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Our Team
A dynamic team of mission-driven healthcare research, education and policy experts focused on serving the underserved.
April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP
Vice President and Director
April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP
Vice President and Director
Dr. April Joy Damian is an epidemiologist, health services researcher, and classically trained public health professional with expertise in health equity, social determinants of health, psychiatric epidemiology, and mixed methods. She currently serves as the Vice President and Director of the Weitzman Institute, a research, education, and policy center dedicated to quality improvement and primary care transformation, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Dr. Damian concurrently serves as a Senior Scholar for Health Equity at AcademyHealth, and holds faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Wesleyan University. She provides thought leadership on numerous national committees, including as an appointed Member of the National Academies Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Forum for Children's Well-Being, Member of the Committee on Advocacy and Public Policy (CAPP) and Membership Committee at AcademyHealth, and inaugural Vice-Chair of the Health Equity/Patient Reported Outcomes/Community Engagement Committee of NIH's RECOVER initiative. Dr. Damian previously served as the Director of Quality Innovation at the National Quality Forum (NQF), where she spearheaded the expansion of NQF’s portfolio on social determinants of health quality measures, and co-led the NQF Measure Incubator®, an innovative effort that facilitates efficient measure development and testing through collaboration and partnership, and addresses important aspects of care for which quality measures are underdeveloped or non-existent.
Dr. Damian completed her PhD in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Masters in Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelors of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Highest Honors. She has received numerous recognitions in honor of her role as a social change agent, including the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Community Well-Being Warrior Award, and an honorarium from the University of Delaware.
Dr. Damian completed her PhD in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Masters in Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelors of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Highest Honors. She has received numerous recognitions in honor of her role as a social change agent, including the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Community Well-Being Warrior Award, and an honorarium from the University of Delaware.
Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN
Founder Emeritus, Senior Investigator
Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN
Founder Emeritus, Senior Investigator
Dr. Margaret Flinter is the Senior Vice President and Clinical Director of the Community Health Center, Inc. A family nurse practitioner since 1980, she has held progressive roles in the organization as both clinician and executive leader as it transformed from a storefront clinic to one of the country’s largest FQHCs. In 2005, she founded CHCI’s Weitzman Center as the research and development arm of CHCI, now the Weitzman Institute, and serves as a Senior Faculty of the Institute. Margaret also served as the national co-director of the RWJ Foundation’s LEAP project, which studied exemplar primary care practices across the country. She also serves as the PI and co-Director of the National Technical Training and Assistance Project on Clinical Workforce Development. Margaret has led the national development of a model of post-graduate residency training programs for new nurse practitioners committed to practice careers as primary care providers, particularly in safety net settings and established and chairs the Board of the National Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Consortium. She is the co-host of a weekly radio show, “Conversations on Health Care”, which connects people with issues of health policy, reform, and innovation, and speaks widely on topics related to primary care transformation.
Margaret received her BSN from the University of Connecticut, her MSN from Yale University, and her PhD at the University of Connecticut. She is a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Margaret is a former National Health Service Corps and RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow.
Margaret received her BSN from the University of Connecticut, her MSN from Yale University, and her PhD at the University of Connecticut. She is a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Margaret is a former National Health Service Corps and RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow.
Karen Ashley, EdD
Director of Education
Karen Ashley, EdD
Director of Education
As Director of Education for the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Ashley is responsible for providing leadership and supporting the growth and development of the Weitzman Institute’s diverse educational programs. Dr. Ashley has focused her career on adult education in health and health care, whether in academic or non-profit settings. Her areas of expertise include curriculum design and development, accreditation, faculty development, instructional design, and evaluation. Prior to joining CHC, Dr. Ashley was the Associate Director of Education at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice at Dartmouth College, where she oversaw its MPH, MS, and PhD programs. While at Dartmouth, Dr. Ashley was also the Principal Investigator for a CDC/PEPFAR project in partnership with Boston University’s School of Public Health, and Muhimbili University’s School of Public Health (in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) to redesign Muhimbili’s public health curriculum and offer faculty development seminars. The goal of this nine-year project was to increase the number of public health workers in the field to address HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.
Prior to joining Dartmouth, Karen served as Director of Education for the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, providing continuing education for hospice and end-of-life care providers and volunteers for hospice agencies across North and South Carolina. Before that, she worked with the Northeast Tennessee Area Health Education Center through East Tennessee State University, coordinating continuing education for medical and other health care professionals in 13 counties in Tennessee. Karen completed her EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, MEd in Health Education from the University of Tennessee, and BS in Health and Sport Science from Wake Forest University.
Prior to joining Dartmouth, Karen served as Director of Education for the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, providing continuing education for hospice and end-of-life care providers and volunteers for hospice agencies across North and South Carolina. Before that, she worked with the Northeast Tennessee Area Health Education Center through East Tennessee State University, coordinating continuing education for medical and other health care professionals in 13 counties in Tennessee. Karen completed her EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, MEd in Health Education from the University of Tennessee, and BS in Health and Sport Science from Wake Forest University.
Mandy Lamb, MA
Director of Partnerships and Development
Mandy Lamb, MA
Director of Partnerships and Development
As the Director of Partnerships and Development, Mandy is responsible for stakeholder engagement and capacity building for the organization. She leads the approach and strategy for developing, maintaining and expanding key relationships that are mission-aligned and financially support Weitzman Institute’s research/evaluation, education, and policy priorities.
Mandy joined the Weitzman Institute’s Education Department in 2017, where she was responsible for overseeing the expansion and implementation of Weitzman’s Project ECHO® program. Project ECHO is a disruptive and innovative tele-mentoring program developed at the University of New Mexico, and successfully replicated by the Weitzman Institute, with the goal of reducing disparities in access to specialty care for patients in medically underserved regions. Along with overseeing the implementation of Weitzman ECHO programs, Mandy also led multiple large education and telehealth initiatives. Mandy initially joined the Community Health Center in 2015 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Senior Vice President and Clinical Director, where she supported special initiatives of the executive office and was responsible for managing the Board of Directors for CHC and its affiliates.
Prior to joining the Community Health Center, Mandy was a Research Associate for the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she developed and reported on public opinion polls on various domestic and international health topics, including attitudes on immunizations, infectious disease prevention, and health policy. Mandy obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Saint Michael’s College, and her Masters of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While completing her studies at UMass Amherst, Mandy taught courses and conducted research on health policy and public opinion.
Mandy joined the Weitzman Institute’s Education Department in 2017, where she was responsible for overseeing the expansion and implementation of Weitzman’s Project ECHO® program. Project ECHO is a disruptive and innovative tele-mentoring program developed at the University of New Mexico, and successfully replicated by the Weitzman Institute, with the goal of reducing disparities in access to specialty care for patients in medically underserved regions. Along with overseeing the implementation of Weitzman ECHO programs, Mandy also led multiple large education and telehealth initiatives. Mandy initially joined the Community Health Center in 2015 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Senior Vice President and Clinical Director, where she supported special initiatives of the executive office and was responsible for managing the Board of Directors for CHC and its affiliates.
