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Meet Our Team

Principal Investigator

Michelle Trivedi, MD, MPH

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Population & Quantitative Health Sciences

Division of Pediatric Pulmonology

Dr. Trivedi is a pediatric pulmonologist and physician scientist. Her expertise is in pediatric practice-based research using implementation science. She is a national leader in school-clinical linkages and multi-level stakeholder engagement to improve the uptake of evidence-based approaches into clinical care. She directs the Asthma Link clinical and research programs and is passionate about improving asthma care, advancing pediatric health equity, informing policy change, and mentoring the next generation of pediatric changemakers. She pioneered the CENTER-IT methodology, which elevates the voices of children, families and clinic staff to adapt evidence-based approaches for real-world practice.

She directs an NIH-funded research program and currently leads a pediatric practice-based clinical trial of school-based asthma management as well as other childhood studies focused on reducing pediatric health inequities.

Members of our research team hail from Romania, India, Guatemala, Jordan, Portugal and more.

Current Team Members

	Michelle Spano, MA - Senior Research Coordinator - 2020 - present Michelle obtained a BS in Psychology from Northeastern University and MA in Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine from BU Medical School and maintains licensure as an LMHC. Michelle has been working with Dr. Trivedi since 2020 and research interests include pediatric health (particularly pulmonology), community-based health interventions and outcomes. michelle.spano@umassmed.edu
	Deicy Mejia, BS - Research Coordinator - 2023 - present Deicy obtained a BS in Biology and Chemistry minor from Worcester State University. Her research interests include health of underserved populations and quality of life improvements of children in underserved communities.
	Stephanie Simms, MA - Research Coordinator - 2023 - present Stephanie is a graduate of of the University of Malaga in Spain where she received her master’s degree in Applied Sociology. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish Language at James Madison University. She has a keen focus on researching the mental and physical well-being of women and children.
	Grace Ryan, PhD, MPH — 2021 - present Grace is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Preventive Behavioral Medicine in Population and Quantitative Health Sciences. Her research focuses on improving implementation of evidence-based interventions in community and clinical settings to address health inequities in adolescent populations.
	Holly Pereira, MD, Class of 2023 — 2020 - present Holly is a pediatric resident at Brown and former medical student at UMass Chan Medical School and will be starting her residency in pediatrics at Brown. She is from Seekonk, MA and earned a BS in Psychology from Yale University. Her research interests include pediatric chronic disease and addressing healthcare inequities.
	Sarah Becker, MD Candidate, Class of 2024 — 2021 - present Sarah earned a BA in Biology from Smith College. Her research interests include quality of life improvement in underserved populations.
	Juliana Arenas, MD Candidate, Class of 2024 — 2021 - present Juliana earned a BA in Biology from Macalester College. Her research interests include pediatric health, health of underserved populations, and community-based interventions
	Sonia Radu, MD Candidate, Class of 2025 — 2022 - present Sonia earned a BA in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include social determinants of health and addressing health disparities through community interventions.
	Sheerin Zarinafsar, MD Candidate, Class of 2025 — 2022 - present Sheerin earned a BS in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests include addressing social determinants of health and preventing disease in underserved populations.
	Sanjay Chainani, MD, PGY4 — 2022 - present Sanjay is a fourth-year Internal Medicine/Pediatrics resident at UMass. Originally from Maryland, his interests include palliative care, narrative medicine, and health disparities. He hopes to work in hospital medicine or palliative care following graduation from residency.
	Layana Al-Halbouni, MD, PGY2 — 2022 - present Layana is planning to go into pediatric pulmonology fellowship after graduating from residency. Her research interests include pediatric asthma, social determinants of health, health advocacy for the pediatric population, and refugee health.
	Kali Pereira, MD Candidate, Class of 2026 — 2023 - present A Massachusetts native, Kali majored in Health Sciences at Northeastern University and attained minors in Global Health, Nutrition, and Biology. Her academic interests include exploring community health outcomes, with a focus of underserved communities and addressing Social Determinants of Health.
	John Almeida, MD Candidate, Class of 2026 — 2023 - present John is part of the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) Track. His interests include supporting underserved patient populations through research and advocacy in health equity, community health, and public health policy.
	Janvi Nanavati, MD Candidate, Class of 2026 — 2023 - present Janvi earned a BS in Biology from UMass Amherst. Her research interests include quality of life improvement in kids of migrant and immigrant populations.
	Daniel Mendoza Martinez, MD Candidate, Class of 2024 — 2023 - present
	Colby McGinn, MD, PGY 1 — 2023 - present Colby attended the University of Vermont for his undergraduate studies and earned his M.D. from the Larner College of Medicine.

Former Team Members

	Janki Patel Luther, MD, PGY3 Janki completed undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis, earned MPH between 3rd and 4th year of medical school at UMass, and returned to St. Louis for residency at Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital. She will be starting her GI fellowship at WashU in 2023. Research interests include healthcare disparities and health outcomes.
	Shushmita Hoque, MD, MS, PGY2 Sushi is an Internal Medicine Resident, 2021-2024. She earned a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MD/MS in Clinical Investigation from UMass Chan Medical School. Research interests include qualitative research, community-based interventions, health of medically underserved populations
	Raphael Mizrahi, PA/MPH Candidate Raphael completed his bachelor’s in neuroscience at University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016. He is currently a PA/MPH-3 student at George Washington University in Washington DC and will be graduating in 2023 with a master’s of science in health sciences and a Master’s of Public Health. His research interests include the public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and community-based participatory research.
	Julia O'Donoghue, PGY1 Julia earned a BS in Biochemistry from High Point University and a Master of Biomedical Science from Tufts University. She entered her pediatric residency upon graduation from UMass in the Class of 2022. Research interest includes preventative care, especially in historically marginalized populations.