Doctoral Student Profiles | School of Public Health

Alice Arcury-Quandt

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

Education:

MSPH in epidemiology from Emory University
BA in biology from Oberlin College

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Alice received a BA in Biology from Oberlin College and MSPH in Epidemiology from Emory University. Following her graduation from Emory University, she worked as an epidemiologist for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Currently, Alice is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, under the mentorship of Dr. Marnie Bertolet.

Alice’s research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology, particularly the modeling of vector-and airborne infections. She is particularly interested in the impact of uncertainty and data quality on modeling results and how to minimize that impact.

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Arcury-Quandt AE. Poverty, testing, and COVID-19 case rates in Allegheny County. Paper presented at Dean’s Day, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2022.
Powers T, Arcury-Quandt A, Traynor S, Lay J, Smoak B. Teaching Modern Disease Surveillance and Investigation Skills in Low-Income Nations. Paper presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia, 2015.
Arcury-Quandt A, Harry C. Spatial patterns in foodborne illness in Oklahoma County residents 2001-2010. Paper presented at the 142ndAnnual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2014.
Arcury-Quandt A, Jenks MH, Eberhard M, Moore A, Cantey P, Cama V. Evaluation of IgG4 Immune Responses Against Ov16 and Bm14 in Non-Human Primates Infected with Onchocerca volvulus. Paper presented at the 61stAnnual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Atlanta, Georgia, November, 2012.
Arcury-Quandt AE. Latino golf course workers and their supervisors: experience and knowledge of hazardous materials. Paper presented at the 71stAnnual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology, Seattle, Washington, March, 2011.

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McAdams RJ, Acevedo-Fontanez AI, Arcury-Quandt AE, Heberger JR. Head Injuries Among Children Treated in US Emergency Departments, 2015-2019. Pediatrics. Under review.
Arcury-Quandt AE, Harbertson J, Ziajko L, Hale BR. Risk factors associated with positive depression screening across the shipboard deployment cycle. BJPsych Open(2019). 5(5):e84.
Cama VA, McDonald C, Arcury-Quandt A, Eberhard M, Jenks HM, Smith J, Feleke SM, Thomson L, Wiegand RE, Cantey PT. Evaluation of an OV-16 IgG4 ELISA in humans and dynamics of Ov-16 IgG4antibody responses in a non-human primate model of Onchocerca volvulusinfection. Am J Trop Med Hyg(2018).Oct;99(4):1041-1048.
Quandt SA, Arcury-Quandt AE, Lawlor EJ, Carrillo L, Marin AJ, Grzywacz JG, Arcury TA. 3-D jobs and health disparities: The health implications of Latino chicken catchers’ working conditions. Am J Ind Med (2013). 56:206-215.
Arcury-Quandt AE, Gentry AL, Marín AJ. Hazardous materials on golf courses: experience and knowledge of golf course superintendents and grounds maintenance workers from seven states. Am J Ind Med (2011). 54: 474-485.
Quandt SA, Arcury-Quandt AE, Washington CJ, Mulrooney T, BertoniAG. Community Gardens and Farmers Markets, Forsyth County, North Carolina. Wake Forest University Translational Science Institute Working Paper. Winston-Salem, NC, 2010.
Lally BE, Geiger GA, Kridel S, Arcury-Quandt AE, Robbins ME, Kock ND, Wheeler K, Peddi P, Georgakilas A, Kao GD, Koumenis C. Identification and biological evaluation of a novel andpotent small molecule radiation sensitizer via an unbiased screen of a chemical library. Cancer Research. 2007;67(18):8791-9.

Yuqing Chen

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
women's health epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh
BS in biotechnology from Hainan University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Additional information

Yuqing received a BS in Biotechnology from Hainan University and MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. Yuqing has worked at the Epidemiology Data Center of the University of Pittsburgh as data manager/analyst of Study of Women’s Health across the Nation (SWAN) after graduation. Currently, Yuqing is enrolled in Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Brooks and Dr. Alicia Colvin.

Yuqing’s research interests focus on the effect of psychosocial and lifestyle factors on cardiovascular diseases among midlife women. Yuqing is particularly interested in how depression and other psychiatric diseases as well as social determinants on the development of type II diabetes among women across the menopause.