Prior to joining the Community Health Center, Mandy was a Research Associate for the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she developed and reported on public opinion polls on various domestic and international health topics, including attitudes on immunizations, infectious disease prevention, and health policy. Mandy obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Saint Michael’s College, and her Masters of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While completing her studies at UMass Amherst, Mandy taught courses and conducted research on health policy and public opinion.
Jenni Lane, MA
Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance
Jenni Lane, MA
Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance
Jenni Lane joined the Weitzman Institute in 2022, bringing decades of experience in education to her role as Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance. Jenni has developed and disseminated multiple replicable trainings, practice improvement and change management interventions, and quality improvement initiatives that are currently implemented in health centers, health systems, schools, and community-based organizations across the country. She prioritizes health equity in program design, toward a goal of disrupting and dismantling inequitable practices and systems.
In 1999, Jenni received her Master’s degree in English from Eastern Michigan University, where she taught writing while volunteering at a local family planning clinic. She found her passion for prevention/education work in adolescent sexual health there, and she dedicated herself to improving adolescent health and wellbeing through centering the voices and needs of young people. This launched the next twenty years of her career, where she focused on training and professional development for adolescents and the adult professionals who serve them. Jenni adheres to the principle, “Nothing about us/without us,” through human-centered program development and patient care practices. She brings this perspective and her love of data-driven continuous quality improvement to Weitzman after serving for eight years as Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative. At AHI, Jenni built strong national partnerships and secured funding for many innovative projects, striving to keep youth justice, reproductive justice, and racial and social justice at the center of the work. Jenni has been a proud member of the Youth Engagement committee of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine since its inauguration, and has served on many boards and task forces. She finds joy in her daily morning walks, vegetable growing and cooking, reading, NYT crossword puzzles, and her many treasured relationships.
In 1999, Jenni received her Master’s degree in English from Eastern Michigan University, where she taught writing while volunteering at a local family planning clinic. She found her passion for prevention/education work in adolescent sexual health there, and she dedicated herself to improving adolescent health and wellbeing through centering the voices and needs of young people. This launched the next twenty years of her career, where she focused on training and professional development for adolescents and the adult professionals who serve them. Jenni adheres to the principle, “Nothing about us/without us,” through human-centered program development and patient care practices. She brings this perspective and her love of data-driven continuous quality improvement to Weitzman after serving for eight years as Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative. At AHI, Jenni built strong national partnerships and secured funding for many innovative projects, striving to keep youth justice, reproductive justice, and racial and social justice at the center of the work. Jenni has been a proud member of the Youth Engagement committee of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine since its inauguration, and has served on many boards and task forces. She finds joy in her daily morning walks, vegetable growing and cooking, reading, NYT crossword puzzles, and her many treasured relationships.
Adam Alomari, MPH
Senior Research Associate
Adam Alomari, MPH
Senior Research Associate
Adam Alomari earned his Master of Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. Early on, Adam held numerous research positions, most of which have been part of grant-funded projects/studies focusing on a variety of issues and aspects in regards to overall health, awareness and prevention. Prior to joining Moses/Weitzman, Adam served as a Senior Research Associate for the Cancer Prevention & Control Division for the Family & Community Medicine Department at Texas Tech Health Science Center - El Paso. He contributed to the operation and growth of four large state funded cancer prevention programs that provided free education and screening services to underserved/minority groups; focusing on HPV along with breast, colorectal and cervical cancers. Within a decade, Adam was directly involved in the expansion and progress of each grant, as each program was refunded at least 3 times over and was disseminated throughout 50+ West Texas counties; servicing nearly 70,000 individuals. He spent the latter half of his tenure with TTUHSC overseeing all data components for the Division; focusing on database development, data management, documentation, analysis and visualization. He has contributed to several conference presentations along with co-authoring published work in the research field of cancer awareness and prevention. Adam brings a passion and motivational interest in being able to pinpoint critical needs and share information in exciting, useful and accessible ways.
Shelby Anderson-Badbade, MA
Research and Evaluation Associate
Shelby Anderson-Badbade, MA
Research and Evaluation Associate
Shelby Anderson-Badbade
Research-Evaluation Associate
Shelby Anderson-Badbade is a Research-Evaluation Associate for the Weitzman Institute. Trained as an applied sociocultural anthropologist, her previous research has centered on vulnerable populations with a particular interest in the health and rights of children, migrants, and refugees. Prior to joining Weitzman in September of 2021, Shelby received her MA in Anthropology from Georgia State University where she partnered with a leading local refugee organization to conduct an ethnographic program evaluation focused on their after-school program for refugee youth. In addition to her masters, she has received training in children’s human rights, participatory-action research, and migrant rights.
In her current role, she brings qualitative ethnographic methods and a holistic research perspective to her project teams. She serves on multiple research projects as a qualitative researcher and as a key evaluator for several of Weitzman Institute’s ECHO programs. Shelby believes research and data should be used to empower and center the needs of the vulnerable and disempowered. She hopes her research and evaluation work at Weitzman will help in developing more person-centered research and innovations locally and beyond. Outside of work, Shelby can be found baking sourdough, trying new recipes, hiking local trails, or planning her next travel adventure.
Meaghan Angers
Program Specialist
Meaghan Angers
Program Specialist
Meaghan Angers is the Program Specialist of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) on Clinical Workforce Development at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)/Weitzman Institute. In this role, she supports the activities providing free technical assistance (T/TA) nationally to health centers in the key areas of training the next generation and transforming teams and expanding to emerging issues, such as COVID response T/TA and soon- to-launch HIV prevention T/TA. These activities include outreach to the nation’s federally qualified health centers to enroll them in the activities of the NTTAP, supporting expert faculty in the development of curriculum, materials and nation presentation, and provides technical assistance to enrollees in accessing distance-learning technologies used in the project. Meaghan is responsible for coordinating the NTTAP efforts around evaluation and data analysis.
Brandon Azevedo
Senior Health Policy Analyst
Brandon Azevedo
Senior Health Policy Analyst
Brandon comes to Weitzman with extensive experience working at the local, state and federal level on health policy issues. He has previously worked for several city officials and the Department of Public Health in the Oakland and San Francisco area. He also recently worked at Kaiser Permanente as a Public Affairs and Advocacy specialist. Brandon also comes to us with experience working with FQHCs and other health professionals. He has worked for La Clinica de La Raza in Oakland managing several policy and grant initiatives relevant to their clinical work. In addition, he has spent time at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing supporting their federal legislative efforts.
Julie Beckham
Project Manager
Julie Beckham
Project Manager
Julie Beckham is a Program Manager for the Weitzman Institute. In this role, she manages the development and growth of Education projects, including a large initiative focused on educational innovations for pediatric populations and their caregivers. Also serving as a Quality Improvement Coach, Julie’s diverse experience has given her a dynamic approach to change management and process improvements, working with multi-disciplinary teams within CHCI to create systems that support improved clinical outcomes and high quality primary care.
