2024 MHRT Trainees
Stefan Cabrera, MPH Candidate, Global Health Epidemiology with a focus on Social Epidemiology, University
of Michigan
Site: Universitas Gadjah Mada Faculty of Public Health in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Stefan has been working with partners in Indonesia to analyze data on vaccine hesitancy. Using previously collected mixed-method data he is investigating the potential connections between occupation, community engagement, and infodemic risk. Many papers have focused on the individual’s ability to prevent or mitigate their risk of receiving misinformation, but Stefan would like to investigate possible connections between intake and spread of misinformation among community leaders that may exacerbate issues of vaccine hesitancy in future epidemics and pandemics.
Soverno Chen, MPH, Global Health Epidemiology, MS, Nutritional Sciences-Dietetics
Site: Institute of Nutrition & Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Soverno is looking at the effect of pregnancy in birthing persons of reproductive age on epigenetic aging. Pregnancy along with factors such as obesity may have different levels of effect on epigenetic age.
An Do, MPH Candidate, Food, Nutrition and Population Health, UC Berkeley
Site: Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
An has been working with the Occupational Health and Safety program at Mae Fah Luang
to complete projects related to developing an improved insecticide screening tool
for Thai farmers and understanding the cultural barriers to cervical cancer screening
in Northern Hill Tribe populations. These projects focus specifically on improving
health for rural and marginalized populations in Thailand, and emphasize the importance
of providing culturally aware and appropriate interventions using mixed methods.
Arleth Escoto, MPH Candidate, Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, UC Berkeley
Site: Sustainable Science Institute (SSI), Managua, Nicaragua
Arleth is exploring SARS-CoV-2 household transmission dynamics, specifically by analyzing seroconversion and changes in specific antibody titer levels (e.g., IgG Anti-SARS-CoV-2 N protein antibodies) over time among infected patients and other individuals living in the same affected households.
Isabel Gilbertson, MPH Candidate, Global Health Epidemiology, University of Michigan
Site: Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
At Mae Fah Luang University, Isabel is supporting Dr. Siriwan Kantisin’s research study, “Perceptions and Preventative Behaviors Towards PM2.5 Among Immigrant Workers in Chiang Rai, Thailand.” Research gaps currently exist regarding the PM2.5 understanding of immigrant agricultural workers in Thailand, an occupational group that bears the burden of long-term PM2.5 exposure due heavy exposure to biomass burning and the associated health impacts. The study examines the population’s PM2.5 perceptions and behaviors, ultimately aiming to inform the country’s understanding of the pollutant and strengthen air pollution occupational protection for all workers.
Djoulissa Louis-Jean, MPH '20, Tulane University, MUP Candidate '25, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Site: University of South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
Djoulissa is currently assessing the socio-cultural behaviors and characteristics that influence intermediate risk factors (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity) in iTaukei vs Indo-Fijians in Fiji.
Zainab Manzoor, MPH Candidate, Global Health Epidemiology, University of Michigan
Site: University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
The Pacific Islands have some of the highest documented rates of domestic violence in the world; evidence shows that up to 68% of women in the Pacific - about twice the global average - have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime. Zainab is systematically analyzing the implementation of two pieces of domestic violence legislation in Fiji and Vanuatu through a mixed-method approach of quantitative and qualitative analysis, with the aim to strengthen and improve protections for people experiencing domestic violence.
Manuel Perez, MPH Candidate, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases Program, Yale School of Public Health
Site: Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
Manuel is investigating whether oral saliva samples are a reliable surrogate for serum samples in measuring anti-measles IgG antibodies in Indian children and adolescents. His work is primarily focused on cleaning, analyzing, and reporting on collected quantitative seroprotection data from paired serum and saliva samples. In addition, Manuel is conducting a systematic review on globally used pneumococcal vaccines and their associated safety and adverse events.
Angela Pumford, BSN with minor in Population Health in a Global Context, Unviersity of Michigan
Site: Institute for Social and Environmental Research-Nepal, Chitwan, Nepal
Angela is exploring whether exposure to armed conflict and international labor migration confers greater risk to developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). She is involved in the design and administration of culturally appropriate cognitive assessments to identify ADRD in the Nepali general population.
Christy Rivera, MPH Candidate, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, University of Michigan
Site: Sustainable Science Institute, Managua, Nicaragua
Collaborating closely with local research teams investigating SARS-CoV-2 and influenza transmission within family cohorts within Managua, Christy is involved in data management, quality assurance, and analysis operations within these projects. Moreover, she will also be conducting a data analysis project exploring the possible impact of environmental factors on influenza transmission risk within family households.
Desiree Smith, Doctor of Public Health, Diverse Popluations, and Health Equity, Mercer University
Site: African Population Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Smith's research, which builds upon her dissertation on abortion care companion training program evaluation, has the potential to make a significant impact in research that evaluates strategies that seek to decrease abortion stigma. As an MHRT postdoc, she is conducting an independent research project that utilizes secondary data and key informant interviews to create a scoping review. This scoping review will assess APHRC’s previous research on the sociocultural, legal, and healthcare aspects of contraception and abortion stigma among Kenyan postabortion care (PAC) providers and their patients. The results of this review will not only indicate the effectiveness of the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) programs and initiatives but also provide ongoing feedback, identify areas for improvement, and optimize program outcomes, thereby contributing to the improvement of reproductive health and justice in Kenya.
She also works with the SRMNCAH unit to support the scaling up of the Quality Innovation Challenge research intervention project that assesses the impact of unsafe abortion prevention programs and barriers to quality post-abortion care.