John Heberger

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
injury prevention epidemiology

Education:

MS in epidemiology and MA in economics from the University of Buffalo
BA in economics from St. John Fisher College

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

John R. Heberger is an Epidemiologist at the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC-NIOSH). His research focuses on occupational injuries, injury severity, and injury burden in the mining industry. John is also using workers’ compensation data to supplement existing mining injury surveillance data and to estimate costs associated with mining injuries. He has master’s degrees in Economics and Epidemiology from the University at Buffalo, SUNY and is a third year Ph.D. student in Epidemiology program at the University of Pittsburgh, advised by Dr. Tom Songer.

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Heberger, J.R., Nasarwanji, M.F., Pollard, J.P., & Kocher, L.M. (2022). Hand and Finger Injuries in the U.S. Mining Industry, 2011-2017. Accepted for presentation at the SME Annual Conference, March 1, Salt Lake City, UT.
Heberger, J.R. (2019) Overview of NIOSH Mining Injury Surveillance. Presented at the CSTE Annual Conference, June 3, Raleigh, NC.

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Heberger, J.R. & Fritz, J. (2019). Fatalities cost in Mining. Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, version 1.0, 2019 Mar: software. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet2093.html
Dempsey, P. G., Pollard, J., Porter, W. L., Mayton, A., Heberger, J. R., Gallagher, S., … & Drury, C. G. (2017). Development of Ergonomics Audits for Bagging, Haul Truck, and Maintenance and Repair Operations in Mining. Ergonomics, 60 (12) pp. 1739-1753.
Gallagher, S. & Heberger, J.R. (2013). Examining the Interaction of Force and Repetition on Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk: A Systematic Literature Review. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 55(1), 108-124.
Heberger, J.R. (2018) Demonstrating the financial impact of mining injuries using workers’ compensation data with the Safety Pays in Mining web application. Presented at the CSTE Annual Conference, June 12, West Palm Beach, FL.

Elora Kalix

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

reproductive, perinatal & pediatric epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh
BS in public health and statistics from West Chester University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Additional information

My advisor is Dr Catherine Haggerty, the Director of the Reproductive, Perinatal & Pediatric Area of Emphasis in the Department of Epidemiology. She is working on a group of The Pittsburgh Study called Healthy Environments and Strong Bodies, which has been my main involvement as her graduate student researcher. I have strong interests in infectious diseases and reproductive health, namely HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, I am interested in pharmacoepidemiology, social determinants of health, and health equity.

I received my bachelor’s degree in 2019, studying public health and statistics. I began my graduate education immediately following, receiving my Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology in 2021. Here, I completed my master’s practicum and essay on COVID-19 racial and ethnic disparities in the United States, as well as the variation of how race and ethnicity data for cases and deaths were being reported at the state level. I have continued into the doctoral program in Epidemiology, where I will soon begin dissertation research, which is to be determined. As of now, I would like to pursue a career in public health as an epidemiologist at the federal level.

Jessica Kerr

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

Education:

MPH in infectious diseases and microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh
BA in anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Jessica received all her education at the University of Pittsburgh, from her BA in Anthropology with a focus on medical anthropology to her MPH and now her work in her PhD. She is a part-time PhD student while she works full-time as the project coordinator for the MIDAS Network, a global network of infectious disease modelers, under the advisement of Dr. Wendy King. Her main research interests are vaccine hesitancy, vaccine equity, and developing infectious disease forecasts that incorporate these factors into them. Jess can be found on Zoom with her “zoo” at home, taking care of her office plants, kayaking, or, when there is not a pandemic, traveling.

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Kerr J, Shadbolt S, Espino J, Levander J, Stazer J, Contamin L, Cross A, Arcury-Quandt A, Pokutnaya D, Hoccheiser H. The Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) Coordinating Center: 2021 Update. Presented at Epidemics 8, November 2021.
Kerr J, Stazer J, Levander J, Van Panhuis W. MIDAS COVID-19 Parameter Database Summary. Presented at the MIDAS Network Annual Meeting, May 2021.

