Faculty Mentors for PhD Applicants
We are delighted that you are considering applying to our PhD program. Whether you are joining us from within the United States or from around the world, you will become part of a diverse and collaborative community of scholars committed to advancing knowledge and addressing pressing public health challenges through rigorous, innovative and impactful research. Applicants are encouraged to explore the wide range of faculty expertise across eight primary research categories. Each area offers unique opportunities for interdisciplinary training, mentorship and real-world application:
Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health: Faculty in this area investigate health across the reproductive life course, from pregnancy and birth through childhood and adolescence. Research addresses maternal and infant nutrition, reproductive health, health service utilization, infectious disease prevention, developmental outcomes and strategies to improve health for women, children and families.
Aging, Cognitive Health and Chronic Disease: This research area focuses on healthy aging, cognitive function, chronic disease and quality of life across older adulthood. Faculty examine biological, behavioral, social and environmental factors that influence aging-related conditions, including dementia, HIV-related aging, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease and functional decline.
Community Engagement and Social Determinants of Health: Faculty in this area address the social, economic, environmental and structural factors that shape health. Through community-engaged research, program evaluation and capacity-building efforts, they work with communities to identify sustainable solutions that reduce disparities and improve population health.
Implementation Science, Health Services and Translation to Practice: Research in this area advances the adoption, scale-up and sustainability of evidence-based interventions, programs and policies. Faculty study how healthcare systems, organizations, providers and communities improve service delivery, health outcomes and population impact.
Behavioral Health, Substance Use and Health Behavior Change: Faculty examine the behavioral factors that influence health, including alcohol use, substance use, mental health, violence prevention, physical activity and other risk behaviors. Research spans policy, prevention, intervention development and behavior change strategies designed to improve health outcomes across diverse populations.
Environmental, Occupational and Urban Health: This area explores how environmental exposures and built environments affect human health. Faculty study air pollution, disasters, climate resilience, sustainability, occupational and environmental exposures, green space, transportation and geospatial approaches to understanding environmental determinants of health.
Infectious Disease Prevention and Global Health: Faculty conduct research to understand and address infectious diseases and their impacts on populations around the world. Areas of focus include HIV, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV-associated conditions and strategies to improve prevention, treatment and equitable healthcare access.
Data Science, Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methods: Faculty in this area develop and apply innovative analytic approaches to address complex public health challenges. Research includes biostatistics, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, causal inference, data integration, geospatial analytics, precision health and reproducible research methods that support evidence-based decision-making.
Applicants are encouraged to review faculty profiles and research interests within each category to identify potential mentors and align their academic goals with ongoing projects.
Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health
Research on maternal, infant, child, adolescent and reproductive health outcomes, services and interventions.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Ashenafi Cherkos
Maternal and child health researcher focused on perinatal outcomes, nutrition, HIV-exposed children and early-life determinants of health.
Associate ProfessorDr. Stacey Griner
Implementation scientist studying how evidence-based guidelines are adopted in clinical and community settings, with a focus on sexual health and prevention.
Associate ProfessorDr. Uyen-Sa Nguyen
Epidemiologist examining health across the lifespan, including chronic disease, mental health and quality of life using advanced causal methods.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Babayemi Olakunde
Focuses on improving uptake of evidence-based interventions and reducing disparities in infectious disease and maternal/child health, especially in resource-limited settings.
Associate Dean; ProfessorDr. Emily Spence
Works with communities to design and evaluate programs addressing health disparities, violence, poverty and women’s wellness.
Aging, Cognitive Health and Chronic Disease
Research on healthy aging, cognitive health, chronic disease and quality of life throughout later life.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Malinee Neelamegam
Studies cognitive aging and health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV and older adults affected by social determinants.
Associate ProfessorDr. Uyen-Sa Nguyen
Epidemiologist examining health across the lifespan, including chronic disease, mental health and quality of life using advanced causal methods.
Associate ProfessorDr. Zhengyang Zhou
Uses advanced statistical and ML/AI methods to study Alzheimer’s disease, genetics and health disparities in aging populations.
ProfessorDr. Kai Zhang
Environmental health researcher focused on how pollution, disasters and urban environments influence aging-related diseases and population health.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Ashenafi Cherkos
Maternal and child health researcher focused on perinatal outcomes, nutrition, HIV-exposed children and early-life determinants of health.
Community Engagement and Social Determinants of Health
Community-based research addressing health disparities, social determinants of health and population well-being.
Department Chair and ProfessorDr. Lisako Jones-McKyer
Community engaged scholar advancing health equity through research synthesis, program evaluation and organizational capacity building.
Associate Dean; ProfessorDr. Emily Spence
Works with communities to design and evaluate programs addressing health disparities, violence, poverty and women’s wellness.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Greg Knell
Applies epidemiologic and analytic methods to physical activity, injury prevention and measurement of health behaviors.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Malinee Neelamegam
Studies cognitive aging and health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV and older adults affected by social determinants.
