoral Candidate in the Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health at SDSU and UCSD. I'm also a Sr. Program Manager at San Ysidro Health, a federally qualified health center serving San Diego county. My research currently centers around tobacco cessation, specifically looking at how we can use implementation science methodologies to increase tobacco cessation among adolescents and adults. When I'm not at work or school, I really enjoy hiking with my dog, cooking, and traveling.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Marina Katague

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

Violence Prevention

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Nichelle Brown

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

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!

Aaron Parr

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

Samia Saeb

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

Clare Viglione

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

Gino Acevedo

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor: Shu-Hong Zhu, PhD
  
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

My research interests lie primarily in the evaluation of population-level health interventions. Currently, my work focuses on the evaluation of school-based tobacco prevention programs and restorative justice as an alternative to punitive measures for drug-related disciplinary incidents.

I am originally from Central California, but have lived in San Diego since 2019. I made the move when I got my first job out of college as a survey researcher working under Dr. Shu-Hong Zhu on school-based health surveys. I like to take advantage of the wonderful weather we get here in San Diego by going for distance runs, hiking, beach outings, or any other outdoor activity!

Kiria Fraga

• • Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
  • Entry Term: 2023
  • Advisor: Dr. Noe Crespo
    
  • Email: kfraga@ucsd.edu
  • Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Nutrition, physical activity, herbal medicine, holistic health, Latino health, dissemination and implementation science, multi-level interventions

I was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and attended school there until I graduated from Psychology in 2019 (UABC). I then came to SDSU to study for my MPH in Epidemiology. After the MPH, I went to Uganda for a fellowship with NIH-MHIRT and was there for 6 weeks. Upon returning, I started working with Dr. Crespo on all the projects he has in IBACH. I then started the PhD program in 2023 and am still going at it! I have also been involved with the VIIDAI program since 2015, when I started my psychology degree in Tijuana, so 10 years now and still loving it. In my free time, I love watching movies and series and hanging out with my dog, and I do love some good cafecito y chisme (coffee and gossip) with friends. I am a huge foodie so I am always down to try a coffee shop or restaurant! Karaoke is also one of my favorite nighttime activities. I also love dancing and playing sports so looking for any opportunity to stay active and start playing volleyball more regularly (or soccer, or dodgeball...).

Andy Catalan Lim

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

Adolescent health, participatory approaches, health inequities, substance use, LGBTQ+ health

Hey y'all! I'm an adolescent health researcher from Melbourne, FL. My research focuses on disparities in substance use and sexual health outcomes among adolescents, primarily using participatory approaches. I received my BS in Chemistry from University of Florida and my MPH in Public Health Education from University of South Florida. As a Certified Health Education Specialist, I found my passion for public health, and subsequently adolescent health, through my work in HIV prevention. As a doctoral student in SDSU’s Action Research on Community Health Equity and Stigma Lab, much of my current work addresses tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis use among marginalized youth, including sexual and gender minorities and youth experiencing homelessness.

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Maria Barajas

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
• Email:
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Amal Haraka

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
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Claire Pinson

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Kerri Boutelle
  
• Email: cpinson@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Overweight/Obesity, Binge Eating Disorder & Eating Disorders, Psychiatry & Mental Health Stigma

I’m an MD/PhD student focused on Binge Eating Disorder and behavioral weight loss intervention research, working under Dr. Kerri Boutelle. I graduated from Harvard in 2019 with a BA in Psychology, then moved to Tokyo to conduct eating disorder research at the University of Tokyo Hospital under Dr. Kazuhiro Yoshiuchi. During the pandemic, I returned to Boston to explore fMRI-based Binge Eating Disorder research under Dr. Kristin Javaras. Now, I’m back in sunny California, where I began my journey at UCSD School of Medicine in 2022 and completed my first two years.

When I’m not buried in mental health research, you’ll find me at the pole dance studio (a passion of mine for the last 5 years) or at church—yep, you read that right :) I’m all about balance, whether it’s academics, faith, or hobbies. I believe in taking a wholistic approach to life, and I’m excited to be challenged and stretched throughout this PhD. My goal is to use the skills I gain through this program to make a meaningful impact in my future clinical career!

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Tania Valdez

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Noe Crespo 
  
• Email: t1valdez@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Ella

Chronic pain management, cancer research, health services research, mHealth, eHealth, mental health, cardiovascular health

My research interest is focused on the development of culturally and contextually tailored interventions to address both mental and physical health disparities in underserved communities. I'm particularly interested in testing interventions that consider factors at the individual and structural level. 

