HBS Doctoral Students — Last Names A-M
Learn About Our Doctoral Students' Interests, Research, and More. Last Names A–M.
Ananya Bhaktaram
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2023
Previous degrees: Master of Health Science in Social Factors in Health (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health); Bachelor of Arts in Community Health (University of Oklahoma); Bachelor of Arts in Letters (University of Oklahoma)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Socio-Spatial Relationships; Social Networks; Agency; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Social Norms; Neighborhoods; Climate Change; Child Health
Selected publications:
- Perceived Barriers to Climate Change Activism Behaviors in the United States among Individuals Highly Concerned about Climate Change
- Creation, Dissemination, and Evaluation of Videos to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination in India: A Research Protocol
- Correction: Social Network Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine YouTube Videos in Odisha, India: Mapping The Channel Network and Analyzing Comment Sentiment
- Promoting Vaccination in India through Videos: The Role of Humor, Collectivistic Appeal and Gender
Courses taught:
- Intro to Public Health
- Program Planning for Health Behavior Change
- Seminar for MPH Concentration in Social Behavioral Sciences
Contact
Email: abhakta2@jhu.edu
Advisor: Carl Latkin, PhD
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Suzanne J. Block
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2022
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health (Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health); Bachelor of Science (Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing); Bachelor of Arts (University of Pittsburgh)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescent and Young Adult Health; Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer; Participatory Communication; Arts-Based Methods
Selected publications:
- What Determines Vaccine Hesitancy: Recommendations from Childhood Vaccine Hesitancy to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
- Menstrual Management among Adolescent Girls in Uttar Pradesh, India: An Examination of Interpersonal and Mediated Communication as Delivery Mechanisms for Practical Guidance
- The Role of Culturally Appropriate Mediated Communication Strategies to Reduce Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer Disparities
- Existing Knowledge, Myths, and Perceptions about Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer within Highly Impacted Immigrant Communities
Courses taught:
- Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice
Contact
Email: sblock8@jhmi.edu
Advisor: Jill Owczarzak, PhD
Meredith Denney
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2023
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine); Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Loss and Grief; Substance Use; Harm Reduction; Trauma; Qualitative Methods; Life Course Perspectives
Selected publications:
- Violence, Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and HIV Vulnerability Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Memphis, Tennessee
- Emotion Dysregulation Explains the Association Between Borderline Personality Traits and Cyber Dating Abuse Perpetration among College Students
Contact
Advisor: Danielle German, PhD
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Shannon Fuller
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2021
Previous degrees: Master of Science in Global Health (University of California, San Francisco); Bachelor of Science in Biology (Rhodes College)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Community Health Workers; Implementation Science and Evaluation Research; Peer Support; Multi-Level Interventions; Access to and Engagement in Care; Stigma Reduction; Law and Policy
Selected publications:
- Voices, Images, and Experiences of Community Health Workers: Advancing Antiracist Policy and Practice
- Key Elements and Mechanisms of A Peer-Support Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Isolation among Low-Income Older Adults: A Qualitative Implementation Science Study
- Medical-Legal Partnerships to Support Continuity of Care for Immigrants Impacted by HIV: Lessons Learned from California
- A peer Intervention Reduces Loneliness and Improves Social Well-Being in Low-Income Older Adults: A mixed-Methods Study
- Dissemination and Implementation of A Community Health Worker Intervention for Disparities in Palliative Care (DeCIDE PC): A Study Protocol for A Hybrid Type 1 Randomized Controlled Trial
Courses taught:
- Applications of Innovative Methods in Local and Global Health Equity Research
- Psychosocial Factors in Health and Illness
- Introduction to Methods for Health Services Research and Evaluation
- Using Software in Qualitative Research and Analysis
- Implementation and Sustainability of Community-Based Health Programs
Conference Presentations
- American Public Health Association (APHA): Fostering Trust within Care Teams: A Formative, Qualitative Study on the Experiences and Roles of CHWs in Palliative Care Teams
- American Public Health Association (APHA): Attitudes about Peer Certification and Medicaid Billing: Perspectives from Peers, Clients, Program Leaders, and Policy Experts in California
Contact
Email: sfulle14@jhu.edu
Advisor: Jill Owczarzak, PhD; Chidinma Ibe, PhD
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Bailey Holmes Spencer
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2022
Previous degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (Spelman College); Master of Public Health in Population and Family Health (Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health); Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases Certification (Columbia University Mailman School of Public health)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Improving Minority Health and Advancing Innovative Interventions to Counter HIV/AIDS Disparities Sustainably; Social Media's Impact on Health Education and Behavior; Digital Interventions and Health Communication; Suicidality among Black and Latinx Youth and Young Adults Affected by HIV
Selected publications:
- Assessing the Association Between Safety Perceptions and Communication about Sex and Drugs among Black Adolescents Exposed to Adversity
- HIV and Suicide Risk Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood: An Examination of Socio-Demographic, Contextual and Psychosocial Risk Factors for Attempted Suicide in A Longitudinal Cohort of Ageing Adolescents Affected by HIV Living in The New York City Area
Courses taught:
- Introduction to Persuasive Communications: Theories and Practice
- Program Planning for Health Behavior Change
- Introduction to Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
Conference Presentations
- The 152nd Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association: Double Dose: Exposure to Substances in Digital Environments among Adolescents Exposed to ACEs
- The Annual Meeting of the Society for Adolescence Research: Examining the Relationship Between Safety Perceptions and Communication with Trusted Adults about Sex and Drug Use
- The Annual National Women's Scholars Association Meeting: Black Women in the Academy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Research and Pedagogy.