Prior to becoming a Program Manager at CHCI, Julie worked as a Behavioral Health Care Coordinator in our Population Health Department. In this role, she collaborated with primary care providers and care teams utilizing the Patient-Centered Medical Home model of care to address barriers for high-risk patients, and to build better relationships between patients and their providers.
Julie is responsible for the development of training and implementation for social determinants of health screenings, pediatric and behavioral health initiatives, operational processes, and she continues to align herself with projects that promote overall primary care delivery.
Julie is responsible for the development of training and implementation for social determinants of health screenings, pediatric and behavioral health initiatives, operational processes, and she continues to align herself with projects that promote overall primary care delivery.
Najwa Brown
Research Coordinator I
Najwa Brown
Research Coordinator I
Najwa joined the Weitzman Institute as a Research Coordinator in October 2021. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public health. During her Undergraduate career, she served as a member of multiple clubs, and she has Leadership Experience serving as the Treasurer of the Pre- Health Society at Southern Connecticut State University. Her passion is working with the medically underserved population. Working with the AuORP allows her to be a part of a program that main goal is to achieve health equity for all people regardless of race, age, socioeconomic status, or background.
Jiayi Chen
Research Coordinator I
Jiayi Chen
Research Coordinator I
Jiayi is a Research Coordinator I for the All of Us program at the New London site. She began working for the Weitzman Institute in 2022, where she is responsible for outreach and retention to connect patients with the program.
Jiayi received a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2020. Prior to joining the Weitzman Institute, she worked as a chiropractor assistant, interacting with patients on a daily basis, which sparked her passion in healthcare being a universal right. With the current one-size-fits-all model in place, she hopes to be a part of the change that will lead to more personalized medical care.
Alejandra Duran Sanchez
Research Coordinator II - All of Us Research Program
Alejandra Duran Sanchez
Research Coordinator II - All of Us Research Program
Alejandra is the Research Coordinator II for the All of Us Research program at the New Britain site and responsible for utilizing effective methods to drive enrollment and retention rates. She is also the main Phlebotomist at the site for the All of Us participants. She facilitates the participant’s understanding of the program through education and the high-touch approach. Alejandra has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Humanities and Languages and has wide experience working with the community and she started at CHC as Patient Services Associate at the Bristol Site.
Charise Corsino, MA
Program Director, Nurse Practitioner Residency Programs
Charise Corsino, MA
Program Director, Nurse Practitioner Residency Programs
Charise currently serves as the Program Director for CHCI’s Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Programs. In this role Charise manages the operations and growth of CHCI’s NP Residency Programs of 18 NP Residents across 6 CHCI locations. In addition to her work with CHCI’s NP Residency Program, Charise serves as an expert for the development, execution, and evaluation of NP Residency training programs on a national level. This work includes consulting with external organizations and serving as a faculty on CHCI’s HRSA funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) program focused on workforce development. Charise’s work at Weitzman is focused on workforce development, postgraduate education, and training the next generation of primary care leaders. She is driven by CHCI’s mission that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and is committed to topics of health equity, racial and social justice, and social determinants of health.
Charise joined CHCI in 2010 as the Program Manager for the Statewide Mobile Program and Community Wellness Programs, overseeing the organization’s in-school dental program, Community HealthCorps program, and a portfolio community wellness programs. In 2012, Charise became the Director of Middlesex County Sites, managing the daily operations of three of CHC’s primary care health center locations. She joined the Weitzman Institute in 2014 as the Program Manager for CHCI’s NP Residency Program. Charise is also a certified Clinical Microsystems coach and former Health Leadership Fellow through the Connecticut Health Foundation.
Charise is a native Mainer where she currently lives with her family. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management from the University of Connecticut’s School of Business and a Masters of Arts degree in Health Communication from Emerson College in collaboration with Tufts University School of Medicine.
Charise joined CHCI in 2010 as the Program Manager for the Statewide Mobile Program and Community Wellness Programs, overseeing the organization’s in-school dental program, Community HealthCorps program, and a portfolio community wellness programs. In 2012, Charise became the Director of Middlesex County Sites, managing the daily operations of three of CHC’s primary care health center locations. She joined the Weitzman Institute in 2014 as the Program Manager for CHCI’s NP Residency Program. Charise is also a certified Clinical Microsystems coach and former Health Leadership Fellow through the Connecticut Health Foundation.
Charise is a native Mainer where she currently lives with her family. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management from the University of Connecticut’s School of Business and a Masters of Arts degree in Health Communication from Emerson College in collaboration with Tufts University School of Medicine.
Meaghan Cosgrove
Program Specialist
Meaghan Cosgrove
Program Specialist
Meaghan joined Community Health Center, Inc.’s NP Residency Programs in 2019 as a Program Specialist. In this role, Meaghan oversees the daily operations of CHCI’s Family NP Residency Program, which includes 10 Family NP Residents at five CHCI locations. Meaghan oversees the planning, implementation and operations of the Residency program curriculum as well as managing the overall residency experience. Prior to joining the CHCI NP Residency Program, Meaghan worked in CHCI’s Human Resources Department as a Recruiter.
Anthony DiMartino, MA
Education Specialist
Anthony DiMartino, MA
Education Specialist
Anthony DiMartino, MA, joined the Weitzman Institute as a Program Specialist in November 2021. Here Anthony oversees the day-to-day program management of the Key Populations, Healthy Lifestyle Management & Diabetes, and SMART ECHOs, while also providing support on webinars. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community in conjunction with his professional studies has instilled in him a drive to help improve the lives of marginalized groups in healthcare, and it is his goal to work with programs that will help make a difference in these areas. Previously, he worked as an English teacher and Intervention Specialist in the field of public education. Anthony graduated from Quinnipiac University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching.
While not occupied with work, Anthony can often be found taking care of his handsome cat Jace.
Natalie Ewashkow
Education Specialist
Natalie Ewashkow
Education Specialist
Natalie Ewashkow is an Education Specialist at the Weitzman Institute where she designs and supports the development of program initiatives to provide training and consultation to internal and external professionals.
Natalie came to Weitzman with three years of experience in coordinating and implementing technical training programs within the energy and utilities industry. She holds a bachelor of arts in psychology and a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Hartford.
Outside of work, Natalie loves to read books, enjoys visiting specialty coffee shops and bakeries, and can be found hanging out with her cat Bella.
Natalie joined the Weitzman Institute to be part of something bigger than herself and to transform health care and advocate for health equity through education.
Bianca Flowers, MPH
Project Manager, NTTAP
Bianca Flowers, MPH
Project Manager, NTTAP
Bianca Flowers is the Project Manager for the National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) on Clinical Workforce Development at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)/Weitzman Institute supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In this role, she oversees the program’s implementation and operations, in addition to developing innovations to the program. She is responsible for carrying out tasks related to conducting, coordinating, and supporting the growth and development of NTTAP activities. This includes project objectives, vision, success criteria and measurement, budget, scope, developing an implementation plan, and project management throughout the project. This also includes documentation of these processes, communication with internal CHCI/Weitzman, and external partners nationally.