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Rebecca K Borchering, Cécile Viboud, Emily Howerton, Claire P Smith, Shaun Truelove, Michael C Runge, Nicholas G Reich, Lucie Contamin, John Levander, Jessica Kerr. Katriona Shea, Justin Lessler. Modeling of Future COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, by Vaccination Rates and Nonpharmaceutical Intervention Scenarios – United States, April-September 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 May 14. Doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7019e3.
Kerr JE, Weiss LS, Salcido DD. Simulation of the Effects of Co-Locating Naloxone with Automated External Defibrillators. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2018 Mar 1:1-6. Doi: 10.1080/10903127.2018.1439128.

JiWon Lee

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
aging epidemiology

prevention, lifestyle & physical activity epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from Columbia University
MS in nutritional science focused on clinical nutrition from the University of Michigan
BS in food and nutrition from Yonsei University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

JiWon received a B.S. in the department of Food & Nutrition at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, an M.S. in Nutritional Science, focused on Clinical Nutrition from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and an M.P.H in Epidemiology from the Columbia University. Currently, JiWon is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Jane Cauley.

JiWon’s current research interests are targeted for elderly population, in order to intervene their health issues and to improve their quality of life. More specifically, JiWon is focused on the impact of macronutrients and physical activity on muscle quality and quantity, fall and fracture prevention, and disability across race/ethnic groups.

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JiWon R. Lee, Hsin-Chieh Yeh Soohun Cho: Diabetes and Prediabetes in a Cohort of Korean Employees American Diabetes Association 75th Scientific Sessions, June 5-9, 2015 Boston, MA

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JiWon R. Lee, Nisa M. Maruthur, Hsin-Chieh Yeh: Nativity and Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Diseases among U.S. Asian Immigrants J Diabetes Complications 2020;34:Article 107679

Mengyi Li

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
cardiovascular & diabetes epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from Emory University
BS in nutrition science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Mengyi graduated with a B.S. degree in nutrition science from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. Mengyi worked as chronic disease epidemiologist at Kansas Department of Health and Environment for three years. Currently, Mengyi is a pre-doctoral candidate in epidemiology advised by Dr. Akira Sekikawa at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mengyi’s research interests center around the etiology of cardiovascular diseases and aging. Currently, Mengyi is interested in how modifiable factors (diet, etc.) could affect cardiovascular function and chronic disease progression. Mengyi is also looking forward to exploring clinical trials and pharmacoepidemiology.

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Mengyi Li. Association between Diabetes and Tooth Loss, 2018 Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Presented at Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference, June 13-17, 2021.
Mengyi Li, Lainey Faulkner. Encouraging Health and Wellness Outside Clinic Walls: Supporting Patients with Arthritis After Physical Therapy Through Evidence-Based Community Programs. Presented at Kansas Physical Therapist Association, March 6, 2020.

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Mengyi Li. Diabetes Mortality in Kansas, 2017. Kansas Health Statistics Report. Nov 2019; 82.

Ziling Mao

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
obesity & nutritional epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from Emory University
Bachelor's in administration of public health services from Capital Medical University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Ziling Mao is a first year Ph.D. student in Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, advised by Dr. Samaneh Farsijani. Her research interests are nutritional epidemiology, gut microbiome and omics data analysis, nutritional strategies (e.g., meal timing and patterns of food intake) and cardiometabolic health, and dietary approaches to promote healthy aging. Ziling got her master’s degree in Epidemiology from the Emory University at Atlanta, GA. Her career goal is to become an epidemiologist/research scientist in industries or research institutes.

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Mao Z, Prizment AE, Lazovich D, Gibbs DC, Bostick RM. Lifestyle and dietary oxidative balance scores and risk for incident colorectal cancer among older women: the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Proc AACR 2020; 61:Abstract #3212.
Mao Z, Prizment A, Lazovich D, Bostick RM. Associations of dietary and lifestyle oxidative balance scores with all-cancer, all-CVD, and all-cause mortality risk among older women; the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Proc AACR 2021; 62:Abstract #846.