Associate ProfessorDr. Uyen-Sa Nguyen
Epidemiologist examining health across the lifespan, including chronic disease, mental health and quality of life using advanced causal methods.
Associate ProfessorDr. Zhengyang Zhou
Uses advanced statistical and ML/AI methods to study Alzheimer’s disease, genetics and health disparities in aging populations.
Implementation Science, Health Services and Translation to Practice
Research focused on improving implementation, delivery and uptake of evidence-based health programs and policies.
Associate ProfessorDr. Stacey Griner
Implementation scientist studying how evidence-based guidelines are adopted in clinical and community settings, with a focus on sexual health and prevention.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Babayemi Olakunde
Focuses on improving uptake of evidence-based interventions and reducing disparities in infectious disease and maternal/child health, especially in resource-limited settings.
PhD Program Director; Regents ProfessorDr. Scott Walters
Develops and tests interventions to reduce high-risk behaviors, using dissemination and implementation science to reach underserved populations.
Associate Dean; Regents ProfessorDr. Eun-Young Mun
Data science and alcohol epidemiology researcher focused on open science, reproducibility and large-scale intervention studies using advanced analytics.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Malinee Neelamegam
Studies cognitive aging and health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV and older adults affected by social determinants.
Associate Dean; ProfessorDr. Emily Spence
Works with communities to design and evaluate programs addressing health disparities, violence, poverty and women’s wellness.
Department Chair and ProfessorDr. Lisako Jones-McKyer
Community engaged scholar advancing health equity through research synthesis, program evaluation and organizational capacity building.
Behavioral Health, Substance Use and Health Behavior Change
Research on substance use, mental health, physical activity, health behaviors and behavioral interventions.
PhD Program Director; Regents ProfessorDr. Scott Walters
Develops and tests interventions to reduce high-risk behaviors, using dissemination and implementation science to reach underserved populations.
Associate ProfessorDr. Matthew Rossheim
Public health researcher whose work informs policy and regulation of substances used by young people, with broad real-world impact.
Associate Dean; Regents ProfessorDr. Eun-Young Mun
Data science and alcohol epidemiology researcher focused on open science, reproducibility and large-scale intervention studies using advanced analytics.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Greg Knell
Applies epidemiologic and analytic methods to physical activity, injury prevention and measurement of health behaviors.
Associate ProfessorDr. Zhengyang Zhou
Uses advanced statistical and ML/AI methods to study Alzheimer’s disease, genetics and health disparities in aging populations.
Associate Dean; ProfessorDr. Emily Spence
Works with communities to design and evaluate programs addressing health disparities, violence, poverty and women’s wellness.
Environmental, Occupational and Urban Health
Research examining environmental exposures, urban systems, sustainability and population health.
ProfessorDr. Kai Zhang
Environmental health researcher focused on how pollution, disasters and urban environments influence aging-related diseases and population health.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Kari Northeim
Uses GIS and exposure science to study environmental determinants of health, including air pollution, green space and sustainability.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Greg Knell
Applies epidemiologic and analytic methods to physical activity, injury prevention and measurement of health behaviors.
Infectious Disease Prevention and Global Health
Research focused on infectious diseases, prevention, treatment and global population health.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Ashenafi Cherkos
Maternal and child health researcher focused on perinatal outcomes, nutrition, HIV-exposed children and early-life determinants of health.
Associate ProfessorDr. Stacey Griner
Implementation scientist studying how evidence-based guidelines are adopted in clinical and community settings, with a focus on sexual health and prevention.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Babayemi Olakunde
Focuses on improving uptake of evidence-based interventions and reducing disparities in infectious disease and maternal/child health, especially in resource-limited settings.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Malinee Neelamegam
Studies cognitive aging and health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV and older adults affected by social determinants.
Data Science, Biostatistics and Epidemiologic Methods
Advanced statistical, epidemiologic, AI and data science methods for solving public health problems.
Associate ProfessorDr. Rajesh Nandy
Develops novel statistical methods to solve real-world problems across clinical and biomedical domains, including machine learning and Bayesian methods.
Associate ProfessorDr. Zhengyang Zhou
Uses advanced statistical and ML/AI methods to study Alzheimer’s disease, genetics and health disparities in aging populations.
Associate Dean; Regents ProfessorDr. Eun-Young Mun
Data science and alcohol epidemiology researcher focused on open science, reproducibility and large-scale intervention studies using advanced analytics.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Ashenafi Cherkos
Maternal and child health researcher focused on perinatal outcomes, nutrition, HIV-exposed children and early-life determinants of health.
Associate ProfessorDr. Uyen-Sa Nguyen
Epidemiologist examining health across the lifespan, including chronic disease, mental health and quality of life using advanced causal methods.
ProfessorDr. Kai Zhang
Environmental health researcher focused on how pollution, disasters and urban environments influence aging-related diseases and population health.
Assistant ProfessorDr. Kari Northeim
Uses GIS and exposure science to study environmental determinants of health, including air pollution, green space and sustainability.