Most recently, Bianca served as the Health Educator and Special Projects Coordinator at Suwannee River Area Health Education Center (SRAHEC) in Alachua, Florida where she supported the center’s Federal AHEC Scholars Program focused on interprofessional learning for health professions students. Bianca graduated from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in 2016 with her Bachelor’s in Public Health, and she also has a background in higher education and student affairs from working as a SCSU Wellness Center Graduate Intern while pursuing her Master’s of Public Health. One year after graduating in 2019, Bianca successfully passed the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), Inc.’s competency-based examination and became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).
Lynsey Grzejszczak, MHA
Project Manager
Lynsey Grzejszczak, MHA
Project Manager
Lynsey Grzejszczak is a Project Manager for the Research and Evaluation team at Weitzman Institute. She has a passion for health equality, with a specific focus on social determinates of health.
She has been with the organization since 2019 and previously, worked as an Education Program Specialist, focusing on Project ECHO. Within the Project ECHO team, Lynsey managed several ECHOs including Complex Integrated Pediatrics and Advanced Primary Care. Lynsey started as the Department Coordinator of the Weitzman Institute and Executive Assistant to Community Health Center, Inc.’s President and CEO Mark Masselli.
She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in History and Human Rights, and has her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration at the University of Cincinnati.
Outside of her time at the Weitzman Institute, Lynsey enjoys time with her dog, reading, and listening to true crime podcasts.
She has been with the organization since 2019 and previously, worked as an Education Program Specialist, focusing on Project ECHO. Within the Project ECHO team, Lynsey managed several ECHOs including Complex Integrated Pediatrics and Advanced Primary Care. Lynsey started as the Department Coordinator of the Weitzman Institute and Executive Assistant to Community Health Center, Inc.’s President and CEO Mark Masselli.
She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in History and Human Rights, and has her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration at the University of Cincinnati.
Outside of her time at the Weitzman Institute, Lynsey enjoys time with her dog, reading, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Lucy Hewitt
Research-Evaluation Associate
Lucy Hewitt
Research-Evaluation Associate
Lucy is a Research Evaluation Associate at the Weitzman Institute working with the All of Us Program. She has a background in data analysis, visualizations, and urban theory and has previously worked in education and homeless services.
Jhoselyn Jara
Participant Experience Lead
Jhoselyn Jara
Participant Experience Lead
Prior to joining the All of Us team, Jhoselyn was an outreach worker for the Family Wellness Healthy Start program at the New Britain CHC, when the pandemic hit, she split her duties and joined the Eastern Region mobile COVID-19 testing team as one of the site leads, and also briefly worked on the COVID-19 mobile vaccination team. In June 2021, she transitioned into the Weitzman Institute to join the All of Us Research Program as a Participant Experience Lead where her role is to conduct outreach, engagement, and retention strategies to best reach and serve the participants as well as work closely with the research coordinator to recruit potential participants at CHCI sites and facilitate their enrollment into the program.
Jhoselyn graduated from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) with a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology in 2019. She is a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and a New Haven Scholar. In 2021, she received her Master’s degree in Health Psychology from CCSU.
Jhoselyn graduated from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) with a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology in 2019. She is a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and a New Haven Scholar. In 2021, she received her Master’s degree in Health Psychology from CCSU.
Tonantzin Juarez
Senior Health Policy Analyst
Tonantzin Juarez
Senior Health Policy Analyst
Prior to coming to CHC/Weitzman, Tonantzin worked as an Economic Associate at the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica where she provided technical and substantive support to the State Department’s Regional Environmental Hub for Central America and the Caribbean. Her work included research, policy analysis and reporting to advance U.S. government environmental, science, technology and health (ESTH) objectives in the region. She also created and coordinated the Climate Predictive Services for Health Interdisciplinary Working Group with the goal of increasing Central America and Caribbean’s capacity in this area. In West Africa, Tonantzin worked for Agir Pour la Planification Familiale, a project funded by USAID, where she lead monitoring and evaluation for the West African Ambassador Fund (WAAD) grants and supported the development and implementation of various projects related to expanding women’s access to and use of family planning services in five West African countries. She is very proud of her work in the development of a 3-part series of comic books dealing with sexual reproductive health, gender and rights. “Assibi et Salifou: La Premiere Fois” was launched in August 2016 with the goal of increasing youths’ use of sexual reproductive health services.
With the UT Health Brownsville Regional Campus she served as the project manager for the UT Health Mobile Clinic Community Health Worker/Navigator program which provided basic health services to rural areas of Cameron County. She is very proud of leading a needs assessment for the mobile clinic that enhanced and expanded its impact by providing locally-based patient navigators to support screening of BMI, hypertension and to deliver health education presentations and support. She also worked closely with community health workers/promotoras de salud in the implementation of culturally relevant health presentations across Cameron County as part of various health initiatives including the Tu Salud Si Cuenta Health campaign, Salud y Vida Diabetes Prevention Program, and general presentations related to nutrition, physical activity, and colorectal cancer prevention.
Tonantzin grew up dividing her time between the border towns of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros Mexico. She is very proud of her bicultural upbringing which allowed her to see first-hand how social, cultural, economic and political factors affect the health of border residents. Tonantzin is a graduate of UT Brownsville where she double majored in Psychology and History. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from UT San Antonio. Tonantzin is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is proficient in French.
With the UT Health Brownsville Regional Campus she served as the project manager for the UT Health Mobile Clinic Community Health Worker/Navigator program which provided basic health services to rural areas of Cameron County. She is very proud of leading a needs assessment for the mobile clinic that enhanced and expanded its impact by providing locally-based patient navigators to support screening of BMI, hypertension and to deliver health education presentations and support. She also worked closely with community health workers/promotoras de salud in the implementation of culturally relevant health presentations across Cameron County as part of various health initiatives including the Tu Salud Si Cuenta Health campaign, Salud y Vida Diabetes Prevention Program, and general presentations related to nutrition, physical activity, and colorectal cancer prevention.
Tonantzin grew up dividing her time between the border towns of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros Mexico. She is very proud of her bicultural upbringing which allowed her to see first-hand how social, cultural, economic and political factors affect the health of border residents. Tonantzin is a graduate of UT Brownsville where she double majored in Psychology and History. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from UT San Antonio. Tonantzin is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is proficient in French.
