Our Team

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Our Team

A dynamic team of mission-driven healthcare research, education and policy experts focused on serving the underserved.

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April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP

Chief Scientific Officer and Director

April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP

Chief Scientific Officer 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.

Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN

Founder Emeritus, Senior Investigator, Senior Faculty

Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN

Founder Emeritus, Senior Investigator, Senior Faculty

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.

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.

Mandy Lamb, MA

Director of Strategic Operations

Mandy Lamb, MA

Director of Strategic Operations

As the Director of Strategic Operations, Mandy is responsible for stakeholder engagement and capacity building for the Institute. She oversees various operational aspects of the Institute to ensure efficient and effective functioning across all three arms of the Institute (research, education and policy), in addition to the Institute’s work with other Moses Weitzman Health System affiliates. Mandy plays a critical role in driving organizational growth and advancing the mission of the Institute. She leads the approach and strategy for developing, maintaining and expanding key relationships that are mission-aligned and financially support the Institute’s priorities. As part of her role, she oversees the faculty appointment and recruitment process for the Institute. Since 2021, Mandy has also served as the project lead for the Institute’s collaboration with the LEGO Group to bring to scale the national Prescription for Play program.

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 Moses Weitzman Health System, 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.

Cassandra Okechukwu, ScD, MSN, MPH

Director of Research

Cassandra Okechukwu, ScD, MSN, MPH

Director of Research

Dr. Cassandra Okechukwu is the Director of Research at the Weitzman Institute. A nurse and social epidemiologist, she has devoted more than twenty years to turning rigorous science into practical tools that strengthen care delivery and improve health and economic outcomes for historically underserved populations. Her connection to community health centers began in 1998, when as a student nurse in Baltimore she first saw how they could combine clinical care with social care to transform lives. That experience continues to shape her vision for research that is community-driven and actionable.

Cassandra’s career spans academia, government consulting, and the private sector. She served as Vice President of Health Equity Research at UnitedHealth Group, leading enterprise-wide research on AI/ML governance and care redesign. At MITRE Health, she was Principal and Senior Advisor on Social Determinants of Health, serving as scientific lead on federally funded projects that produced technology tools now used by HRSA and CMS.

As faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, she conducted observational and experimental research on workplaces as social determinants of health, and co-directed the Harvard/Dana Farber Cancer Center Cancer Prevention Fellowship, and was one of the principal investigators on the Work, Family, and Health Network Study, and Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Wellbeing. She continues to serve as Adjunct Associate Professor at Harvard.

Her honors include the BEYA Award for Research Leadership, the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Work-Family Research Excellence, the APHA James Zimmer New Investigator Award, and Best Paper at the IESE VI International Conference on Work and Family. Cassandra earned her Doctor of Science in Social Epidemiology from Harvard, Master’s degrees in Public Health and Nursing from Johns Hopkins, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at UCSF and UC Berkeley.

Ariel Porto, MPH

Assistant Director of Education Operations

Ariel Porto, MPH

Assistant Director of Education Operations

Ariel Porto is the Assistant Director of Education Operations at the Weitzman Institute where her work focuses on the conceptualization and development of virtual continuing education initiatives such as Project ECHO, webinars, on-demand modules, and learning collaboratives for health care professionals. Across a robust historical and current portfolio of projects, Ariel leads programs that apply one or more of these modalities regionally and across the country to solve for major health disparities in topic areas such as substance use disorder, psychiatric conditions, diabetes, and women’s health. Ariel has nearly a decade of experience in this field, including hands-on as a Program Coordinator, serving as the Program Manager to train and supervise an operations team of Program Specialists during a period of rapid growth, and program oversight as the Senior Program Manager for Education. In her current role, Ariel is integral to the funding, design, and development of new programs, leads stakeholder relationships with a variety partners from federal and nonprofit agencies and health plans, provides collaborative and compassionate leadership and mentorship to a diverse and skilled Education team, and co-leads the Weitzman Institute’s Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education (CEU) activities. Ariel promotes resilient collaborations between research and education program implementation staff, ensuring that the Weitzman Institute’s findings and best practices are disseminated nationally through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, often through the lens of implementation science. 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 that lend to the dynamic perspective she brings to leadership. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed a dual Bachelor's Degree in Communications and English Literature at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.

Becca Tavernier, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Becca Tavernier, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Becca Tavernier is a licensed clinical health psychologist with over 12 years of experience developing and implementing treatment approaches to improve maternal and child health. She is a Senior Research Scientist at the Weitzman Institute where her program of research incorporates mixed methods and centers social determinants of health. Her work focuses on identifying and addressing health disparities, engaging community, and implementing novel treatment approaches. She is the principal investigator of the Prescription for Play program—a nationally-implemented play-promotion intervention delivered during standard 18- to 36-month well-child checks—and has served as co-investigator and key personnel on numerous federally and privately funded initiatives to improve the health and health care of birthing people and their children. Dr. Tavernier also holds specialty certification in perinatal mental health and is the sole owner of a private practice where she works with clients experiencing perinatal mental health concerns and fertility challenges. 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 where she aids in the education and training of future medical providers.

She has worked as both a researcher and clinician and has specialty certification in perinatal mental health.

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.

Humyra Ali, MPH, CHES

Program Manager, Education

Humyra Ali, MPH, CHES

Program Manager, Education

Humyra Ali is a Program Manager at the Weitzman Institute, where she manages educational activities designed for health care professionals across the full program lifecycle. Certified as a Health Education Specialist, she is passionate about creating accessible and impactful learning opportunities that equip those she serves to better meet the needs of their communities. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to health equity, with a focus on expanding access to high-quality care in community health settings and addressing policy and educational barriers affecting underserved communities. Humyra joined the Weitzman Institute in 2024 as an Education Program Specialist before transitioning into her current role as Program Manager. Prior to joining the Weitzman Institute, she served as an Outreach Services Educator for Northwell Health, primarily working with the Wellness on Wheels Program, where she created and facilitated curriculum to address food insecurity and promote healthy eating among pediatric populations. She was also a founding member of the New York Birth Control Access Project's Associate Board, advancing reproductive health access and rights across New York State through community-based education and grassroots advocacy. Her professional interests include reproductive health, food as medicine, and social determinants of health. Humyra holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Hofstra University.

