Current Faculty, Staff, and Student Team Members:
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ALEXIS ROTH, PhD, MPH
[she/her/hers] Director, Health Equity Advancement Lab Director, Minor in Program Monitoring and Evaluation Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Prevention Alexis' research is focused on understanding how individual, social, and environmental factors influence health disparities. She utilizes mixed methods and community-engaged research approaches, with the goal of working with community members and advocates, to co-create sustainable solutions to public health problems. Two of Alexis' areas of interest are the intersection of gender and drug use on women's health as well as the evaluation of interventions to combat the opioid-related overdose crises. Alexis worked as a bilingual HIV case manager from 2001 through 2004 prior to obtaining her Masters of Public Health at Tulane University where she focused on HIV program planning and evaluation. From 2005-2008 she worked for the Marion County Health Department and Health and Hospital Cooperation first as an HIV educator and later as a grants writer. From there she joined the staff at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis where she coordinated the Medicaid Medical Advisory Committee. She then joined the Division of Adolescent Medicine as a project manager while simultaneously pursuing her PhD in Health Behavior at Indiana University. Upon completing her PhD, Alexis was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California San Diego until she joined the faculty at Drexel University in 2014. Because of these practice-based experiences prior to becoming an academic, Alexis constantly considers the programmatic and policy implications of her work. |
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SCARLETT BELLAMY, Sc.D.
[she/her/hers] Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics Boston University, School of Public Health Scarlett is a proud graduate of Hampton (BA mathematics) and Harvard (ScM and ScD biostatistics) Universities and was inspired to become a doctor (MD) when her paternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was very young and her desire to ‘fix’ her. Her grandmother passed away before she could fully execute that plan, so she leaned into her love of math and discovered biostatistics during a summer research program as an undergraduate at Hampton. For her it was perfect -- she could be an ‘applied mathematics’ doctor instead by pursuing a graduate degree in biostatistics! She went straight into her first faculty position after finishing up graduate school at Harvard and spent 15 years at the University of Pennsylvania before moving to Drexel in 2016, where she was excited to launch a new PhD program in biostatistics as Director of Graduate Studies in Biostatistics. She has worked in a wide range of methodological and applied research settings ranging from evaluating and developing statistical methods related to group and cluster-randomized trials to developing prognostic models of poor clinical outcomes following lung-transplant. She is particularly interested in trials devoted to addressing health disparities for a variety of behavioral and clinical outcomes, including HIV risk reduction trials. Professionally, she has held various leadership roles for data coordinating centers of clinical trials and currently directs the Quantitative Core for the Philadelphia Veteran Affairs Medical Center’s, Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the 2017 President of the Eastern North American Region (ENAR) of the International Biometric Society. Finally, she remains committed to increasing diversity in biostatistics and is the PI of an NIGMS-funded workshop grant entitled “Fostering Diversity in Biostatistics at ENAR”. |
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AYDEN SCHEIM, PhD
[he/him/his] Senior Scholar of Public Policy, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law Ayden Scheim is a social epidemiologist interested in the health impacts of social, policy, and healthcare environments experienced by stigmatized populations. In particular, he has conducted community-engaged research with transgender populations and people who use drugs, both domestically and globally. Ayden was formerly an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Drexel University and is an Affiliate Scientist with the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where he led a longitudinal cohort study evaluating supervised consumption services integrated into community health agencies. He has conducted policy and programmatic research on harm reduction in settings ranging from London, Canada to Freetown, Sierra Leone. He received his Ph.D. (2017) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University in London, Canada and completed postdoctoral training as a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Ayden’s research is informed by a decade spent working in sexual health programs, shelters and Housing First programs, and community health centers. |
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ALLISON (ALI) GROVES, PhD, MHS
[she/her/hers] Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health and Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University The main purpose of Ali’s research is to better understand and address disparities in HIV prevention and care globally. Specifically, she uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to further the science on how structural factors (e.g., gender inequalities, housing instability, and mass incarceration) and relationship factors (e.g., intimate partner violence (IPV)) contribute to racial and gender disparities in HIV-related outcomes in Southern Africa and in the United States. Her research has also led to the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions targeting these factors to reduce disparities in HIV and HIV-related outcomes. Ali has worked previously as a Homelessness Prevention Specialist in Boston, as a case manager for individuals living with HIV in Colorado, as a director of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Maryland, and as a high school girls’ teacher (and health educator) in Lesotho. These experiences have greatly influenced her commitment to conduct research and interventions which reduce global health disparities in HIV. |
