Who We Are

The CHDR Community


At the core of the Center for Health Disparities Research is an interdisciplinary community of researchers, scientists, analysts, scholars, educators, clinical innovators, and organizational leaders committed to the elimination of health disparities.

CHDR brings together individuals with a diversity of expertise, experience, and talents to effectively bridge basic, clinical, social science, and health policy research. As a next-generation collaborative research center, CHDR strategically complements existing cross-campus strengths in research, clinical, and educational domains.

Directors

Amy Kind

Credentials: MD, PhD

Position title: Director, Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR) | Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs (OSHSP)

Andrea Gilmore Bykovskyi

Credentials: PhD, RN

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Barbara Bendlin

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Nicole Rogus-Pulia

Credentials: PhD, CCC-SLP

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Administration

Megan Miller

Credentials: MPA

Position title: Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Social Health Sciences and Programs (OSHSP)

Stacie Vik

Credentials: BA

Position title: Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs (OSHSP)

Greta Petersen

Credentials: MA, MPhil

Position title: Administrative Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Jenny Yuan

Credentials: MBA

Position title: Finance and Grant Administration Manager

Veronica Rueckert

Position title: Chief Communications Officer, Office of Social Health Sciences & Programs (OSHSP)

Christine Stephenson

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Program Manager: Education, Communication, and Outreach (ECO)

Hana Masri

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Communications Manager: Education, Communication, and Outreach (ECO)

Samantha Mergen

Credentials: BA

Position title: Research Regulatory and Compliance Manager

Brittney Lyons Boone

Credentials: MSBA

Position title: Advanced Project Manager, Office of Social Health Sciences and Programs (OSHSP)

David LaBeause

Credentials: BS

Position title: Project Manager

Natalie Kozitzky

Credentials: BS

Position title: Project Manager

Shenell Edwards

Credentials: BS, MPH

Position title: Project Manager

Faculty, Scientists, & Trainees

Will Buckingham

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Director of Geospatial Operations

Grace George

Credentials: MPA, PhD

Position title: Research Scientist

Gina Green-Harris

Credentials: MBA

Position title: Outreach Program Director, OSHSP | Doctoral Trainee

Sarah Keller

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Research Scientist

Fred Ketchum

Credentials: MD, PhD

Position title: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Adrienne RS Lee

Credentials: MPH, PhD

Position title: Postdoctoral Fellow

Raele Loy

Credentials: PhD, CCC-SLP

Position title: Research Scientist

Eleanna Melcher

Credentials: BPhil, BA

Position title: MD/PhD Trainee

Ryan Powell

Credentials: MA, PhD

Position title: CHDR Associate Director: Social Science

Gbemi Soneye

Credentials: MSTP Summer Scholar

Position title: MSTP Summer Scholar

Research Operations

Ceri Jenkins

Credentials: MPA

Position title: Research Program Manager | HART

Abbie Steinback

Credentials: MA

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Abby Rudd

Credentials: BS, MS

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Axell Boomer

Credentials: BA

Position title: Historical Research Data Specialist | HART

Colleen Baldwin

Credentials: MA, MLIS

Position title: Lead Research Analyst | HART

Jonathan Eng

Credentials: BA

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Julia Olson

Credentials: MS

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Maxwell Qian

Credentials: BA

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Meghan Majors

Credentials: MPH, MSW

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Nicholas Faulkner

Credentials: BS, MM

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Rachel Otte

Credentials: BS, MPH

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Sarah Lim

Credentials: BS

Position title: Lead Technical Research Analyst | HART

Taylor Moker

Credentials: BS

Position title: Research Analyst | HART

Alice Honigman

Credentials: BS

Position title: Historical Research Data Specialist | HART

KJ LeFave

Credentials: BA

Position title: Historical Research Data Specialist | HART

Ben Schultz

Credentials: BA, MA

Position title: Historical Research Data Specialist | HART

Lael Warren

Position title: Undergraduate Researcher | HART

Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe

Credentials: EdM, MA

Position title: Qualitative & User-Centered Design Researcher (Ketchum Research)

Hayat Sherif

Position title: Study Coordinator (Ketchum Research)