I'm a first-generation college student. After earning an AA degree in psychology from Grossmont College, I transferred to San Diego State University, where I completed a BA in psychology. More recently, I obtained an MPH in health promotion and behavioral sciences from SDSU as well. I worked at the South Bay Latino Research Center (SBLRC) in Chula Vista for over eight years in several capacities and have had the privilege to assist in various research projects for the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and the Latinos Understanding the Need for Adherence using Care Coordination, Integrated Medical and Behavioral Care, and E-health (LUNA-E) study. 

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Gladys Lopez

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Sara Gombatto and Dr. Katrina Monroe
  
• Email: gll08@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: she/her/hers

Reducing health disparities among underserved Latino and Hispanic populations; mental health

I grew up in sunny San Diego, CA, raised by Mexican immigrant parents. I have lived in Idaho, where I received my Bachelor's degree, and in Utah, where I received my Master's in Public Health from Brigham Young University. I am also a first-generation student. I have worked with multiple nonprofits specializing in improving mental health for men and immigrants. As well as reducing substance abuse among fathers. I am very passionate about mental health and understanding how health behaviors surrounding it impact our lifestyles. I want to focus on addressing mental and physical health disparities in underserved populations, especially within the Latino community. When I'm not studying, I can be found hiking, enjoying the outdoors, baking, and watching musicals.

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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!

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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.

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Laila Hamzai

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

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.

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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: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Natasha Martin
• Email: osjegede@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Harm reduction, opioid simulation modeling, infectious disease modeling, disease prevention and control, cost-effectiveness modeling, global health governance, health equity.

Dr. Oluwatosin Jegede is a Public Health Physician and Global Health Expert with expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, cost-effectiveness, and infectious disease modeling.

He holds a medical degree from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Addis Ababa University. He completed residency training in Community Medicine and is a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians.

Dr. Jegede has worked with Africa CDC on disease surveillance and outbreak control across five countries, and with the UNODC on prison health and harm reduction. His work focuses on HIV prevention, viral hepatitis, and opioid overdose among people who use drugs and prisoners.

He is currently a PhD candidate in Global Health at the University of California, San Diego. His research includes modeling opioid overdose trends in California and evaluating harm reduction investments in South Africa and India.

In his free time, he enjoys traveling and exploring new environments.

Google Scholar

Kristina Brandveen

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Paula Stigler Granados
• 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.

Lucia Canul

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Ramona Perez 
• Email: lcanul@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Nutrition, Health Equity, and Non-Communicable Diseases

As a doctoral student in Global Health, Lucia aspires to conduct research that promotes health equity for multicultural and underrepresented communities in the United States, Mexico, and Latin America. She has extensive clinical experience as a registered dietitian working with migrant populations on nutrition related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. As a proud Latina with a deep connection to these communities, she aim to focus her research on the socio cultural nuances that impact dietary challenges.

Mahshid Fallahpour

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

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.

Jyotsna Negi

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022

Samantha Shinder

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Eunha Hoh
  
• Email: sshinder@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: she/her/hers

Environmental Health, One Health

Doreen Tuhebwe

• • Degree Program: Global Health JDP
  • Entry Term: 2022
  • Advisor: Dr Susan Kiene
  • Email: dtuhebwe@ucsd.edu
  • Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

HIV and alcohol use, Equity in service delivery, Client preference modeling and Implementation science 

Doreen Tuhebwe is pursuing a Ph.D in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health in the San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego joint doctoral program. Her research interests include: 1) disease control and equity in service delivery focusing on HIV among high-risk groups such as fishing communities; 2) understanding drivers of vulnerability such as alcohol use, urbanicity, poverty and climate change, and 3) public health intervention optimization through client preference modeling, people-centered design and community engagement. She also has interest working with adolescent girls and young women, teaching and student mentorship. She has over 7 years of experience writing research protocols, monitoring field work and experiments, and conducting ethnographic studies resulting in over 20 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Doreen is a founding member of the Women in Global Health-Uganda Chapter and the Makerere University-Master of Public Health Alumni Association, Uganda.

