DrPH Student Profiles

  • Nadine Alexander

    • 2020

    I am a fourth-year DrPH candidate in the Department of Epidemiology. My research interests include reducing health and racial disparities and reducing experiences of oppression during service delivery. My research aims to improve HIV support service delivery and HIV outcomes using community-driven practices to inform programming and policy. For my Integrated Learning Experience, I am interested in assessing the specific ways in which different types of stigma are manifested in HIV service delivery for minoritized people living with HIV. Through this project, I hope to influence changes in programming and policy that will improve the overall HIV service utilization experience and engagement along the different stages of the HIV Care Continuum for recipients of Ryan White Part A services. I currently work at the New York City Department of Health in the Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and STIs. I regard health equity as an essential element to helping reduce health and racial disparities of any kind. As a result, in my role, I lead efforts to ensure all aspects of the program’s work follow equitable practices and help ensure consumers of Ryan White Part A services receive services commensurate with their level of need. 

    Research Interests:

    • Health equity
    • Stigma and HIV
    • Health and racial disparities
  • Erica Lee Argov

    • 2015

    I am a pre-doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. I received my BA in Biology, with a minor in Medical Sociology from Tufts University and my MPH in Epidemiology from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. In my prior work at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as the Director of the Quality Improvement Unit in the Bureau of Vital Statistics, I worked largely on surveillance data and methods to assess and improve the quality of large datasets, which included birth, death, and pregnancy outcome data. This work included cleaning and analyzing large scale datasets, developing and implementing training materials for citywide hospitals, and managing data validation studies involving medical record abstraction. My current work at Columbia focuses on breast cancer, where I work with data from mammography screening cohorts from Columbia on a variety of aims, including the impact of policies around notifying women of their breast density, and data from nationwide breast cancer cohorts and national and regional cancer registry data. My research interests include maternal and child epidemiology, reproductive epidemiology, and women's health, and specifically the optimization of surveillance data and its application to inform and evaluate policy.

    Research Interests

    • Maternal and Child Health
    • Women's Health
    • Health Policy
    • Reproductive Epidemiology
    • Perinatal epidemiology
    • Surveillance Data
  • Navjot Buttar

    • 2023

    I am Navjot Buttar (Nav), a second-year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student in Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. My studies focus on the intersection of epidemiology and health communication, particularly the roles of social media and artificial intelligence in health information dissemination. I am dedicated to understanding the mechanisms behind health misinformation and its impact on health behaviors, especially in at-risk communities. I work full-time as a Staff Associate in the Department of Epidemiology, managing research on gun violence prevention in K-12 public schools. I also volunteer with Critica on a project addressing malaria-vaccine-related misinformation in Cameroon. I hold a Master of Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from India. I aspire to establish evidence-based strategies for effective health communication that promote healthy behaviors and mitigate the adverse effects of misinformation. I am committed to creating culturally sensitive, non-stigmatizing, and cross-utilizable health literacy and communication tools, programs, and policies. Outside my professional pursuits, I enjoy art, reading fiction and non-fiction, writing amateur poetry, flaneuring around New York City, windows, and a warm cup of masala chai!

    Research interests:

    • Health equity
    • Stigma and HIV
    • Health and racial disparities
  • Madeline Cannon

    • 2024

    Since 2020, I have worked as a data analyst for the World Trade Center Health Program at the Fire Department of the City of New York. I earned my M.P.H. in Biostatistics from Columbia University in 2020, and my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oregon in 2018. My research focuses on the health of FDNY World Trade Center-exposed first responders. I recently published a paper in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine on the association between pre-9/11 lung function and mortality. I am interested in expanding upon this research to further elucidate the relationship between lung function and general health. My hobbies include baking, birding, and visiting art and history museums.

  • Vanessa Dor

    • 2021

    I am a first-year candidate in the DrPH Epidemiology program. I received my medical doctoral degree and pediatric specialization from the State University of Haïti and my Field Epidemiology Training from the FETP-Haïti/CDC program. Then, I completed my MSc in Global Health at Harvard Medical School. As a medical provider and coordinator, I planned and managed maternal health, pediatric health, and infectious disease services and interventions. With the FETP program, I conducted outbreak investigations, infectious disease surveillance, health system monitoring and evaluation, and worked on research projects focusing mainly on vaccine-preventable diseases and healthcare-associated infections. During my training in Global Health, my research projects became more focused on health equity and social determinants of health. Currently, I am eager to use implementation science and a mixed-method approach to explore research domains of interest such as maternal and child health, infectious diseases, social and political determinants of health, and global health. 