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Mao Z, Aglago E, Zhao Z, Schalkwijk C, Jiao L, Freisling H, et al. (2021) Dietary intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and mortality among individuals with colorectal cancer. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124435
Mao Z, Bostick RM. (2021). Associations of Dietary, Lifestyle, Other Participant Characteristics, and Oxidative Balance Scores with Plasma F2-isoprostanes Concentrations in a Pooled Cross-Sectional Study. Eur J Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02754-2
Mao Z, Prizment AE, Lazovich Bostick RM (2021). Associations of dietary and lifestyle oxidative balance scores with mortality risk among older women: the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Eur J Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021- 02557-5
Mao Z, Prizment AE, Lazovich D, Gibbs DC, Bostick RM (2020). Dietary and Lifestyle Oxidative Balance Scores and Incident Colorectal Cancer Risk Among Older Women; the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Nutr Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2020.1821904
Zhao J, Mao Z, Fedewa SA, Nogueira L, Yabroff KR, Jemal A, and Han X (2020). The Affordable Care Act and access to care across the cancer control continuum: A review at 10 years. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21604

Rebecca McAdams

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
women's health epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology and health behavior/health promotion from The Ohio State University
MA in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University
BS in biological sciences and psychology from Carnegie Mellon University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Rebecca received a BS in Biological Sciences and Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MA in Higher Education and an MPH in Epidemiology as well as Health Behavior/Health Promotion from The Ohio State University. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh. Although she has worked in the pediatric injury prevention field for the past 6 years as a Senior Research Associate at Nationwide Children's Hospital, her passion and research interests are in maternal health. Specifically, she is interested in mitigating maternal morbidity and mortality as well as understanding postpartum maternal and paternal mood disorders. She is advised by Dr. Lisa Bodnar. She has two children, Emory and Maeve, and enjoys spending time with her family, rock climbing, and playing piano.

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McAdams R. J., Roberts K. J., Klein E. G., Manganello J., McKenzie, L. B. Using content analysis and eyetracking to understand injury prevention content dissemination on social media. Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research Meeting. Cincinnati, OH. Poster Presentation. April 2021
McAdams R. J., Roberts K. J., Klein E. G., Manganello J., McKenzie, L. B. Moms on social media: A nationally representative online survey. Poster accepted for presentation at AAHB 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting, “Transforming the narrative to meet emerging health behavior challenges” (March 8-11, 2020) in Napa, CA.

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McAdams, R. J., Roberts, K. J., Klein, E. G., Manganello, J. A., & McKenzie, L. B. (2021). Using social media to disseminate injury prevention content: Is a picture worth a thousand words? Health Behavior Research, 4(2), 3. https://doi.org/10.4148/2572-1836.109
McKenzie, L. B., Roberts, K. J., McAdams, R. J., Abdel-Rasoul, M., Kristel, O., Szymanski, A., Keim, S. A., & Shields, W. C. (2021). Efficacy of a mobile technology-based intervention for increasing parents’ safety knowledge and actions: A randomized controlled trial. Injury Epidemiology, 8(56), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-021-00350-w
McAdams, R. J., Swidarski, K., Clark, R. M., Roberts, K. J., Yang, J., & McKenzie, L. B. (2018). Bicycle related injuries among children treated in US emergency departments, 2006-2015. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 118, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.05.019

Mitra Mosslemi

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
environmental epidemiology

Education:

MS in epidemiology from the University of California
MS in system biology, University of Gothenburg (Sweden)

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Mitra’s research interest is in personalized medicine, a medical model that uses genomic, physiological, and environmental factors associated with a disease to separate people into different groups who respond differently to specific prevention or therapies. She is particularly interested in identifying biomarkers for early detection and therapies for prevention of complications in patients with chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Mitra earned an MS in System Biology from Gothenburg University (Sweden) and an MS in Epidemiology from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). After graduating from UCI, she worked as a researcher with the Heart Disease Prevention Program and the Harold Simmons Kidney Research Center at UCI, Department of Medicine. Currently, Mitra is a PhD student in epidemiology, working under the supervision of Dr. Tina Costacou.

Select presentations

Mosslemi M, Hanna RM, Rhee CM, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Streja E. Comparison of chronic kidney disease risk factors between normoalbuminuric and albuminuric patients with diagnosed diabetes and reduced kidney function. [Poster Presentation] American Diabetes Association 80th Scientific Sessions. Online, June 12-16, 2020.
Mosslemi M, Wong ND. “Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Detects Diabetes at Early Stages.” [Poster Presentation] American Heart Association EPI|LIFESTYLE 2020 Scientific Sessions. Phoenix, AZ, USA; March 3-6, 2020.
Mosslemi M, Park HL, McLaren CE, Wong ND. “Treatment-based approach for Diabetes Type Identification in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” [Poster Presentation] Society for Epidemiologic Research 52nd Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN, USA; June 18-21, 2019.
Mosslemi M, Park HL, McLaren CE, Wong ND. “Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in United States adults.” [Poster Presentation] American Diabetes Association 79th Scientific Sessions. San Francisco, CA, USA; June 7-11, 2019.