MacKenzie Koester, MPH
Research and Evaluation Program Manager
MacKenzie Koester, MPH
Research and Evaluation Program Manager
MacKenzie is a Kansas native, and an alumni of the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she obtained her Master of Public Health degree. She previously worked for the University of Kansas, Department of Physical Activity and Weight Management, where she was a Research Coordinator, and Children’s Mercy Kansas City, where she was as a Research Assistant for the Weighing In program. MacKenzie has primarily worked with special and vulnerable populations including adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, and caregivers of AD patients. MacKenzie will be working as a Research and Evaluation Program Manager for CHC. In her spare time, MacKenzie enjoys spending time with her partner, playing with her pet cats and dogs, working on her parent’s farm and ranch, and cheering on the Jayhawks and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bibian Ladino-Davis
Behavioral Health Coordinator
Bibian Ladino-Davis
Behavioral Health Coordinator
Bibian Ladino-Davis, is a Behavioral Health Coordinator, coordinates with Primary care team members to discuss PCMH+ patients at designated Integrated Care Meeting (ICM), responsible for establish and facilitated ICM’s focus on panel management, chronic disease management, identifying gaps in care and transition of care. Previously, Bibian was the Care Coordinator responsible to schedule patients who have gaps in care for well child visits and those who miss scheduled appointments, also responsible for identifying difficulties in keeping those appointments.
Bibian joined Community Health Center (CHC) in 2015 as a Patient Service Associate at the New London location where she learned the skills to advance to multiple positions. Bibian Graduated from the University of Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, with a dual degrees in International Relations and Diplomacy. After graduation, she moved to Connecticut where she is building her family and career.
Tempestt Latham
Project Specialist, NP Residency Program
Tempestt Latham
Project Specialist, NP Residency Program
Tempestt is the Program Specialist for CHC’s Adult, Psychiatric and Pediatric NP Residency Program, in which she oversees the daily operations of eight residents among the three tracks across multiple CHC locations. Tempestt manages the planning, implementation and administration of the NP Residency Program curriculum as well as management of the overall residency experience.
Prior to joining the CHC NP Residency Program, Tempestt joined CHC in 2018 as a Middlesex County Dental Hygienist for the Mobile Dental Program. She too worked as a Program Manager for the Mobile Dental Program overseeing the organization’s statewide school based dental program.
In addition to her degree in Dental Hygiene, Tempestt earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Healthcare Administration from Charter Oak State College and a Master of Public Health degree from Goodwin University.
Patty Lininger, MA
Program Specialist
Patty Lininger, MA
Program Specialist
Patty has a master’s degree in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention with a focus on children and youths and has extensive study and career experience in emotional-social wellness for early childhood and children. She has been a “Train the Trainer” on related topics, including for A.C.E.S and Trauma-Informed Care, training early educators and child care center directors and ensuring optimal environments and compliance to policy regulations. She was also the supervisor of the health advisors and home educators, coordinating and overseeing Health, Nutrition and Well-being services for all Head Starts and Early Head Starts throughout Pittsburgh and surrounding communities, coaching educators and caregivers on best practices for positive outcomes for children and families despite high-risk environments. She has also served as the family worker/team lead for children exhibiting adverse behaviors, teaching evidence-based parenting classes in cognitive behavior change and mentoring families on best practices and lifestyle modifications to facilitate positive change. She has even worked with the incarcerated as the Director of Therapeutic Activities, focused on cognitive behavior and lifestyle change for inmates that will be reunited with their children and families.
Derrick Matthews, PhD, MPH
Senior Research Scientist
Derrick Matthews, PhD, MPH
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Derrick Matthews is a social and behavioral public health scientist with a focus on the application of quantitative and mixed research methods to understand the experiences of multiply marginalized communities. He was Principal Investigator of an NIAID-funded R21 where he leveraged existing relationships with community-based organizations across the country to bolster HIV surveillance research with Black same-gender loving men and has been co-investigator on several other health equity research projects. He has published extensively on HIV and mental health among Black same-gender loving men, and on other inequities in health behaviors and health care outcomes experienced by LGBTQ+ populations.
Dr. Matthews completed his PhD in Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and BA in English at Rice University. He also completed a training fellowship in LGBT population heath from the Fenway Institute, and a postdoc on HIV disparities at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Prior to coming to the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Matthews was Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC, and previously served as Chair of the American Public Health Association’s LGBTQ Caucus of Public Health Professionals.
Dr. Matthews completed his PhD in Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and BA in English at Rice University. He also completed a training fellowship in LGBT population heath from the Fenway Institute, and a postdoc on HIV disparities at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Prior to coming to the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Matthews was Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior at UNC, and previously served as Chair of the American Public Health Association’s LGBTQ Caucus of Public Health Professionals.
Maximillian Morris, MPH
Research and Evaluation Associate
Maximillian Morris, MPH
Research and Evaluation Associate
Maximillian Morris, MSPH
Research and Evaluation Associate
Max is a research and evaluation associate within Weitzman education. He plans and assists with the evaluation for various Weitzman ECHOs, as well as monitoring other Weitzman research projects. He has a B.A in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of Public Health. He has a passion for travel, the beach, and all things sweet!
Rosie Motz, MPH, MA, RDN
Program Manager for Education
Rosie Motz, MPH, MA, RDN
Program Manager for Education
Rosie Motz is an Education Program Manager at the Weitzman Institute, where she oversees the design, management, and evaluation of educational projects including the HRSA Telehealth Technology-Enabled Learning Program, Project ECHOs in Ohio, and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing Project ECHO. Rosie joined the Weitzman institute in 2020 and has held the roles of Education Program Specialist and Summer Transformation Fellow. Rosie brings over 9 years of experience in the field of public health nutrition and is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Her dedication to her work with marginalized and underserved populations stems from her conviction that every person deserves full and equitable access to healthcare and food as a human right.
Rosie earned an MPH in Behavioral, Social, Community Health and MA in Latin American Studies from Indiana University Bloomington and holds a BS in Dietetics and BA in Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton. Her research, during her dual MPH-MA, investigated food insecurity and the food system of the indigenous Peruvian Quechua population, where she spent over 6 months in Peru learning the Quechua language and culture, conducting her research, and working at a local health nonprofit. In her role before joining Weitzman, she worked as a community dietitian with disadvantaged populations in Chicago including recently resettled refugees, people experiencing housing insecurity, and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Rosie lives in Bloomington, Indiana where, in her spare time, she enjoys playing in her garden, adventuring outdoors, and experimenting in her kitchen.
Rosie earned an MPH in Behavioral, Social, Community Health and MA in Latin American Studies from Indiana University Bloomington and holds a BS in Dietetics and BA in Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton. Her research, during her dual MPH-MA, investigated food insecurity and the food system of the indigenous Peruvian Quechua population, where she spent over 6 months in Peru learning the Quechua language and culture, conducting her research, and working at a local health nonprofit. In her role before joining Weitzman, she worked as a community dietitian with disadvantaged populations in Chicago including recently resettled refugees, people experiencing housing insecurity, and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Rosie lives in Bloomington, Indiana where, in her spare time, she enjoys playing in her garden, adventuring outdoors, and experimenting in her kitchen.
