Featured Graduates

2019 Graduate

Prior Education: MD, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Research Interests: Understanding the role of social-cultural factors (religiosity, spirituality, cultural beliefs) on cardiovascular health outcomes; improving healthcare access; addressing health disparities and immigrant health challenges

Mentors: Catarina Kiefe PhD MD and Robert Goldberg PhD

Dissertation: Religiosity and Patient Activation and Health Outcomes among Hospital Survivors of an Acute Coronary Syndrome

Post Graduation: Dr. Abu is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School

2019 Graduate

Prior Education: PharmD and MS from the University of Rhode Island

Research Interests:  Pharmacoepidemiology, health services research, health policy, pharmacoeconomics

Mentor: Kate Lapane

Dissertation: Anticoagulant Use, Safety, and Effectiveness for Ischemic Stroke Prevention in Nursing Home Residents with Atrial Fibrillation

Post Graduation: Dr. Alcusky is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School.

2016 Graduate

Prior Education: BA, Biological Psychology, College of the Holy Cross; MPH, Boston University School of Public Health

Research Interests: Patient-facing technologies, implementation science, and disease management

Mentor: David Harlan, MD

Dissertation: Evaluating Acceptability, Feasibility and Efficacy of a Diabetes Care Support Program Facilitated by Cellular-Enabled Glucose Meters

Post Graduation: Dr. Amante is Program Director in the Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School

2019 Graduate

Prior Education: BA, Anthropology, Princeton University; MPH Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Research Interests: Racial and gender chronic disease disparities; identity-based stress and health; social justice and health

Mentor: Sharina Person, PhD and Catarina Kiefe, MD, PhD

Dissertation: Gendered Race, Interpersonal Discrimination, and Cardiovascular Disease Disparities: Application of the Emerging Identity Pathology Model

Post Graduation: Dr. Bey is now a postdoctoral fellow on an NHLBI CVD Epidemiology training grant in the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel 

2021 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Universidad Ana G. Mendez Cupey Campus, Puerto Rico; MS in Epidemiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus

Research Interests: Investigating individual, socio-cultural, and health services factors that might influence the burden of cancer, with a particular interest in cancer prevention and control among Hispanic populations in the United States.

Mentors: Mara Epstein, ScD

Dissertation: The Role of a Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance Diagnosis in Healthcare Utilization

Post Graduation: Dr. Castaneda-Avila is a Post-Doctoral Associate in the Department of Population and Qualitative Health Science, University of Massachusetts Medical School 

2015 Graduate

Prior Education: BA in Economics, National Taiwan University, MS in Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, MS in Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Interests: Cardiovascular disease epidemiology

Mentor: Robert Goldberg, PhD

Dissertation: Hospital Treatment Practices, 30-Day Hospital Readmissions, and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients Hospitalized with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Dissertation

Post Graduation: Dr. Chen is an Assistant Professor (Research) at UTHealth.

2011 Graduate

Prior Education: MD, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; MS, Johns Hopkins University

Research Interests: Study design and patient safety

Mentor: Becky Briesacher, PhD

Dissertation: Comparative Effectiveness of Alendronate and Risedronate on the Risk of Non-Vertebral Fractures in Older Women: An Instrumental Variables Approach

Post Graduation: Dr. Chen is an Epidemiologist and Senior Scientist at Merck Corporation

2012 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Biology, Hampton University; MPH, New York Medical College

Research Interests: Health disparities and international health

Mentor: Jeroan Allison, MD, MScEpi

Dissertation: "Exploring the Psychosocial and Behavioral Determinants of Medication Adherence Among African Americans with Hypertension"

Post Graduation:Dr. Cuffee is an Assistant Professor at Penn State College of Medicine

2015 Graduate

Prior Education: BA in Sociology and Psychology, Trinity College and an MSW in Casework and Groupwork, Boston University School of Social Work

Research Interests: The identification of unique modifiable risk factors for obesity in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the development of targeted and tailored interventions to address their needs.

Mentor: Eric Mick ScD

Dissertation: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Screen Time, Physical Activity, and Diet Quality

Post Graduation: Associate Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School. Within the Shriver Center, Dr. Curtin is the Director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) programs, and a Co-Director of the Healthy Weight Research Network (HWRN).