    Research Interests

    • Maternal and Child Health
    • Infectious Diseases
    • Health Equity
    • Social and Political Determinants of Health
    • Global Health
  • Sarah Francis

    • 2020

    I am a fourth-year student in the DrPH program in the Epidemiology department. I received my BS in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and my MPH in Epidemiology from Columbia University. In my work with local, state and federal governments, I have focused on projects ranging from synthetic drug use to high school sports-related concussions. My research currently focuses on evaluating infectious disease surveillance systems. My research interests include infectious diseases, surveillance systems and evaluation.

    Research Interests

    • Evaluation
    • Surveillance systems
    • Infectious diseases
    • COVID-19
    • Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI)
  • Rachel Gruver

    • 2018

    I am a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology. My research is focused on sexual/ reproductive health and mental health in vulnerable populations, both in the US and globally. I am interested in the intersection of public health research and practice: implementation science and research that directly informs policies and programs.

    Currently, I work on the Asenze study, a longitudinal cohort of children/adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, studying the long-term impacts of intimate partner violence (IPV) in families to identify ways to prevent or minimize harmful impacts on children and adolescents. I also work on HIV-focused research, and recently led an evaluation of an ICAP HIV/TB program in Eswatini.

    Prior to the DrPH program, I earned my BS from Cornell University in 2008, and my MPH in Sexuality and Health from the Department of Population and Family Health at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in 2012. In my work at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab research center, and the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, I managed research projects and conducted analyses on maternal & child health and access to health care. I also worked in community health in NYC for several years.

    Research Interests

    • Sexual and Reproductive Health
    • HIV
    • Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
    • Mental Health
    • Maternal and Child Health
    • Program Evaluation
    • Implementation Science
  • Tameir Holder

    • 2020

    I have been engaged in public health research and practice for over 15 years. My professional background is largely based within the non-profit sector, where I remain engaged in research pertaining to health services, comparative effectiveness, and patient-centered outcomes. Particularly, I have contributed to a range of studies that are designed to support medically underserved communities that traditionally have high rates of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. This work involves collaborating with federally qualified health centers and safety-net hospitals, in New York and throughout the U.S., to understand barriers to care while examining intervention implementation and effectiveness.

    Currently, I am exploring the intersection of care management and health policy. I plan to use mixed-methods approaches to ascertain how federal and state policies, evidence-based care models, and quality improvement initiatives impact health outcomes among patients with complex medical needs. My experience with program evaluation, data analysis, and project management will facilitate this endeavor. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wesleyan University and completed a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology, with a certificate in Chronic Disease, at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. My interests include choreographing, dancing, and creating pencil illustrations.

    Research Interests

    • Chronic Disease Management
    • Quality Improvement
    • Health Policy
    • Care Models
    • Implementation Science
    Tameir Holder
  • Priya Iyer

    • 2024
  • Bijan Khaksari

    I am deeply interested in disease prevention, screening, and diagnosis, with a focus on improving implement strategies in these critical areas. My research spans from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, to oncology, pain management, and mental health. Over the past eight years, I have managed clinical research in both CRO and hospital settings, evaluating the risks, effectiveness, and outcomes of clinical products and interventions across diverse therapeutic areas. My work also involves assessing the safety and benefits of drugs and devices used in treating chronic diseases.  Hence, I am particularly keen to explore how artificial intelligence can accelerate the development of novel therapeutics, bridging the gap from laboratory research to patient care. I hold an MPH in epidemiology from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, a bachelor’s degree in psychology (Pre-Medicine Curriculum) from George Washington University, and a certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Healthcare from MIT. With have 10+ publications and conference presentations in diverse therapeutic areas, I am eager to contribute to advancements in public health and clinical practice. In my personal time, I enjoy practicing Tae Kwon Do, surfing, hiking, traveling, and trying new foods.

    Research interests:

    • Chronic Disease (cardiovascular, cerebrovascular)
    • Oncology
    • Mental Health + Global Mental Health
    • Pain Management
    • Artificial Intelligence Applications in Healthcare
    • Disease Prevention
    • Pharmacoepidemiology
  • Adwoa Nantwi

    Adwoa K. Nantwi serves as a research scientist within the Division of Family Health Services at the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), where she is the program manager and epidemiologist for the New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) and the New Jersey Fetal-Infant Mortality Review (NJ-FIMR) Program. Aside from her work at the NJDOH, Adwoa also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at New York University's School of Global Public Health, where she teaches introductory- and intermediate-level epidemiology. She obtained her Master of Public Health from New York University's School of Global Public Health and a Bachelor of Science from The College of New Jersey. Adwoa's mission is to advance research and initiatives that drive equitable health outcomes across the life course for Black and Latinx people. Her hobbies include reading, watching basketball, being a puzzle/trivia master, and going to music concerts.

    Research interests:

    • Social Epidemiology
    • Health Disparities
    • Maternal and Child Health
    • Substance Use Disorder
    • Immigrant Health
  • Brianna White

    • 2024