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Mosslemi M, Wong ND. Importance of applying treatment data to ascertain type 1 diabetes cases in health registries. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care 2021; 9 (1), e002280. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002280
Mosslemi M, Park HL., McLaren CE., Wong ND. Treatment-based Algorithm for Identification of Diabetes Type in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cardiovascular Endocrinology & Metabolism 2020;9(1):9–16. doi: 10.1097/XCE.0000000000000189
Nørgaard CH, Mosslemi M, Lee CJ, Torp-Pedersen C, Wong ND. The Importance and Role of Multiple Risk Factor Control in Type 2 Diabetes. Current Cardiology Reports 2019; 21: 35. doi.org/10.1007/s11886-019-1123-y
Hubaux R, Thu KL, Vucic E, Pikor L, Kung S, Martinez V, Mosslemi M, Becker-Santos D, Gazdar AF, Lam S, Lam WL. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 is associated with DNA damage response and cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer. International Journal of Cancer 2015;137(9):2072–82. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29577

Natalie Price

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
environmental epidemiology

Education:

MSPH in epidemiology of microbial diseases from Yale School of Public Health
BA in economics from Oberlin College

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Natalie is a first year doctoral student in the department of epidemiology. She has 8 years of experience working in public health program evaluation, and health information system development and management. After living and working in countries around the world, her focus has shifted to communities much closer to home.

She works with Drs. Evelyn Talbott and Jeanine Buchanich on a study examining the effects of environmental exposures on birth outcomes, childhood cancer, asthma in southwestern Pennsylvania. Her research interests include the effects of air pollution and other environmental exposures on birth outcomes, neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, she is interested in occupational health, environmental justice, and community-driven research.

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Wroe, E. B., Kalanga, N., Dunbar, E. L., Nazimera, L., Price, N. F., Shah, A., … & Talama, G. C. (2020). Expanding access to non-communicable disease care in rural Malawi: outcomes from a retrospective cohort in an integrated NCD–HIV model. BMJ open, 10(10), e036836.
Joharifard, S., Price, N., Ipanaqué, J. G. Y., Clarke, R. H., Nyemah, E., Wallace, A. F., … & Mentoe, S. J. (2020). The Impact of Implementing a Comprehensive Surgical Program on the Surgical Cohort at a Remote Referral Hospital in Southeastern Liberia. World Journal of Surgery, 44(3), 680- 688.
Farahani, M., Price, N., El-Halabi, S., Mlaudzi, N., Keapoletswe, K., Lebelonyane, R., … & Gabaake, K. (2016). Impact of health system inputs on health outcome: a multilevel longitudinal analysis of Botswana National Antiretroviral Program (2002-2013). PloS one, 11(8), e0160206.
Farahani, M., Price, N., El-Halabi, S., Mlaudzi, N., Keapoletswe, K., Lebelonyane, R., … & Gabaake, K. (2016). Variation in attrition at subnational level: review of the Botswana National HIV/AIDS Treatment (Masa) programme data (2002–2013). Tropical Medicine & International Health, 21(1), 18-27.
Farahani, M., Price, N., El-Halabi, S., Mlaudzi, N., Keapoletswe, K., Lebelonyane, R., … & Gabaake, K. (2016). Trends and determinants of survival for over 200 000 patients on antiretroviral treatment in the Botswana National Program: 2002–2013. AIDS (London, England), 30(3), 477.
Kane, M. J., Price, N., Scotch, M., & Rabinowitz, P. (2014). Comparison of ARIMA and Random Forest time series models for prediction of avian influenza H5N1 outbreaks. BMC bioinformatics, 15(1), 276.

Laura Alejandra Ramirez Tirado

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

Education:

MD as medical surgeon from the National Autonomous University of Mexico
MS in epidemiology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Alejandra received a MD as Medical Surgeon from the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM). She also graduated with honors from the Master of Sciences in Epidemiology in the same university. Before completing her master’s degree, she participated in a 6-month research internship with the University of Oxford in the Nuffield Department of Population Health under the mentorship of Prof. Jonathan Emberson and Louisa Gnatiuc collaborating in the Mexico City Prospective Study.