Google Scholar

Elsa Ghebrendrias

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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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: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2023
• Advisor:
  
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Genesis Barzallo

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
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Morgan Godvin

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
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Nadia Hemmat

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Ramona Perez
• Email: nhemmat@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 

Women's Health, Maternal Health, Latine Health

Nadia Hemmat, MS, is a PhD student in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - San Diego State University (SDSU) Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health. Nadia is completing her doctoral studies in the Global Health track, focusing mainly on maternal and child health research. Before beginning her studies in San Diego, Nadia completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University in Human Biology with a concentration in Global Women’s Health. Her research in her undergraduate studies focused mainly on maternal health outcomes and female athlete menstruation research. Following her undergraduate studies, Nadia completed her graduate degree at the University of California, San Francisco where she earned a Master’s of Science in Global Health. Her master’s capstone work focused on implementing digital tools in Migori, Kenya to address and understand community health worker attitudes on childhood routine vaccination. She hopes to build on her maternal and child health research experiences throughout her doctoral studies.

Google Scholar

Saddam Hossain

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Farmarz Valafar
  
• Email: s2hossain@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Google Scholar

Phoebe Seaver

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor:
  
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Michael Vingiello

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Paula Stigler-Granados
  
• Email: mjvingiello@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: he/him/his

Geospatial Health

My passions are soccer and maps, but I dabble in disc golf, hiking, reading, traveling, and hanging out with my partner and two cats.

Google Scholar

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
  

Brittnie Bloom

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

Matthew Stone

• Degree Program: Health Behavior 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

Google Scholar

Haley Ciborowski

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

Nabamallika Dehingia

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: June 2022
• Advisor: Dr. Anita Raj
• Email: nadehingia@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Google Scholar

Carlos Rivera Saldana

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

Erin Dougherty

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2016
• Graduated: October 2022

Michael Ediau

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: October 2022 

Cristina Espinosa-Da Silva

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: November 2022

Alma Behar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2016
• Graduated: November 2022

Hena Din

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2016
• Graduated: December 2022

Katherine Schmarje Crockett

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: December 2022

Chelsea Chapman

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: June 2023

Daniel Crouch

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

Gabriel Carrasco Escobar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: June 2023

Jordan Killion

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: June 2023

Rudy Patrick

• Degree Program:Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: June 2023

Lara Schwarz

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2017
• Graduated: June 2023
• Advisor: Tarik Benmarhnia
• Email: lnschwar@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Research Gate

Julie Cakici

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: December 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Cinnamon Bloss
• Email: jacakici@eng.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

NCBI

Kazi Priyanka Silmi

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2015
• Graduated: December 2023

Alexis Garduno

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: December 2023
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix and Dr. Benjamin Smarr
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

UCSD

Alex Posis

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: December 2023
• Advisor: Dr. LaCroix and Dr. Shaffer
• Email: aposis@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

Google Scholar

Osika Tripathi

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: December 2023
• Advisor: Dr. John Bellettiere
• Email: otripath@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Jack Andrzejewski

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: June 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Heather Corliss
• Email: jdandrze@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

Google Scholar

Alec J. Calac

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020 
• Graduated: June 2024
• Advisors: Dr. Timothy K. Mackey
• Email: acalac@health.ucsd.edu 
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

  ORCID

Alhelí Calderón Villarreal

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Graduated: June 2024
• Advisors: Dr. Steffanie Strathdee & Dr. Georgia Kayser
• Email: acv001@health.ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Website

Shweta Tomar

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: June 2024

Dina Hamideh

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: July 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Tala Al Rousan
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 

Research Gate

Aachal Devi

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: August 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Tracy Finlayson
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Jungwhan Park

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Graduated May 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Eric Heckler
• Email: jup014@ucsdedu
• Pronouns: He/Him/His

LinkedIn

Eric T. Hyde

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Graduated: August 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Andrea LaCroix
• Email: ehyde@health.ucsd.edu
• Prnouns: He/Him/His

Google Scholar

Nora Satybaldiyeva Kepner

• Degree Program: Epidemiology JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Graduated: August 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Eric Leas
• Email: ksatybal@ucsd.edu
• Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Google Scholar

Jijiang Wang

• Degree Program: Health Behavior JDP
• Entry Term: 2018
• Graduated: August 2024

Briana Chronister (Cortez)

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2019
• Graduated: August 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Jose Suarez
• Email: bcortez@health.ucsd.edu

Linktree

Marian Marian

• Degree Program: Global Health JDP
• Entry Term: 2020
• Graduated: August 2024
• Advisor: Dr. Ramona Perez
• Email: mmarian@health.ucsd.edu