Dr. Curtin is currently an Associate Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health and Psychiatry and is a faculty member in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Medical School. She is also a Lecturer in Pediatrics at the Tufts University School of Medicine and a faculty member at the Moakley Center for Public Administration at Suffolk University.

2008 Graduate

Prior Education: MD, Anhui Medical University of China; MPH, Shanghai Medical University

Research Interests: Quantitative risk analysis and risk reduction interventions, clinical drug trials

Mentor: Terry Field, PhD

Dissertation: Bone Health and Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer Treated with Tamoxifen

Post Graduation: Dr. Ding holds joint appointments as a Commissioner's Fellow at the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and an epidemiologist at National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Division of Food Processing Science and Technology

Prior Education: BA in Chemistry with High Honors - Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA); MD – University of Massachusetts Medical School (Worcester, MA)

Research Interests: Cardiovascular disease epidemiology, clinical outcomes research, health disparities

Mentor: Catarina Kiefe PhD MD, Robert Goldberg PhD

Dissertation: Barriers to Healthcare Access and Patient Outcomes after a Hospitalization for an Acute Coronary Syndrome and other Acute Conditions

Post Graduation: Dr. Erskine continues his clinical training as a resident physician in the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.

2014 Graduate

Prior Education: BA in Economics, Swarthmore College; MS in Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health

Research Interests: patient-reported outcomes measurement

Mentor: John Ware, PhD
Dissertation: "Psychometric Evaluation of Joint-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Before and After Total Knee Replacement"
Post Graduation: Dr. Gandek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Director of Research at John Ware Research Group

2011 Graduate

Prior Education: AS in Culinary Arts & BS in Clinical Nutrition, Johnson and Wales; MS in Nutrition and Public Health & Med in Community Nutrition, Columbia University

Thesis Advisor: Lori Pbert, PhD

Dissertation: The Effect of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load on Glucose Control, Lipid Profiles and Anthropometrics among Low-Income Latinos with Type 2 Diabetes

Post Graduation: Dr. Gellar is a tenure-track assistant professor position in Public Health Nutrition at the University of Tennessee

2014 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Health Sciences, Northeastern University; MPH, University of Connecticut

Research Interests: epidemiological methods and cognition in aging

Mentor: Jane Saczynski, PhD
Dissertation: "Cognitive Status and Initiation of Lifestyle Changes Following Acute Coronary Syndrome"
Post Graduation: Dr. Hajduk is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Training Program in Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology & Aging-Related Research at the Yale University School of Medicine

2019 Graduate

Prior Education: BA, Cultural Anthropology, Mount Holyoke College; MS, Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Research Interests: Perinatal mental health; care coordination; mechanisms of effective care pathways for perinatal depression; qualitative and quantitative mixed methodology

Mentor: Kristin Mattocks, PhD, MPH

Dissertation: Understanding the Experience and Evaluating the Occurrence of Depression in a Sample of Pregnant Veterans

Post Graduation: Dr. Kroll-Desrosiers has accepted a position as a Research Health Scientist with the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System

2014 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Technical Communications (Biomedical Sciences Concentration), Northeastern University; MPH, UMass Amherst

Research Interests: health services and outcomes research

Mentor: Arlene Ash, PhD
Dissertation: "Outpatient Emergency Department Utilization: Measurement and Prediction"
Post Graduation: Dr. Lines is a Health Services Researcher, RTI International and Instructor, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMMS

2017 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Physical Therapy, National Yang Ming University, MPH in Health Policy Management, Emory University

Research Interests: Musculoskeletal epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, and epidemiologic methods

Mentor: Kate Lapane, PhD

Dissertation: Impact of Intra-Articular Injection Use on Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Post Graduation: Dr. Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Prior Education: BS, Molecular Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras campus; MHSN, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences campus

Research Interests: nutrition, stress and Latino health disparities

Mentor: Milagros Rosal, PhD

Dissertation: Physiological and psychological stressors associated with glucose metabolism in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study

Post Graduation: Dr. Lopez-Cepero is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Nutrition Department at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2011 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Special Education, Boston University; MPH, University of New Hampshire

Research Interests: Patient safety improvement and medical error prevention

Mentor: Roger Luckmann, MD, MPH

Dissertation: Early Detection and Treatment of Acute Clinical Decline in Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Study of ICU Transfers and an Assessment of the Effectiveness of a Rapid Response Program