Thelma Nanbigne
Research Coordinator I
Thelma Nanbigne
Research Coordinator I
May Oo is a Senior Research/Evaluation Associate at the Weitzman Institute. She provides her support for Prescription for Play, a program coordinated by The LEGO Foundation to promote ‘play’ for pediatric (18- to 36-month old) patients. May is also involved with other research projects at Weitzman, including data analysis and preparation of manuscripts and grants. May is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Quinnipiac University. Prior to Weitzman Institute, May was an office administrator and dental assistant in Burlington, MA. May obtained a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Dental Medicine, Yangon and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. During her time as a graduate student, May completed an orthopedic/musculoskeletal research internship, which studied the relationship between age, firefighting experience, and dynamic balance ability, as well as gastrocnemius muscle length and single-leg balance ability among male career active-duty firefighters.
Claire Newby, MPH
Program Specialist
Claire Newby, MPH
Program Specialist
Claire Newby joined the Weitzman Institute as a Program Specialist in June 2022. In this role, Claire works with the Project ECHO team and faculty on programs including Pain and Diabetes + Healthy Lifestyle Management, as well as serving on the team involved in the Waterbury Health Literacy Project. As a Program Specialist, Claire oversees the logistical management of these projects and collaborates with faculty and partners to ensure that learning objectives are being met and the programs are providing efficient and productive education opportunities to providers across the nation. Within Weitzman, Claire is also a member of the E3 (Expanding Equity in Education) Committee, which seeks to expand the reach of justice, equity, and diversity initiatives throughout the organization and its programs.
Claire graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in 2020, and went on to receive a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Prior to joining the team at Weitzman, Claire has experience working in public health and healthcare in a multitude of capacities, including roles such as a collegiate peer health educator, mental health advocate for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, an Autism services paraprofessional for preschool and school aged children, and a services coordinator for students in recovery from substance use disorders. Claire’s interests lie in health equity and access, and she is proud to use her role as a Program Specialist to reduce health disparities and encourage best practices among providers.
Claire graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in 2020, and went on to receive a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Prior to joining the team at Weitzman, Claire has experience working in public health and healthcare in a multitude of capacities, including roles such as a collegiate peer health educator, mental health advocate for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, an Autism services paraprofessional for preschool and school aged children, and a services coordinator for students in recovery from substance use disorders. Claire’s interests lie in health equity and access, and she is proud to use her role as a Program Specialist to reduce health disparities and encourage best practices among providers.
Abigal Ofori, MHA, MBA
Program Specialist
Abigal Ofori, MHA, MBA
Program Specialist
Abby is a Program Specialist for Weitzman Institute where she primarily serves on the implementation team of the Prescription for Play program, a partnership with the LEGO Foundation to promote learning through play at pediatric primary care visits in clinics across the country. In this role, she provides insight to provider relations, program coordination and process improvement to support equitable health care opportunities to thrive in underserved communities. Prior to this role, she worked on the NIH All of Us Research Program also within Weitzman Institute as the Internal Program Specialist. She coordinated internal operational aspects of the AoU program and provided oversight and management of the Research Coordinators.
Before joining CHC and Weitzman in 2022, she was simultaneously working as a School Based Health Center Care Coordinator with Intercommunity Healthcare and as a Pharmacy Technician with CVS Pharmacy. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Business Administration from University of Hartford and her dual Masters of Health Administration/Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She also has a passionate background in faith based philanthropic initiatives. Abby is a native of Connecticut, born and raised but loves to travel, plan/coordinate events, cook, bake, explore new adventures and spend quality time with her loved ones.
Before joining CHC and Weitzman in 2022, she was simultaneously working as a School Based Health Center Care Coordinator with Intercommunity Healthcare and as a Pharmacy Technician with CVS Pharmacy. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Business Administration from University of Hartford and her dual Masters of Health Administration/Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She also has a passionate background in faith based philanthropic initiatives. Abby is a native of Connecticut, born and raised but loves to travel, plan/coordinate events, cook, bake, explore new adventures and spend quality time with her loved ones.
May Oo, MPH
Senior Research/Evaluation Associate
May Oo, MPH
Senior Research/Evaluation Associate
May Oo is a Senior Research/Evaluation Associate at the Weitzman Institute. She provides her support for Prescription for Play, a program coordinated by The LEGO Foundation to promote ‘play’ for pediatric (18- to 36-month old) patients. May is also involved with other research projects at Weitzman, including data analysis and preparation of manuscripts and grants. May is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Quinnipiac University. Prior to Weitzman Institute, May was an office administrator and dental assistant in Burlington, MA. May obtained a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Dental Medicine, Yangon and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. During her time as a graduate student, May completed an orthopedic/musculoskeletal research internship, which studied the relationship between age, firefighting experience, and dynamic balance ability, as well as gastrocnemius muscle length and single-leg balance ability among male career active-duty firefighters.
Reilly Orner
Education Specialist
Reilly Orner
Education Specialist
Reilly Orner is an educator at heart, which is a passion that lends itself well to her role as an Education Specialist at the Weitzman Institute. In this role, Reilly manages the programming logistics, faculty coordination, and curriculum planning for multiple ECHO programs. Before her time at Weitzman, Reilly was a high school Spanish teacher and middle school youth program director in her home state of Minnesota. She is passionate about learning from the rich and unique experiences of those she meets through travel and work. She attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN where she had the opportunity to study abroad both for a semester in Costa Rica and a month in South Africa. She continues to keep in touch with both of her host families.
Reilly enjoys good food, traveling, and exploring a few of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes with her husband, son, and two golden retrievers.
Reilly enjoys good food, traveling, and exploring a few of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes with her husband, son, and two golden retrievers.
Lilybet Ortega
Care Coordinator
Lilybet Ortega
Care Coordinator
Lilybet is the Care Coordinator for the Patient Centered Medical Home Plus Model (PCMH +) for the Population Health team. In her role as a Care Coordinator, she is responsible for scheduling patient’s visits for those PCMH+ patients who have gaps in care for well child visits and those who missed scheduled appointments. In the Care Coordinator role, she is also responsible for helping the patients to keep established visits and problem solves when there are identified difficulties in keeping those appointments. Lilybet also performs the Social Determinants of Health screening on our PCMH + patients who are discussed in our Integrated Care Meetings (ICM), which focuses on panel management, chronic disease management, identifying gaps in care, and transition of care.
Lilybet join Community Health Center (CHC) in 2012 as a Medical Assistant at our school base health center (SBHC) located in Hamden and in Meriden. Lilybet went on to completing her National Center for Competency Testing in 2012 and became certified and licensed as a Medical Assistant.
Prior to working at Community Health Center, Lilybet worked at Gaylord Hospital for 6 years as an Intake Benefit Representative. In her role as an Intake Benefit Representative, she worked with insurance companies on verifications and authorizations for patient’s rehabilitation visits. She also worked as a Medical Assistant.
Born in New York City and raised in The Bronx, Lilybet enjoys visiting her family in New York when she can, spending time with her grandchildren, and doing Yoga on her spare time.