While pursuing his master’s degree and until December 2019 she worked as a researcher in the Functional Unit of Thoracic Oncology of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan) of Mexico. Since 2016 she became professor at the Faculty of Medicine of UNAM and since 2017 member of the National System of Researchers of Mexico (CONACyT). During the pandemic, Alejandra, cooperated with the Regional Office of the Pan American Health Organization in collaboration with the General Directorate of Epidemiology in Mexico as Epidemiological Advisor.

Alejandra is member of the Mexican Society of Public Health as well as from the Society of Health Economics and Outcomes Research. She is also member of the Editorial Board from the Mediastinum.

Currently, Alejandra is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Emma Barinas-Mitchell.

Alejandra´s research interests focus on in molecular epidemiology of chronic diseases (e.g., oncological, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases).

Select presentations

18th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC, 2017), International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Yokohama, Japan. Oct 15-18, 2017. Papers presented (MA.08-10, P1.01-019, P2.01-070, P3.14-012). Available at: WCLC 2017- (Yokohama, Japan)
20th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC, 2018), International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Montreal, Canada. Sep 24-29, 2018. Available at: (WCLC 2018-Montreal,Canada)
World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC, 2019), International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Barcelona Spain. Sep 7-10, 2019. Available at: (WCLC 2019-Barcelona, Spain)

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Arrieta O, Barrón F, Ramírez-Tirado LA, Zatarain-Barrón ZL, Cardona AF, DíazGarcía D et al. Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab Plus Docetaxel vs Docetaxel Alone in Patients with Previously Treated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The PROLUNG Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2020 Apr 9. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.0409.
Arrieta O, Barrón F, Salinas Padilla MA, Avilés-Salas A, Ramírez-Tirado LA, et al. Effect of Metformin Plus Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Compared with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Alone in Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. Published online September 5, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.2553.
Ramírez-Tirado LA, Uribe-Ortiz CE, Arrieta O, Tirado-Gómez LL. Lung cancer mortality and municipal marginalization in Mexico, 1998-2016. Salud Publica Mex. 2019 May-Jun;61(3):249-256. doi: 10.21149/10083.
Ramírez- Tirado LA, Tirado-Gómez LL, López-Cervantes M. Inequality in primary care interventions in maternal and child health care in Mexico. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2014 Apr;35(4):235-41. Spanish.

Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

Education:

MSPH in epidemiology from Emory University
BA in biology from Oberlin College

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Select publications

Mustapha, M. M., Srinivasa, V. R.^*, Griffith, M. P., Cho, S.-T., Evans, D. R., Waggle, K., Ezeonwuka, C., Snyder, D. J., Marsh, J. W., Harrison, L. H., Cooper, V. S., & Van Tyne, D. (2021). Genomic diversity of hospital-acquired infections revealed through prospective whole genome sequencing-based surveillance. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.27.466213
Chen, Y., Lin, H., Cole, M., Morris, A., Martinson, J., Mckay, H., Mimiaga, M., Margolick, J., Fitch, A., Methe, B., Srinivas, V., Peddada, S., & Rinaldo, C. (2021). Signature changes in gut microbiome are associated with increased susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in MSM. Microbiome, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-021-01168-w
Sundermann, A. J., Chen, J., Kumar, P., Ayres, A. M., Cho, S.-T., Ezeonwuka, C., Griffith, M. P., Miller, J. K., Mustapha, M. M., Pasculle, A. W., Saul, M. I., Shutt, K. A., Srinivasa, V., Waggle, K., Snyder, D. J., Cooper, V. S., Van Tyne, D., Snyder, G. M., Marsh, J. W., … Harrison, L. H. (2021). Whole-genome sequencing surveillance and machine learning of the electronic health record for Enhanced Healthcare Outbreak Detection. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab946
Sundermann AJ, Chen J, Miller JK, Saul MI, Shutt KA, Griffith MP, Mustapha MM, Ezeonwuka C, Waggle K, Srinivasa V, Kumar P, Pasculle AW, Ayres AM, Snyder GM, Cooper VS, Van Tyne D, Marsh JW, Dubrawski AW, Harrison LH. Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections from a Contaminated Gastroscope Detected by Whole Genome Sequencing Surveillance. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Dec 25:ciaa1887. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1887. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33367518.
Srinivasa, V. R., Hariri, R., Frank, L. R., Kingsley, L., Magee, E., Pokrywka, M., & Yassin, M. H. (2019). Hospital-associated Clostridium difficile infection and reservoirs within the hospital environment. American Journal of Infection Control,47(7), 780-785. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2018.12.013
K Rath, A B Singh, S Chandan and R S Vatsala. (2016): “Isolation and Characterization of a Biosurfactant Producing Strain pseudomonas aeruginosa SMVIT 1 from Oil Contaminated Soil”, Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, Vol. 75, pp. 681-686.