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JACKIE JAHN, PhD, MPH
[she/her/hers] Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Core Faculty, The Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements & Population Health Equity Jackie is an epidemiologist whose research investigates on the ways that structural racism shapes population health equity. Much of her work focuses on the health of individuals, families, and communities that are affected by the U.S. criminal legal system. She came to this work through working with activist coalitions led by currently incarcerated people. Jackie continues to work in partnership with activists, advocates, interdisciplinary researchers, and policymakers to advance community health, safety, and wellbeing. She is on the Steering Committee of The Health Instead of Punishment Program at Health In Partnership and serves on the board of Oshun Family Center in Philadelphia. She has an MPH and a PhD from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. |
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DANIEL T VADER, PhD, MS
[they/them/theirs] Statistician, The Biostatistics Scientific Collaboration Center, Drexel University Daniel is a collaborative biostatistician and epidemiologist with over 8 years of methodological and applied experience leading and collaborating on clinical and public health research. They care deeply about understanding the context (individual, institutional, structural) that produces the data used in health research and how that context impacts statistical methodology, interpretation, and communication. In addition to their role as a statistician at the Biostatistics Scientific Collaboration Center in the Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Daniel is a key research team member and member of the community advisory board for the Public Health and Autism Science advancing Equitable Strategies across the life course (PHASES) grant at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute. They enjoy biking around Philadelphia; tabletop roll playing games (narrative-first systems); social science fiction, fantasy, and horror; and roller blading. |
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KATHLEEN (KATIE) WARD, PhD, MSPH, CHES
[she/her/hers] Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Community Health and Prevention Katie Ward is a first year postdoctoral fellow in Infectious Disease and Substance Use within the lab. She completed her PhD in Public Health in 2025. Prior to that, she coordinated research projects in Baltimore City focused on connecting people with HIV and HCV who inject drugs to testing and treatment. Katie was trained as a master presenter in the Maryland Department of Health’s ‘Regrounding Our Response’ initiative that aims to address the opioid crisis and reduce stigma surrounding substance use in Maryland. She is excited to continue her work in Philadelphia focusing on harm reduction and trauma interventions to improve health outcomes for people who use drugs. |
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ELANA (Ellie) FORMAN, MLA, CPRS
[she/her/hers] Doctoral Student, Department of Community Health and Prevention Ellie Forman is a third year doctoral student in the department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Ellie’s current research interests include public health approaches to harm reduction and other community-level interventions for people who use drugs (PWUD), and ways to better understand and address social determinants of mental and behavioral health. She received a Master’s in Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focused on different ways substance-use discourse is reified in care-giving spaces. Ellie is also certified as a Peer Recovery Specialist and works as a health educator, presenting interactive workshops to middle and high school students on substance use, comorbid disorders, and mental health promotion. In her free time, Ellie enjoys playing chess competitively, running in Philadelphia’s (many) races, and attempting to keep her houseplants alive. |
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ALLY D'ANGELO, MPH
[she/her/hers] Project Manager Ally graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022 with a B.A. in Neuroscience and minors in Healthcare Management and Medical Sociology. In June of 2024, she earned a Masters of Public Health at Drexel University with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention. Ally completed her master's thesis with HEAL, where she led a pilot study to explore the acceptability of a wearable sensor to prevent opioid overdose among PWID in Camden, NJ. Her interdisciplinary approach to substance use and mental health inspired her training at Prevention Point Philadelphia as an intern in their community engagement and harm reduction services in 2021. Since then, Ally has remained passionate about advocating for people who use drugs and educating the public about overdose prevention and harm reduction. In her free time, she enjoys reading, live music, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams. |
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KANAKO ANDO
Research Assistant, TIARAS Kanako graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in Biology, where she researched body image ideals among college-aged Japanese women. Before moving to Philadelphia, she was a project manager in clinical research. She is a Dornsife Fellow at Drexel University, where she is currently pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology. Her public health interests include global mental health, immigrant health, and health equity. During her free time, she likes to knit, read, and travel. |
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FRIDA CLARK-GARCÍA