Lilybet join Community Health Center (CHC) in 2012 as a Medical Assistant at our school base health center (SBHC) located in Hamden and in Meriden. Lilybet went on to completing her National Center for Competency Testing in 2012 and became certified and licensed as a Medical Assistant.
Prior to working at Community Health Center, Lilybet worked at Gaylord Hospital for 6 years as an Intake Benefit Representative. In her role as an Intake Benefit Representative, she worked with insurance companies on verifications and authorizations for patient’s rehabilitation visits. She also worked as a Medical Assistant.
Born in New York City and raised in The Bronx, Lilybet enjoys visiting her family in New York when she can, spending time with her grandchildren, and doing Yoga on her spare time.
Colleen Phillips
Instructional Design Specialist
Colleen Phillips
Instructional Design Specialist
Colleen is an Instructional Design Specialist for the Weitzman Education team. Colleen works to continually improve our education programs and develop engaging synchronous and asynchronous content to support our mission.
Previously, Colleen worked in higher education where she assisted faculty with the development of online courses for undergraduate and graduate programs. She also has experience creating synchronous and asynchronous training curricula and instructional materials in secondary school and corporate settings.
Colleen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Villanova University, a Master of Education degree in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University – New Brunswick, and a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology degree from Saint Joseph’s University of PA.
Ariel Porto
Senior Program Manager, Education
Ariel Porto
Senior Program Manager, Education
Ariel Porto is a Senior Program Manager at the Weitzman Institute where her work focuses on the conceptualization and development of education initiatives for health care professionals. Previously at the Weitzman Institute, Ariel had four years of hands-on experience as a Program Coordinator, followed by two years as the Program Manager of Project ECHO® which included training and supervising the Project ECHO operations team of Education Specialists during a period of rapid growth. In her current role, Ariel is integral to the design and development of new programs, leads stakeholder relationships, reviews and streamlines program operations, and co-leads the Weitzman Institute’s Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education (CEU) activities.
Prior to this position, Ariel managed the support department for an elder law website and taught English to children in Japan, developing diverse technology and communication skills lending to the dynamic perspective she brings to program management. She completed a dual Bachelor's Degree in Communications and English Literature at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ariel is focused on developing and utilizing interventions to solve for major public health disparities, with a particular passion for the effective integration of mental health and wellness services to improve key health indicators.
Prior to this position, Ariel managed the support department for an elder law website and taught English to children in Japan, developing diverse technology and communication skills lending to the dynamic perspective she brings to program management. She completed a dual Bachelor's Degree in Communications and English Literature at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Ariel is focused on developing and utilizing interventions to solve for major public health disparities, with a particular passion for the effective integration of mental health and wellness services to improve key health indicators.
Nikita Reyes-Nieves, MPH
Education Program Specialist
Nikita Reyes-Nieves, MPH
Education Program Specialist
Nikita Reyes-Nieves is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute where she works closely with the Weitzman ECHO team and faculty on the Women’s Health ECHO, Complex Care Management ECHO, and LEGO projects. She joined Weitzman Institute as a Research Coordinator for the All of Us Research Program in December of 2020. She was responsible for collecting data, building diversity within research, and much more!
Nikita graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2019 as an Eta Sigma Gamma Health Education Honorary and a New Haven Promise Scholar with a B.S. in Public Health. In May 2022, she received her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Women’s Health from SCSU. Nikita has a passion for empowering women and being a voice for underrepresented/underserved populations. In her free time, she enjoys spontaneous trips with her husband, cooking, and spending time with her Siberian husky, Nala.
Nikita graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2019 as an Eta Sigma Gamma Health Education Honorary and a New Haven Promise Scholar with a B.S. in Public Health. In May 2022, she received her Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Women’s Health from SCSU. Nikita has a passion for empowering women and being a voice for underrepresented/underserved populations. In her free time, she enjoys spontaneous trips with her husband, cooking, and spending time with her Siberian husky, Nala.
Peyton Rogers, MPH
Research and Evaluation Associate
Peyton Rogers, MPH
Research and Evaluation Associate
Peyton Rogers obtained her Master of Public Health in Behavioral Social and Health Education Sciences (BSHES) from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. Before joining CHC, Peyton served as a Research Coordinator/Assistant in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she was responsible for managing and assisting a study focused on Black female adolescent experiences with reproductive health counseling in primary care. Peyton has also had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant at reproductive justice organizations: such as Sisterlove, Inc, and RISE (The Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast). She worked on studies that focused on improving reproductive health and equity of people in the U.S Southeast through research, education, policy, and community engagement. Peyton has contributed to conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles based on her work. She brings expertise in qualitative research, program evaluation, program planning, and community-centered and participatory research.
Amanda Schiessl, MPP
Project Director / Co-Principal Investigator
Amanda Schiessl, MPP
Project Director / Co-Principal Investigator
Amanda Schiessl (she/her), MPP, is the Project Director/Co-Principal Investigator of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAP) on Clinical Workforce Development at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)/Weitzman Institute. In this role, she leads CHC’s work in creating, implementing, and executing free innovative training and technical assistance (T/TA) nationally to health centers in the key areas of training the next generation, transforming teams and newly expanded to emerging issues such as COVID response T/TA and soon-to-launch HIV prevention T/TA. Amanda served as Co-Principal Investigator on the creation of an organizational readiness tool to implement change in Federally Qualified Health Centers, resulting in the creation of the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool. She recently project-managed CHC’s statewide COVID-19 testing efforts in collaboration with the State of Connecticut. Amanda also served as the site lead for Connecticut’s first mass vaccination drive-through clinic, supporting efforts to design, launch and innovate workflows and processes for mass vaccinations.
Amanda started at CHC as the first Interprofessional Student Coordinator. Her diverse background in higher education provided her with the skills to develop systems needed to support efforts to train the next generation of health care professionals as outlined in the CHC Healthcare Student Playbook. She provided support to two HRSA grant partnerships with affiliated academic institutions with the objectives of providing comprehensive didactic and clinical experiences that prepare students to deliver effective integrated care services upon graduation within complex health settings for medically underserved communities. Amanda completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Allied Health at the University of Connecticut and received a Masters of Public Policy degree with a Health Policy concentration from Trinity College.
Amanda started at CHC as the first Interprofessional Student Coordinator. Her diverse background in higher education provided her with the skills to develop systems needed to support efforts to train the next generation of health care professionals as outlined in the CHC Healthcare Student Playbook. She provided support to two HRSA grant partnerships with affiliated academic institutions with the objectives of providing comprehensive didactic and clinical experiences that prepare students to deliver effective integrated care services upon graduation within complex health settings for medically underserved communities. Amanda completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Allied Health at the University of Connecticut and received a Masters of Public Policy degree with a Health Policy concentration from Trinity College.