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“Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) Spread within the Hospital Environment” Presented at University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health as part of Dean’s Day competition. Presented at Dept. of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh as part of research day
“Increasing Hepatitis C Screening Among Injection Drug Users in Allegheny County” Presented at Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), Pittsburgh
“Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the neonata intensive care unit: an infection prevention and patient safety challenge” Presented at University of Pittsburgh

Journal Club Presentations:

“Diverse Sources of C. difficile Infection Identified on Whole-Genome Sequencing” (NEJM), UPMC Mercy
“Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the neonatal intensive care unit: an infection prevention and patient safety challenge” (CMI), University of Pittsburgh
Reviewer: Article: “Vaccination against HPV in adolescent girls: Mother’s knowledge, attitude, desire and Practice in Nigeria”, University of Pittsburgh
“Reducing opioid overdose in adults age 25-55 in Western Pennsylvania” Presented at University of Pittsburgh
“Screening and isolation of secondary metabolites from algae” Presented at Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
“Effects of Oil Spill on Marine Ecosystem” Presented at Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India
Sanyal, A., Rangachar, V. S. and Gupta, P. (2019). TZA, a Sensitive Reporter Cell-based Assay to Accurately and Rapidly Quantify Inducible, Replication-competent Latent HIV-1 from Resting CD4+ T Cells. Bio-protocol 9(10): e3232. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3232.

Daniel Seresin

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
Infectious disease epidemiology

Education:

MPH in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh
BA in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley

Selected presentations and publications: Daniel Seresin is a PhD student with interests in infectious disease public health practice. He is primarily interested in evaluating the effectiveness of surveillance methods for Hepatitis C and utilization of clinical treatments for Hepatitis C. He has worked alongside members of the Allegheny County Health Department including Dr. Kristen Mertz and Dr. LuAnn Brink on multiple infectious disease projects involving Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and STIs. His departmental academic advisor is Dr. Thomas Songer. He also works as a departmental teaching assistant for the Department of Epidemiology. His goal is to work for a public health government agency.

Ziyuan Wang

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
cardiovascular & diabetes epidemiology

Education:

MS in biostatistics from the University of Washington
BS in medical microbiology & bacteriology from the University of Minnesota

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Ziyuan is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Ziyuan completed her bachelor’s degree in Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology at the University of Minnesota and her master’s degree in Biostatistics at the University of Washington. She also had one year of experience working as a research intern for Dr. Clara Dominguez-Isla at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center during her master’s study, focusing on the case- cohort study design and the unmeasured confounding effect in HIV trial data. Currently, Ziyuan works as a GSR for Dr. Samar El Khoudary and receives academic advisements from Dr. Samar El Khoudary. She is interested in cardiovascular epidemiology, focusing on understanding the possible association between inflammation markers and heart measurements in midlife women. Ziyuan has knowledge in molecular and biological disciplines and solid quantitative skills to bring unique perspectives to the department.

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Presenter at UofM Undergraduate Research Symposium and CBS Undergraduate Research Symposium for sequencing analysis
Presenter at iGEM Competition in Boston, MA for genetically engineered E. coli research

Kailyn Witonsky

MD/PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:

aging epidemiology
population neuroscience

Education:

BA in English Literature from Swarthmore College

Selected presentations and publications

Kailyn received a BA in English Literature and Neuroscience from Swarthmore College. Currently, Kailyn is enrolled in the MD/PhD – Epidemiology program at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Catarina Rosano.