Study Coordinator & Interventionist, SAIA-HIV Frida graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Prior to their current position, they worked as a grant maker with the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services and. Outside of work, Frida organizes with a harm reduction collective based out of Kensington and volunteers with a community-led immigrant rights organization in South Philadelphia. |
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DISHA S
Research Assistant, TIARAS Disha is a second-year Master of Public Health student at Drexel University, concentrating in Epidemiology. Trained as a dentist in India, her clinical work at the intersection of substance use and oral cancer care inspired her to pursue public health. She believes real research happens when communities are part of the process, which led her to projects like TIARAS at Prevention Point Philadelphia where science and compassion meet lived experiences. Her interests include racial and ethnic disparities, mental health, and environmental health, all grounded in her belief that health is a human right. Outside of academics, she loves exploring new cuisines, reading mystery authors and classic novels, and writing about the world around her. |
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SARA WHITTEMORE
Research Assistant, TIARAS Sara graduated from the University of Rochester in 2023 with a B.A. in Health Policy. She is currently a first-year master's student at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention. Her research interests include harm reduction, substance use and misuse, social determinants of health, and community health. Sara previously worked as a Community Health Specialist and Hepatitis C Patient Navigator at a community health center and SSP in Rochester, NY. These occupational experiences motivated her pursuit of an MPH, and her current work as a research assistant with the TIARAS project within HEAL keeps her passion for health equity alive! Outside of her studies, Sara likes to cook, scrapbook, and do crossword puzzles! |
Former Faculty, Staff, and Student Team Members:
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ANUSH LINGAMOORTHY, PhD, MS
Doctoral Student, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Anush Lingamoorthy is a graduating PhD candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University, collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania. He earned dual B.S. degrees in Computer and Electrical Engineering, with a minor in Mechanical Engineering, from Drexel University in 2018. In 2023, he completed his M.S. in Machine Learning and AI at Drexel while concurrently pursuing his doctoral studies. Anush's research focuses on developing wearable medical devices aimed at detecting and preventing accidental opioid-related overdoses. He has coordinated multiple clinical studies to validate these devices in both sleep labs and real-world settings involving people who inject drugs. Leveraging his expertise in machine learning, Anush has developed predictive models for early-stage overdose detection to enable rapid intervention. He is also committed to translating his research into real-world applications to positively impact lives. |
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BELLA RYAN
Research Assistant, TIARAS Bella is a second-year master’s student in the Department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Born and raised in New York, Bella was drawn to learning about how other urban areas were utilizing harm reduction strategies to address HIV and substance use. This led her to study Neuroscience and Psychology during her undergrad, in which she focused on the social determinants of substance use and the neurological basis for addiction. Her current research interests include harm reduction, substance use, community health, women’s health, and risk communication. In the future, Bella hopes to continue building close working relationships with the community members she works with to further community-engaged research efforts that seek to expand policies and strategies in Philadelphia that advance harm reduction. |
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KATIE SINGLEY, MPH
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, TIARAS Katie graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a Psychology degree and Statistics minor. She earned a Masters of Public Health at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health with a minor in Social Justice Policy. Her research interests include substance use, urban health, health disparities, and public health ethics. Katie is involved in various research projects that examine the role of harm reduction strategies in alleviating the opioid epidemic. Her goal is to conduct community-based research that can be used to create equitable and transformative policy. Katie completed her Applied Practical Experience (APE) with Philadelphia Overdose Prevention Network (POPN) where she engaged with key stakeholders such as residents, government officials, and various harm reduction organizations to implement harm reduction strategies in Philadelphia to address the opioid epidemic. |
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ERIN MCDOWELL, MA
[she/her/hers] Project Manager Erin graduated with her Master’s in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University in 2020. During her studies and in the years following, she has worked in mental health organizations in Philadelphia. Erin is passionate about working within the community to address the intersectionality of trauma, substance use, and stigma surrounding mental health, which brought her to work with HEAL. In her personal life, she loves traveling, dancing, reading, and spending time with the people she loves. |
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DANIELLE WHYTE
