Meet Our Team

Tamar Mendelson, PhD

Director
Bloomberg Professor of American Health

Research interests: mental health, opportunity youth, school-based prevention programs, mindfulness and yoga, critical consciousness

Beth Marshall, DrPH

Associate Director
Research Core Co-Lead
Assistant Scientist

Research interests: youth risk behaviors, school-based health programs, schools and health, health education, youth development, teen pregnancy prevention

Terri W. Powell, PhD

Associate Director
Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health
Vice Chair of Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity

Research interests: Sexual and reproductive health, substance use prevention, community engagement,  implementation science, qualitative methodologies

Kristen Mmari, PhD

Research Core Co-Lead
Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health

Research interests: opportunity youth, early adolescents, gender norms, monitoring and evaluation 

Renee M Johnson, PhD, MPH

Training Core Lead
Associate Professor

Research interests: emerging adults, substance use epidemiology, vulnerable populations

Melissa Davey-Rothwell, PhD

Translation and Dissemination Core Lead
Associate Scientist

Research interests: HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, implementation science, dissemination, urban health

Paige Wilson, MA

Communications Core Lead
Communications Specialist

Maria Trent, MD, MPH

Director, Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine
Adolescent Health T32 Training Director
Bloomberg Professor of American Health/Professor of Pediatrics, and Nursing, Johns Hopkins University
Senior Associate Dean, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Research interests: sexual and reproductive health, STIs, pregnancy prevention / contraception, health disparities, adolescent access to clinical services, school health services, impact of racism and other forms of discrimination on youth development 

Dylan Jackson, PhD

Associate Professor
Co-Director Health Criminology Research Consortium

Research interests: child health; adolescent health; crime; violence; criminal legal system; justice-involved families; incarceration; policing; adverse childhood experiences; trauma-informed policy; mental health; social support; prevention science; life course; health equity

Mickelder Kercy, MD, MS

Program Officer

Erin R, Hager, PhD

Associate Professor

Research interests: Interventions to promote healthy eating and physical activity among children; evaluation of policy and program implementation (focus: prevention of obesity and/or food insecurity); school health: strategies to reduce pediatric health inequities ; implementation science