Amanda DeWitt

Credentials: BS, MLIS

Position title: Research CI Manager

Yixuan Cheng

Credentials: MA, MPH

Position title: Data Scientist

Joe Kramer

Credentials: MA

Position title: Data Engineer

Angel Hammond

Credentials: BS

Position title: Health Research Analyst

Ruvini Navaratna

Credentials: MS

Position title: Data Scientist

Cassie Sanford

Credentials: BS

Position title: GIS Specialist

Nyla Thursday

Credentials: MS

Position title: GIS Specialist

Executive Committee

Amy Kind

Credentials: MD, PhD

Position title: Director, Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR) | Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Programs (OSHSP)

Andrea Gilmore Bykovskyi

Credentials: PhD, RN

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Barbara Bendlin

Credentials: PhD

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Nicole Rogus-Pulia

Credentials: PhD, CCC-SLP

Position title: Deputy Director, UW Center for Health Disparities Research (CHDR)

Jomol Mathew

Credentials: PhD

Position title: CHDR Associate Director for Informatics

Ryan Powell

Credentials: MA, PhD

Position title: CHDR Associate Director: Social Science

Manish Shah

Credentials: MD, MPH

Position title: CHDR Associate Director: Faculty Development

Zhengzheng Tang

Credentials: PhD

Position title: CHDR Associate Director: Biostatistics

JP Yu

Credentials: MD, PhD

Position title: CHDR Associate Director: Basic and Translational Science

Affiliates

Christie Bartels, MD, MS
Associate Professor, Division Chief
Department of Medicine: Rheumatology

Meghan Brennan, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine: Infectious Disease

Marguerite Burns, PhD
Associate Professor
Population Health Sciences

Freddy Caldera, DO, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine: Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Scott Chaiet, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery: Otolaryngology

Roomasa Channa, MD
Assistant Professor
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Guanhua Chen, PhD
Associate Professor
Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

Alexander Chiu, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery: Endocrine Surgery

Ryan Coller, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Division Chief
Department of Pediatrics

Robert (Bob) Dempsey, MD
Manucher Javid Professor; Chair
Department of Neurological Surgery

Beth Drolet, MD
Professor; Chair
Department of Dermatology

Jennifer Edgoose, MD, MPH
Professor, Emeritus
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Elizabeth Felton, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor; Associate Director, MSTP
Department of Neurology: Epilepsy

Luke Funk, MD, MPH, FACS
Professor; Vice Chair, Research
Department of Surgery

Blair Golden, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine: Hospital Medicine

Tiffany Green, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Population Health Sciences; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dana Hayden, MPH, MD, FACS
Professor; Chair, Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery; Co-Director, UW Digestive Health Center (DHC)
Department of Surgery

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD
Associate Professor
Obstetrics & Gynecology: Maternal–Fetal Medicine

Farah Kaiksow, MD, MPP Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine: Hospital Medicine

Ryan Kipp, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine: Cardiovascular Medicine

Mike Koenigs, PhD
Professor (Tenure Track)
Department of Psychiatry

Noelle LoConte, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine: Hematology and Oncology

Katherine Magnuson, PhD Professor; Director,
Institute for Research on Poverty
Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work

Elebeoba May, PhD
Associate Professor
Medical Microbiology & Immunology; MIDAS Lab (WID)

Lauren W. Yowelunh McLester-Davis, PhD
Scientist; Director of Indigenous Science Advocacy
Native American Center for Health Professions

Maria Mora-Pinzon, MD, MS, FACPM
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Anand Narayan, MD, PhD
Associate Professor; Vice Chair of Health Equity
Department of Radiology: Breast Imaging and Intervention

Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD
Professor
Department of Medicine: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Irene Ong, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

Nicci Owusu-Brackett, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery: Surgical Oncology

Jane Paulsen, PhD
Professor
Department of Neurology

Andrew Ross, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Radiology

Kathleen Shannon, MD, FAAN, FANA
Detling Professor
Department of Neurology

Judith (Judy) Simcox, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry

Dawd Siraj, MD, MPHTM Professor
Department of Medicine: Infectious Disease

Eva Vivian, PharmD, MS, PhD
Professor
School of Pharmacy: Pharmacy Practice & Translational Research Division

Jennifer Weiss, MD, MS
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine: Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH
Professor; Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases
Department of Medicine: Infectious Disease; Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Mary Wyman, PhD
Scientist
Department of Medicine: Geriatrics and Gerontology

Danielle Yancey, MS
Director
Native American Center for Health Professions

Jiwei Zhao, PhD
Associate Professor
Biostatistics and Medical Informatics

Xinyu Zhao, PhD
Professor
Department of Neuroscience