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, TIARAS Danielle graduated from the University of Delaware in 2023 with a B.S. in Health Behavior Science and a double minor in Psychology & Public Health. She currently attends Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology. Her public health and research interests include social determinants of health, structural racism & health, and maternal & child health. Danielle has conducted a range of research relating to inequalities among mutually reinforcing systems such as healthcare, criminal justice, and more. Her most recent internship for the Delaware State Health Improvement Plan inspired her to pursue an MPH. She is currently a research assistant for the TIARAS project within HEAL. Danielle is passionate about achieving health equity and dismantling barriers to health among marginalized communities. Outside of her studies, Danielle enjoys traveling, photography, and spending time with loved ones. |
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ANDREA S. McCORD, MPH
[she/her/hers] Research Manager Andrea received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Temple University. In 2016, she graduated from Drexel University with her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention. During her studies and in between her degrees, she has worked as a research assistant on projects around childhood feeding practices and evaluating media education on sodium reduction. Previously, she worked at Drexel in the Office of Health and Wellness doing data analyses and leading projects that helped inform health and wellness programming for students on campus. Prior, to returning to Drexel she worked for many years at a sexual and reproductive health non-profit managing a free breast and cervical cancer screening program with healthcare and community partners in the five counties of Southeastern Pennsylvania. She has always had a passion for public health research especially related to women’s health and sexual and reproductive health that benefits the Philadelphia community. Working at the HEAL Lab is giving her a blend of her love of direct service with the community and contributing to the research knowledge base that will hopefully lead to better services for clients. Andrea is a proud West Philadelphia native who still lives in the neighborhood with her cat Monica. She is a foodie and amazing home cook (specializing in soul food/African American cuisine) who wants to combine her love of social service, public health, food, and community into a safe space in Philadelphia. |
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ROSE LAURANO
[she/they] Study Coordinator & Interventionist, SAIA-HIV Study Coordinator, DOVE Rose, an alumna of Rutgers University, holds a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in business and technical writing. With almost a decade of experience in public health and harm reduction, Rose dedicated seven years to working at Prevention Point Philadelphia, where they made notable contributions to the overdose epidemic response. In various roles, from syringe exchange associate to Ladies Night Coordinator and Homeless Outreach Coordinator, Rose demonstrated their commitment to the values of the organization: all people deserve respect, dignity, and a life worth living. Notably, Rose revamped the process for producing safer injection kits, in response to the rapidly escalating demand. During their tenure running Ladies Night, the program experienced growth, integrating primary care and vital health services. As Homeless Outreach Coordinator, Rose created and implemented infection control measures for outreach services during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining service provision while simultaneously prioritizing the well-being of staff. At Thomas Jefferson University, Rose worked as a clinical research coordinator in supportive oncology. Rose is the study coordinator and interventionist for the SAIA project under HEAL, and is pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Temple University. Deeply passionate about uplifting marginalized communities, Rose consistently works towards emphasizing the rights and humanity of drug users and strives to eradicate structural stigma. Outside their professional commitments, Rose enjoys reading in quiet spaces, baking on rainy days, and running whenever they have time. |
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TAMICA MATOS
[she/her/hers] Interview Coordinator II, TIARAS Project Tamica is from the Kensington section of Philadelphia and attended school in the Philadelphia School District. During her last two summers of high school, Tamica traveled to Cameroon, Senegal, and Italy as a Good Will Ambassador where she worked with local youth to build libraries, clean up local beaches, and work with programs for blind youth. This is where she was inspired to work in the human service field. After high school, Tamica began her human service career at Eagleville Hospital Philadelphia in North Philadelphia where she worked as a Residential Assistant with repeat offenders who had difficulty with addiction. Soon after, she attended University of Maryland College Park for one year, returning to Philadelphia due to medical issues. In 2008, Tamica began working with Philadelphia Workforce Development Employment Advancement Retention Network where she served as Intake Supervisor and Lead Work Readiness Facilitator. During her time there, she graduated from University of Phoenix with an associates degree in Human Service & Management. In 2013, she was forced to leave workforce development to have brain surgery to remove a cerebral AVM that left her legally blind. After adjusting to her loss of sight, Tamica continued to work with the disenfranchised, volunteering with SOL collective, assisting in harm reduction efforts, and working with community members to establish and maintain community parks and gardens such as Las Parcelas and Julio Iglesias Garden. She also works with Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance groups in North Philadelphia. Tamica is in her final year of her bachelor's program in human service with a focus on substance abuse. Her commitment to being of service to others has led her to the Health Equity Advancement Lab to work on TIARAS where she brings her passion for helping others and devotion to the community that she has served for her entire career. |
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FAHAMIDA KHANAM