Post Graduation: Dr. Lord holds joint appointments as a Patient Safety Consultant at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and a Patient Engagement Consultant at the Foundation for Healthy Communities New Hampshire

2021 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University

Research Interests: Mental health services research, including increasing access to care for those with mood and psychotic disorders

Mentor: Nancy Byatt, DO, MS, MBA

Dissertation: Bipolar Disorder in the Perinatal Period: Understanding Gaps in Care to Improve Access and Patient Outcomes

Post Graduation: Grace will resume her medical training as part of the UMMS MD-PhD program

2015 Graduate

Prior Education: AB in Community Health, Brown University and MPH in Sociomedical Sciences - Aging and Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Research Interests: long-term care, cancer-related symptom management among older adults, person-centered care, pharmacoepidemiology

Mentor: Kate Lapane, PhD

Dissertation: Use of Opioids for Pain Management in Nursing Homes

Post Graduation: Dr. Pimentel is a postdoctoral fellow in the Prevention and Control of Cancer: Training in Implementation Science (PRACCTIS) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is based at the Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR) at the Bedford VA Medical Center.

2012 Graduate

Prior Education: BA Colgate University, MPH (International Health) Boston University School of Public Health

Research Interests: Improving healthcare, policy

Dissertation: A Population-Based Epidemiological Description of Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Predictors of Severity Among Hospitalized H1N1 Cases in Massachusetts

Post Graduation: Dr. Placzek is a Senior Analyst in health outcomes for WellPoint, Blue Cross Blue Shield Division of Clinical Research

2014 Graduate

Prior Education: BS (Magna Cum Laude) in Biology, Rider University; MPH, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) School of Public Health

Research Interests: mental health in the context of chronic physical disease

Mentor: George Reed, PhD
Dissertation: "Depression in Rheumatoid Arthritis and an Estimation of the Bi-Directional Association of Depression and Disease Burden"
Post Graduation: Dr. Rathbun is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Epidemiology of Aging Training Program at the University of Maryland School Medicine

Prior Education: BA, Biology with specialization in Neurobiology

Research Interests: Global health; health disparities research; mobile technology; healthcare access and delivery; Public policy analysis; Maternal and child health; Noncommunicable diseases

Mentor: Jeroan Allison, MD, MScEpi

Dissertation: Trends, Predictors, and Consequences of child undernutrition in India

Post Graduation: Apurv will resume his medical training as part of the UMMS MD-PhD program

2015 graduate

Prior Education: BA in Psychology, University of Maryland College Park; MPH in Epidemiology, University of Maryland College Park

Research Interests: Psychiatric epidemiology

Mentor: Kate Lapane, PhD

Dissertation: Latent Variable Approaches for Understanding Heterogeneity in Depression: A Dissertation

Post Graduation: Dr. Ulbricht is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

2013 Graduate

Prior Education: BS in International Studies with a concentration in Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Research Interests: addiction, health disparities, policy driven research, advocacy, and the dissemination of relevant translational research abroad

Mentor: Joseph DiFranza, MD
Dissertation: "Developing Three New Pathophysiologically Based Measures of Nicotine Dependence: A Dissertation"
Post Graduation: Dr. Ursprung is a Deputy Director in the Office of Statistics and Evaluation at the Bureau of Community Health and Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA

2015 Graduate

Prior Education: BA in Zoology, Miami University, and an MPH in Epidemiology, Boston University

Research Interests: Reproductive and perinatal epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, treatment of chronic illnesses during pregnancy, neurodevelopmental disorders of children, and causal inference and epidemiologic methods

Mentor: Jean Frazier, MD
Dissertation: Causal Inference Methods for Assessing Neurodevelopment in Children Following Prenatal Exposure to Triptan Medications
Post Graduation: Dr. Wood has completed her post-doctoral fellowship with the University of Oslo and now is doing a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.

2015 Graduate
Prior Education: Degree in clinical medicine from Jilin University, China; MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research Interests: nutritional epidemiology and women’s health with a focus on psychosocial and behavioral factors leading to weight management during pregnancy and postpartum
Mentor: Molly Waring, PhD
Dissertation: Diet Quality And Evening Snacking In Relation To Sleep Duration And Quality Among Women With Young Children
Post Graduation: Dr. Xiao is a Senior Epidemiologist at IQVIA