Kailyn has a passion for complex questions specifically regarding the neurobiological factors in resilient aging, questions that require multidisciplinary – epidemiological, clinical, neurological, computational – perspectives. Specifically, in graduate school, Kailyn aims to investigate p between digital platforms and neurological aging among older adults.

Select publications

Lateef, T., Witonsky, K., He, J. and Ries Merikangas, K., 2019. Headaches and sleep problems in US adolescents: Findings from the National Comorbidity Survey–Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Cephalalgia, 39(10), pp.1226-1235.
Rubio, F.J., Quintana‐Feliciano, R., Warren, B.L., Li, X., Witonsky, K.F., Valle, F.S.D., Selvam, P.V., Caprioli, D., Venniro, M., Bossert, J.M. and Shaham, Y., 2019. Prelimbic cortex is a common brain area activated during cue‐induced reinstatement of cocaine and heroin seeking in a polydrug self‐administration rat model. European Journal of Neuroscience, 49(2), pp.165-178.
Hamedani, A.G., FR Witonsky, K., Cosico, M., Rennie, R., Xiao, R., Sheldon, C.A., Paley, G.L., McCormack, S.E., Liu, G.W., Friedman, D.I. and Liu, G.T., 2018. Headache Characteristics in Children With Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome, Elevated Opening Pressure Without Papilledema, and Normal Opening Pressure: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.
Li, X., Witonsky, K., Lofaro, O.M., Surjono, F., Zhang, J., Bossert, J.M. and Shaham, Y., 2018. Role of anterior intralaminar nuclei of thalamus projections to dorsomedial striatum in incubation of methamphetamine craving. Journal of Neuroscience, pp.2873-17.
Li, X., Carreria, M.B., Witonsky, K.F., Zeric, T., Lofaro, O.M., Bossert, J.M., Zhang, J., Surjono, F., Richie, C.T., Harvey, B.K. and Son, H., 2017. Role of dorsal striatal histone deacetylase 5 in incubation of methamphetamine craving. Biological Psychiatry.
Baugh, A.T., Witonsky, K.R., Davidson, S.C., Hyder, L., Hau, M. and van Oers, K., 2017. Novelty induces behavioural and glucocorticoid responses in a songbird artificially selected for divergent personalities. Animal Behaviour, 130, pp.221-231

Shanshan Yao

PhD student

Research area(s) of emphasis:
aging epidemiology

Education:

MS in epidemiology and biostatistics from Peking University
BS in mathematics from Peking University
MBBS in medical science from Peking University

Email | Curriculum Vitae

Selected presentations and publications

Shanshan Yao received a MBBS in Medical Science, a BS in Mathematics, and an M.Sc. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Peking University, China. Currently, she is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. She is enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Aging Epidemiology the under the mentorship of Dr. Anne B Newman. Her research interests focus on the phenotype of healthy aging and the metabolic mechanism of aging. Her career goal is to become an epidemiologist in Aging.

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The Lancet and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) – Oct 2018
Frailty-China Conference 2019 – Oct 2019
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), 71st Annual Scientific Meeting – Nov 2019

Select publications

Yao SS, Meng X, Cao GY, et al. Associations between Multimorbidity and Physical Performance in Older Chinese Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(12):4546. Published 2020 Jun 24. doi:10.3390/ijerph17124546
Yao SS, Cao GY, Han L, et al. Associations Between Somatic Multimorbidity Patterns and Depression in a Longitudinal Cohort of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2020;21(9):1282-1287.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2019.11.028
Yao SS, Cao GY, Han L, et al. Prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in a nationally representative sample of older Chinese: results from CHARLS. The journals of gerontology Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2019.
Wang XW, Yao SS, Wang MY, et al. Multimorbidity among Two Million Adults in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(10):3395. Published 2020 May 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph17103395
Cao GY, Yao SS, Wang K, et al. Vision impairment, vision correction, and cognitive decline among middle-aged and older Chinese: results from the China health and retirement longitudinal study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 16]. Aging and Mental Health. 2020;1-8. doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1828271
Zhang Q, Cao GY, Yao SS, et al. Self-reported vision impairment, vision correction, and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese: Findings from the China health and retirement longitudinal study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 11]. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2020;10.1002/gps.5398. doi:10.1002/gps.5398