- The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health Practicum Symposium: Black and Latinx Youth Affected by HIV: Experiences with suicidality.
- The Annual Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA) Conference: Sociodemographic, Structural, and Psychosocial Associations with Attempted Suicide among a Longitudinal Cohort of Black and Latinx Youth Affected by HIV.
Contact
Email: bholme19@jhu.edu
Advisor: Michelle Kaufman, PhD
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Bee-Ah Kang
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2021
Previous degrees: Master of Science in Public Health (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), Master of Arts in Communication (Seoul National University), Bachelor of Arts in Communication (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Social Determinants of Health; Global Health; Social Norms; Gender Norms; Women's Health; Program Evaluation; Maternal and Child Health; Mixed Methods; Multilevel Approaches to Health Behavior Change; Health Communication; mHealth/eHealth
Selected publications:
- The role of Self-Efficacy and Risk Perception in The Willingness to Respond to Weather Disasters among Emergency Medicine Health Care Workers in Pakistan
- Improving Bystander Self-Efficacy to Prevent Violence Against Women through Interpersonal Communication Using Mobile Phone Entertainment Education: Randomized Controlled Trial
- Perceived Sources of Occupational Burn-Out and Embitterment among Front-Line Health Workers for COVID-19 Control in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea: A Qualitative Study
- Mobile Phone Access, Willingness, and Usage for HIV-Related Services among Young Adults Living in Informal Urban Settlements in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
- Enhancing A Willingness to Respond to Disasters and Public Health Emergencies among Health Care Workers, Using mHealth Intervention: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Courses Taught
- Fundamentals of Health, Behavior and Society
- Qualitative Data Analysis
- Qualitative Research Theory and Methods
Contact
Email: beeah.kang@jhu.edu
Advisor: Rajiv Rimal, PhD
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Katrina Kennedy
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2022
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health (University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health); Bachelor of Science in Public Health (University of California, San Diego)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Poverty and Financial Security; Social and Economic Policy; Violence and Safety; LGBTQ+ Health, Structural Violence/Vulnerability; Causal Inference, Mixed Methods; Space and Spatial Analysis
Selected publications:
- Protective Environments, Health, and Substance Use Among Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth
- Associations Between School Absence and School Violence By Sexual Identity
Courses Taught:
- Summer Institute Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
- Public Health Policy
- Understanding and Preventing Violence
Conference Presentations
- National LGBTQ Health Conference: Understanding Fatal Violence within LGBTQ+ Communities
- Transgender Health Summit: Housing (In)Stability Among Transgender and Nonbinary Populations in Baltimore City
- SAVIR Annual Conference: Firearm Purchaser Licensing Laws and Firearm Deaths among Adolescents and Emerging Adults
Contact
Email: kkenne34@jh.edu
Advisor: Danielle German, PhD
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Briana Kramer
About
Year entered: 2023
Contact
Email: bkrame11@jhu.edu
Bernardita Hetreau Letelier
About
Pronouns: She/Her
Year entered: 2024
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Health Education; Health Literacy; Cancer/Chronic Disease Prevention; End of Life; Palliative Care; Vaccine Hesitancy
Contact
Email: bhetrea1@jhu.edu
Advisor:
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Makenna Lindsay
About
Pronouns: She/Her
Year entered: 2024
Previous degrees: Master of Arts, Sociology Research & Practice (American University); Bachelor of Arts, Sociology & Spanish Studies (American University
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Reproductive Justice; Black Maternal Health and Wellness; STD/STI Disparities; HIV/AIDS; Sexual Development; Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
Courses Taught:
- Critical Social Thought
Conference Presentations
- Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference, Eastern Sociological Society Conference: How Endometriosis Negatively Impacts the Social and Personal Relationships of College Students
- Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference and Eastern Sociological Society Conference: Examining Female Attitudes Toward Premarital Sex by Racial/Ethnic Differences