Melissa Sigua
Research Coordinator
Melissa Sigua
Research Coordinator
Melissa joined the Weitzman Institute in January of 2021. She is a Research Coordinator for the NIH’s All of Us Research Program (AoURP). Her role encompasses participant outreach, education, data and biospecimen collections. She enjoys building rapport with participants but also credence about the program among her community. Her support has facilitated the successful re-opening of the AoURP at New London’s Community Health Center.
Melissa earned a Bachelor’s of Biology with a minor in Microbiology at the University of Connecticut in 2017. During her time as an undergraduate student, she studied American Sign Language and volunteered at Americares Free Clinic in Stamford CT, as a Medical Translator. Prior to Weitzman Institute, she worked as an Advanced Clinical Associate at an urgent care facility and as a Medical Scribe for various specialties. She gained vast experience and medical knowledge while working indirectly and directly with patients. While simultaneously serving her community and earning her degree, her commitment to improving healthcare disparities was sparked. She noticed that although modern medical practices enabled people to live longer and live better quality lives, the majority of these opportunities are restricted to many individuals due to their socioeconomic status. Her passion is to work with patients and programs that assist in bridging this gap.
Melissa earned a Bachelor’s of Biology with a minor in Microbiology at the University of Connecticut in 2017. During her time as an undergraduate student, she studied American Sign Language and volunteered at Americares Free Clinic in Stamford CT, as a Medical Translator. Prior to Weitzman Institute, she worked as an Advanced Clinical Associate at an urgent care facility and as a Medical Scribe for various specialties. She gained vast experience and medical knowledge while working indirectly and directly with patients. While simultaneously serving her community and earning her degree, her commitment to improving healthcare disparities was sparked. She noticed that although modern medical practices enabled people to live longer and live better quality lives, the majority of these opportunities are restricted to many individuals due to their socioeconomic status. Her passion is to work with patients and programs that assist in bridging this gap.
Becca Tavernier, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Becca Tavernier, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Becca Tavernier is a licensed clinical health psychologist with a focus on maternal and child health promotion. Much of her work has involved developing and evaluating clinical trials aimed at improving smoking, mental health, and weight-related outcomes among perinatal persons. An additional area of interest has centered on identifying and addressing health disparities in vulnerable populations of perinatal people, including those living in rural areas and those with a history of childhood maltreatment. She currently serves as co-investigator on two NIH-funded studies focused on postpartum smoking relapse prevention and identifying personality predictors of perinatal health outcomes. She has published widely in the field of perinatal health.
Dr. Tavernier completed her BS in psychology and BA in philosophy at the University of Washington, and her joint PhD in clinical and biological health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She went on to complete her clinical residency at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and her postdoctoral fellowship training in epidemiology and translational science at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tavernier maintains an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. She has worked as both a researcher and clinician and has specialty certification in perinatal mental health.
Dr. Tavernier completed her BS in psychology and BA in philosophy at the University of Washington, and her joint PhD in clinical and biological health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She went on to complete her clinical residency at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and her postdoctoral fellowship training in epidemiology and translational science at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tavernier maintains an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. She has worked as both a researcher and clinician and has specialty certification in perinatal mental health.
Angela Taylor, MPH, CPH
Health Policy Fellow
Angela Taylor, MPH, CPH
Health Policy Fellow
Angela obtained her Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Oakwood University. Prior to joining Weitzman/CHC, Angela interned at Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas in Fort Worth, TX, where she assisted the milk bank in developing its first health equity action plan to ensure equitable distribution and access to donor human milk. For the past two years, she has been a member of the Tarrant County Birth Equity Collaborative, a community member organization seeking to identify strategies to reduce birth inequities in Tarrant County. Angela has also had the opportunity to serve as a graduate research assistant at UNTHSC and worked on a research project with the Episcopal Health Foundation to provide a landscape of reproductive health in Texas. She seeks to improve maternal and child health outcomes, especially among minority women and children, through health policy research and a health equity framework.
Idiana Velez
Weitzman Institute Project Manager
Idiana Velez
Weitzman Institute Project Manager
Idiana Velez is the Project Manager for Research and Evaluation at Weitzman Institute. Idiana has 16 years of experience working in the human services field serving key populations and has always had a passion for helping underserved communities. Idiana worked for the Community Health Center, Inc.'s Center for Key Populations (CKP) as the PrEP Navigator and HIV Education Coordinator where her work focused on the uptake of PrEP. Through this position, Idiana took the lead in educating providers on PrEP and obtaining buy-in, as well as training the MA staff on how to approach patients that can benefit from PrEP. In her time working with CKP, Idiana assisted in the recruitment of focus groups for a research project on SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) data collection and compilation. Before starting at the Weitzman Institute, Idiana worked as a Grants Manager at an LGBTQ+ primary care center, managing a prevention grant from the Department of Public Health on PrEP and HIV Prevention.
In her current role as a Project Manager for the Weitzman Institute, Idiana contributes to multiple research projects by conducting patient interviews as well as assisting with patient recruitment and FQHC recruitment for project rollouts at the national level. She also brings her expertise in working with marginalized populations to meet the needs of the Weitzman Institute's diverse research portfolio. Additionally, Idiana plays a significant role in the development for Weitzman by actively seeking funding opportunities and leading the WI Internal Funding Committee. She also provides support for our grant writers by tracking all activities during the writing process as well as all components of the applications. Idiana has cross-department roles within Research and Education and provides administrative support to the VP/Director as well as the Director of Partnerships and Development at Weitzman Institute.
In her current role as a Project Manager for the Weitzman Institute, Idiana contributes to multiple research projects by conducting patient interviews as well as assisting with patient recruitment and FQHC recruitment for project rollouts at the national level. She also brings her expertise in working with marginalized populations to meet the needs of the Weitzman Institute's diverse research portfolio. Additionally, Idiana plays a significant role in the development for Weitzman by actively seeking funding opportunities and leading the WI Internal Funding Committee. She also provides support for our grant writers by tracking all activities during the writing process as well as all components of the applications. Idiana has cross-department roles within Research and Education and provides administrative support to the VP/Director as well as the Director of Partnerships and Development at Weitzman Institute.
Katrina Yamazaki, PhD
Principal Investigator, All of Us Research Program / Senior Research Scientist
Katrina Yamazaki, PhD
Principal Investigator, All of Us Research Program / Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Katrina Yamazaki is the Principal Investigator for the All of Us Research Program and Senior Research Scientist at Weitzman Institute. Dr. Katrina Yamazaki received her Ph.D. from UC San Diego where she used x-ray imaging and biochemical techniques to study the mechanisms by which abnormal wall motion leads to an upregulation of inflammation in the heart. Dr. Yamazaki was a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal State LA where she ran a cardiovascular metabolism research lab and taught multiple courses related to human anatomy, physiology and pathology. She also served as program coordinator and director for the California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation undergraduate program and Bridge to Doctorate program for graduate students, which prepared students facing socioeconomic, educational and financial barriers for STEM graduate programs and/or the STEM workforce. Dr. Yamazaki brings her experience in research, mentoring, program oversight and working with a diverse community to her role at Weitzman Institute.