Research Assistant, MPH Student Hello! Fahamida Khanam is a first year MPH student majoring in Epidemiology. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from The City College of New York. She was raised in Brooklyn and lived in Boston, where she worked as a pediatric phlebotomist and medical assistant. She is interested in immigrant health; specifically immigrant women and how the disparities in healthcare systems impact their quality of care in hospitals and other settings. As a future epidemiologist, it is important for her to make suggestions to healthcare facilities on areas to focus on and how to increase quality patient care. Her interests include disease prevention, mental health epidemiology, maternal and child health, diabetes prevention and insulin resources for women in low-income communities, immigrant health, disparities in public health. She is really excited to be a part of the TIARAs team and work with human subjects. She believes that providing knowledge about PrEP to the population at risk is a crucial way to reduce HIV infection and mortality rates. She is passionate about digital art, cooking and exploring new places! |
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SIDNEY PALMER
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, MPH Student Sidney graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Public Health, where she engaged in research related to inclusive sexual health education for young people. She is currently a Dornsife Fellow at Drexel University, where she is pursuing her MPH in Epidemiology. Sidney has worked with individuals in the Kensington community as an outreach service provider for individuals experiencing housing insecurity. She also continues to work in the public health field as a COVID-19 contact tracer in Philadelphia. She is currently a research assistant for the TIARAS project within HEAL. Sidney is passionate about achieving health equity and dismantling barriers to health for communities that have been historically marginalized. Her primary interests relate to structural racism as a public health crisis and issues related to safe housing access for all. During her free time, you can find Sidney rock climbing, dancing, or relaxing with her cat. |
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AZARIA CRAYTON
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, TIARAS Concentration in systems theory, substance dependency, and addressing trauma within marginalized communities. Couples & Family Therapy, Nursing & Health Professions, Drexel University Class of 2023 Azaria graduated from Penn State with a B.A. in Psychology & Gender Studies and Sexuality. She is currently in her second year of pursuing her Masters in Couple and Family Therapy at Drexel University. Azaria was selected to participate in OWEP, a collaborative training with The University of Akron, focused on addressing substance dependency from a systemic lens. Azaria is passionate about using her diverse experience, sense of humor, and sensitivity to provide trauma informed and culturally attuned care. Azaria currently works as an intern therapist at a community behavioral health agency in Philadelphia with a focus on families and individuals with prior substance dependency, court involvement, and co-occurring mental health diagnoses. She is currently a research assistant for TIARAS. In her personal life, Azaria enjoys cooking, reading, and exploring the food and culture of the city. |
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ANNETTE GADEGBEKU, M.D.
[she/her/hers] Associate Professor, Department of Family, Community & Preventive Medicine Associate Program Director, Drexel University College of Medicine/Hahnemann University Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program Clinical Site Director, Drexel Family Medicine at Center City Annette’s academic interests include urban and underserved community medicine, adolescent medicine, women’s health and global health. She primarily cares for patients at the Drexel Family Medicine at Center City office, where she specializes in primary care for all ages. As Medical Director of the office, she has established longitudinal Refugee Health Services as well as primary care referral for the Healing Hurt People Program, specializing in trauma-informed care. She has a passion for underserved, marginalized, vulnerable, and at-risk populations with a focus in harm reduction. As a result, she has implemented a longitudinal community medicine curriculum for residents and coordinates departmental community health programs at various sites in Philadelphia. She also serves as Community Preceptor and Clinical Faculty Advisor overseeing all the College of Medicine’s Health Outreach Projects (H.O.P.) Student-Run Clinics including the Eliza Shirley Women & Children’s Shelter, Salvation Army Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center, and Streetside Prevention Point. She is the Advisor for the Naloxone Outreach Program – a student-run initiative to address the opioid epidemic by training students and community residents in opioid overdose recognition and reversal in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. |
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KERRY MILEY, MPH
[she/her/hers] Research Coordinator II Previously a student and Urban Health Collaborative Masters Fellow at Drexel University, Kerry coordinates ongoing research projects for the Health Equity Advancement Lab. After receiving her B.S. in public and community health from Ithaca College, she worked at several harm reduction centers in Ithaca, NY, New York City, and rural Connecticut. Before joining the HEAL team, Kerry coordinated an environmental exposure study for the state of Utah as a CDC Public Health Associate. She is passionate about the overlapping issues of drug overdose, housing instability, infectious disease, and incarceration. |
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JULIANNA BERARDI