- 14th Health Disparities Conference at Xavier University of Louisiana: The Forced Sterilizations of Black, Indigenous, & Women of Color in the United States
Contact
Email: mlinds13@jh.edu
Advisor: Liesl Nydegger, PhD
LinkedIn Profile
Gayatri Malhotra
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2024
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health in Global Health Epidemiology (The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health); Bachelor of Arts (Biology pre-medicine) (Lawrence University)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Gender Equality; Women's Empowerment; Global Health; Gender Norms; Adolescent Health; Mixed Methods; International Development; Participatory Approaches; Gender-Based Violence; and Program Evaluations
Selected publications:
- Gender Attitudes in Adolescence: Evaluating the Girl Rising Gender-sensitization Program in India
- Adolescents’ Development of Gender Equity Attitudes in India
Conference Presentations
- The American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference: (Re)shaping Evaluation through Trauma-informed Data Collection Efforts
- The GenderPlus Summit 2022: Experiences in discussing gender equity with boys and men
- Hybrid Conference of the Action Research Network of the Americas (ARNA): Use of Participatory Action Research to Create Spaces for Social Movement Learning with Women, Femme and Non-binary (WFN) Social Entrepreneurs
- American Evaluation Association EVAL21reimagined: Using Regional Case Studies for National Action Planning: USAID Transform’s GBV Landscape Analysis in Ethiopia
- The George Washington University Diversity and Inclusion Summit 2018: Pilot Evaluation of the Girl Rising Gender-sensitization Curriculum in India
- RTI International Ending Gender Inequalities 2018: Gender Attitudes and Perceptions among Adolescents in India: A Critical Time for Change
Contact
Email: gmalhot1@jh.edu
Advisor: Michelle Kaufman, PhD
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Obie McNair
About
Pronouns: He/him/his
Year entered: 2019
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill); Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, emphasis in Public Relations (Tougaloo College)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Black Men's Health Disparities; Sexual health disparities; Cardiovascular Health Disparities; Community-Based Participatory Research
Dissertation proposal title: Associations Between Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Interpersonal, Psychological, and Environmental Factors Among Black Sexual Minority Men
Courses taught:
- Critical Issues in Health Disparities
- Social Justice: Policy, Practice, & Research
Contact
Email: omcnair1@jh.edu
Advisor: Roland J. Thorpe Jr., PhD
Ashley Meehan
About
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Year entered: 2022
Previous degrees: Master of Public Health in Global Health (Emory University Rollins School of Public Health); Certificate in Religion and Health (Emory University Candler School of Theology and Rollins School of Public Health); Bachelor of Applied Health Science in Public Health (Bowling Green State University)
Research and Scholarship
Research and practice interests: Homelessness; Structural Vulnerability; Mortality; Applied Social Epidemiology; Public Health Practice
Selected publications:
- Improving Surveillance Data for People with Disabilities, With Substance Use Disorder, or Experiencing Homelessness, United States
- Review of Local Homeless Mortality Efforts: A Call for Standardized Data and Reporting
- What We (Don't) Know about the Infectious Disease Burden Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in the United States and Canada
- Involuntary displacement and self-reported health in a cross-sectional survey of people experiencing homelessness in Denver, Colorado, 2018-2019
- Considerations for Defining Homelessness in Public Health Data Collection
- Incidence of COVID-19 Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the United States, January 2020-November 2021
- Screening for Housing Needs — Or Preventing Them?
- Previous Health Care Experiences’ Influence on Health Care Perceptions Among Residents in Six Homeless Shelters in Seattle, Washington, July–October 2021
- Public Health and Homelessness in the United States: Findings from A Nationwide Landscape Assessment, 2023
- COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Central Florida and Southern Nevada, March-July 2021
Courses taught:
- Public Health Policy
- Service-Learning in Baltimore for Community Health and Well-being
- Crisis and Response in Public Health Policy and Practice
- Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
- Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis for Public Health
Contact
Email: ameehan3@jhu.edu
Advisor: Danielle German, PhD; Peter Winch, MD
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