[she/her/hers] MPH Student, Department of Health Management and Policy Research Assistant, TIARAS Julianna graduated from Ursinus College with majors in Psychology and Public Health, where her focus on systems-thinking guided her to pursue her Masters of Public Health. At Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, Julianna is concentrating her MPH studies in Health Management and Policy with a minor in Social Justice Policy. Her public health and research interests include sociopolitical determinants of health, expansion of harm reduction policies and initiatives, and justice-oriented community development. For her Applied Practical Experience (APE), Julianna is collaborating with Dr. Alexis Roth through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center to create a national landscape of harm reduction policies. Additionally, Julianna is a research assistant for the TIARAS project, aligning with her belief in trauma-informed research and initiatives. Outside of her studies, she is also passionate about voting rights, abolition, and housing. Julianna loves all things Philadelphia – trying new restaurants, spending time with loved ones in the city, and visiting antique shops. |
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IMANI ALI
[she/her/they] Research Assistant, TIARAS Project Imani received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey with a major in Political Science and minor in Women and Gender Studies. Her extracurriculars included work with the writing center as a tutor for multilingual students along with the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program for incoming first year students. She has additionally committed time to violence prevention as a peer mentor, assisting in planning awareness campaigns, training volunteers and resident hall advisors on mandated reporting, and acting with a student-led improvisational theater group aimed to educate on bystander intervention strategies as a primary tool for preventing interpersonal violence. Following graduation, Imani moved to Philadelphia and joined the city’s domestic violence agency, Women Against Abuse, as a crisis counselor and intake coordinator within the family safe haven. She is currently a full-time research assistant under Dr. Alexis Roth on the TIARAS project. Imani is passionate about creative expression as a tool for restorative justice and hopes to combine her experience with direct service and research to better inform and reshape policy that will address gender-based disparities in health from an intersectional lens. |
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NGUYEN TRAN, MPH
[he/him/his] Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Nguyen Tran is an incoming doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Nguyen is involved in various research projects focusing on infectious diseases, sexual health and drug-related behaviors among marginalized populations. He uses statistical and epidemiologic methods to understand how individual and social factors affect health disparities, particularly relating to HIV/STI. Nguyen’s goal is to generate epidemiologic data that will drive community prevention efforts and policies. Recently, Nguyen has worked with the Philadelphia Department of Health to understand the burden of HIV among men who have sex with men, persons who inject drugs, and high-risk heterosexuals. He has an emerging interest in using spatial and multilevel approaches as well as agent-based modeling to understand the how demography, behavior, and social networks influence health outcomes. |
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SNEHA KAMARAJUGADDA
[she/her/hers] MD/MPH Student, Community Health & Prevention Sneha is an MD/MPH student at Drexel University with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology at Drexel and recently finished her third year of medical school. Her public health interests include sexual and reproductive health and justice, antiracism, and immigrant health. Sneha hopes to practice as an Ob/Gyn doctor and reduce health disparities by addressing barriers to healthcare access and patient education. Outside of school, she likes to embroider, read and eat (but not cook) delicious food. |
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ALLISON MITCHELL, MPH
[she/her/hers] Project Manager Before earning her MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics, Allison served as an AmeriCorps member at the Eastern Area Health Education Center in Willimantic, CT, where her interest in people who inject drugs and the opioid epidemic originated. During her year of service she served as a program coordinator for the "Collegiate Health Service Corps," in which she managed local college students presenting weekly health education lessons at community service sites such as soup kitchens and migrant farms. Allison's public health interests include analyzing harm reduction services for people who inject drugs, and dreams of being involved with a supervised-injection facility evaluation process. |
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MARISA FELSHER, DrPH
[she/her/hers] Doctoral Student, Department of Community Health and Prevention Marisa Felsher is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Her primary research interest is using social network approaches to increase PrEP awareness, initiation and adherence among women who inject drugs. Marisa has been involved in various research projects, focusing on vulnerable female populations, HIV, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Her dissertation focused on how social networks can be utilized to increase PrEP awareness among women who inject drugs. Recently, Marisa managed a project related to PrEP eligibility, awareness and attitudes among men and women accessing rapid HIV testing at community-based organizations in Philadelphia. Previously, Marisa volunteered with Project SAFE, a grass roots harm reduction organization providing advocacy and support to women working in Philadelphia’s street economies. |
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ELIZA ZIEGLER
[she/her/hers] MPH Student, Department of Health Policy and Management Eliza is a second year MPH student at Drexel concentrating in Health Policy and Management. She will be working with Project S.H.E through the Drexel Urban Health Collaborative's Master's Fellowship. Eliza received a BA in Economics and Community Health from Tufts University. Since moving to Philadelphia, she has worked at Pathways to Housing PA coordinating benefits for adults who have experienced chronic homelessness. Eliza's interests include improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, specifically mental health and drug and alcohol treatment, and how public health research can help promote interventions such as safe consumption sites. |
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MATTHEW LIPOW
[he/him/his] MD Student, Drexel University College of Medicine Matthew is a third-year medical student. He is interested in social and structural factors influencing substance use, the spread of infectious disease, and emerging methods to reduce opioid overdose death. Matthew co-coordinated patient advocacy and helped to run Streetside Health Project, a free urgent-care clinic at a syringe exchange and social services organization in Kensington, Philadelphia. In the future, Matthew hopes to develop long-term care relationships with patients through the lens of harm reduction and to bring community health findings into clinical application. Outside of medicine, he has a passion for film photography. |
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ALEXANDRA TRAUTMAN
[she/her/hers] MPH Student, Department of Community Health & Prevention Alexandra is a second year MPH student at Drexel concentrating in Community Health and Prevention. She will be conducting a mixed methods analysis using Project SHE data for her Integrated Learning Experience for the MPH Program. Alexandra received a BS in Health Sciences from the University of South Florida. Before moving to Philadelphia, she was a teacher in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. Her public health interests were largely shaped by her time as a middle school teacher and focus on adolescent health, health disparities, and sexual and reproductive health. |
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BOLUTIFE T. ODENIYI
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, Project SHE and KIND Bolutife is a recent graduate of the Temple University College of Public Health. She has a growing passion and a budding interest in the factors that influence sexual health and drug use behaviors. As an aspiring Global Health professional, Bolutife’s future plans include working with developing countries to establish and implement effective and efficient health care infrastructure, and to reduce negative health outcomes associated with infectious disease. Ultimately, her goal is to reduce health disparities through research, community education, and health policy and to achieve equity in health on a global scale. |
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ROHIT K. MUKHERJEE, MPH
[he/him/his] Medical Student, Drexel University College of Medicine Rohit is interested in harm reduction, overdose prevention, community outreach, and engaging marginalized populations. Before medical school, he worked as a reading teacher for special needs students living in low-income neighborhoods of DC, and then worked as a Senior Program Assistant at the National Academies of Sciences assisting on an evaluation of Supplemental Security Income. For three years he volunteered for HIPS in DC, a syringe exchange that serves drug users and sex workers. As a medical student, he managed a student-run clinic based out of a syringe exchange and founded a naloxone outreach program. He also interned at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health assisting with overdose prevention programming. He currently works with SOL Collective organizing advocacy efforts to promote the dignity, rights, and voices of people who use drugs in Philadelphia. |
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RACHEL FOX, MHS, PA-C
[she/her/hers] Physician Assistant, Project SHE Physician Assistant, Care Clinic, Public Health Management Corporation Rachel Fox is a nationally board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in primary care, HIV, Hepatitis C, and addiction medicine. Rachel received her Bachelor of Science in Biobehavioral Health from The Penn State University and completed her medical training at Drexel University, earning a Masters of Health Science in 2014. She is passionate about advocating and increasing access to care for urban marginalized populations. As a result, she has led several trainings and initiatives on harm reduction, medication assisted treatment (MAT), sexuality, and LGBTQ health. Rachel is a member of the National Health Service Corps and sees patients full time at The Care Clinic, part of Public Health Management Corporation. |
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BROGAN L PIECARA, MPH, CLC
[she/her/hers] Project Manager Brogan Piecara is a former Project Manager in the Department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Brogan is now a physician assistant student at Drexel University in the College of Nursing and Health Professions class of 2021. Brogan has particular interest in women and children’s health equity: her research has involved disparities in women’s health throughout her graduate career and into her professional experience. In her time as Project Manager, she managed several community-based HIV prevention initiatives in Philadelphia. Additionally, Brogan has experience coordinating and managing the evaluation of a SAMHSA-funded youth drug and alcohol prevention initiative in Louisiana. |
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BRENNA AUMAIER AREDAS, MPH, CPH
[she/her/hers] Research Assistant, Project SHE Brenna Aredas earned her MPH in the Department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. Brenna has been involved in various research projects, focusing on harm reduction, vulnerable populations, HIV, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Brenna previously managed a research project investigating attitudes and acceptability of extra genital STI testing and attitudes about PrEP among injection drug users in Camden, New Jersey. The results of this project lead to policy changes surrounding expanded STI testing in New Jersey. |