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.

Coralie Arango

Education Program Specialist

Coralie Arango

Education Program Specialist

Coralie Arango is a dedicated professional with a background in psychology, holding a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Bridgeport. Currently serving as the Education Specialist at Moses Weitzman Health System in Meriden, CT, Coralie oversees administrative operations, providing technical assistance to program staff, ensuring quality assurance, and developing educational presentations and curriculum. With a proven track record in healthcare, Coralie has honed skills in customer service, data entry, and program coordination. Previous roles include Operations Coordinator at the Meriden branch of Community Health Center, where multitasking and maintaining a high standard of care were paramount. With a rich history of providing support to individuals with mental and physical disabilities, Coralie Arango is not only proficient in English and Spanish but also brings a compassionate approach to every role, fostering independence and well-being within diverse communities.

Arlina Beltran

Research Coordinator

Arlina Beltran

Research Coordinator

As Program Manager for Education, Dr. Bommarito is responsible for the management of a number of education activities for health professionals at the Weitzman Institute. Her areas of expertise include maternal and reproductive health, continuing education for the health care team, institutional and programmatic accreditation, and qualitative and quantitative research. Prior to joining the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Bommarito held a variety of positions in education, accreditation, and research, including Accreditation and Direct Education Manager at the Minnesota Medical Association, Accreditation Coordinator at the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, and Research Scientist at the University of Minnesota, Department of Family Social Science. She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and BA in Health Science from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

Rachael Bommarito, PhD

Senior Program Manager for Education

Rachael Bommarito, PhD

Senior Program Manager for Education

As Senior Program Manager for Education, Dr. Bommarito is responsible for the management of a number of education activities for health professionals at the Weitzman Institute. Her areas of expertise include maternal and reproductive health, continuing education for the interdisciplinary health care team, accreditation, and qualitative and quantitative research. Prior to joining the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Bommarito held a variety of positions in education, accreditation, and research, including Accreditation and Direct Education Manager at the Minnesota Medical Association, Accreditation Coordinator at the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, Research Scientist at the University of Minnesota, and Community Faculty at Metropolitan State University. She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and BA in Health Science from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

Anthony DiMartino, MA

Manager of Operations and Systems

Anthony DiMartino, MA

Manager of Operations and Systems

Anthony Dimartino, MA (they/them) is the Manager of Operations and Systems for the Weitzman Institute, where they lead program coordination and strategic initiatives across multiple teams and departments. They joined the Weitzman Institute in 2021 as an Education Program Specialist, managing day-to-day operations for many of Weitzman's Project ECHOs, including Weitzman ECHO Key Populations — a program they have continued to champion and now lead as program manager. Anthony currently manages and leads the expansion of Weitzman's External Joint Providerships for CME/CE accreditation as well as Weitzman's Joint Partnerships CRM, develops and sustains large data management systems for programs including Prescription 4 Play and GROWING-BH, and drives cross-functional projects throughout the organization to streamline workflows and build organizational capacity. Within Weitzman, Anthony co-leads the Expanding Equity Everywhere (E3) Committee, leads the Promoting Ongoing ECHOs (POE) Team and Stay Interviews Committee, and serves on Team IMPAcT and the Accreditation Committee.

Anthony is passionate about advancing health equity for underserved populations, with specific focus on HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ care, harm reduction, and mental health. Drawing on their background as a certified educator, Anthony brings their instructional expertise and extensive background in secondary education to all the work they do. They are a proud graduate of Quinnipiac University, where they earned their BA in English and MA in Teaching. In their free time, Anthony enjoys creative writing, video games, and caring for their handsome cat, Jace.

Alejandra Duran-Bova

Program Manager

Alejandra Duran-Bova

Program Manager

Alejandra graduated with a Bachelors of Education and Languages from the Libre University in Colombia. She has devoted the past five years to a successful career in healthcare. Beginning as a Patient Services Associate (PSA) at CHCI, and then transitioned to the role of Research Coordinator for the All of Us Research Program. Her commitment to advancing healthcare excellence led Alejandra to assume the position of Quality Assurance and Training Lead. In this role, she played an essential part in maintaining and enhancing operational standards while overseeing training initiatives. Currently serving as a Program Manager, Alejandra continues to bring her expertise to the forefront, coordinating comprehensive healthcare programs with precision and strategic insight.

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®).

Kissairy Guareno Pena

Participant Experience Lead

Kissairy Guareno Pena

Participant Experience Lead

Shannon Hanson, MSW

Senior Program Manager

Shannon Hanson, MSW

Senior Program Manager

Shannon Hanson is a Senior Program Manager for Education at the Weitzman Institute, where she oversees the planning and implementation of multiple continuing education initiatives for health care professionals nationwide. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of diverse educational programs, collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, and leads and mentors teams to ensure high-quality, impactful learning experiences. She is committed to advancing innovative, equitable, and community-responsive educational approaches that strengthen the health care workforce. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Fairfield University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Connecticut.

Lynsey G. Huppe, MHA

Program Manager, Research

Lynsey G. Huppe, MHA

Program Manager, Research

Lynsey G. Huppe is a Program 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.

Julia Karlin, MS

Junior Project Manager

Julia Karlin, MS

Junior Project Manager

Julia Karlin is a Junior Program Manger for the Weitzman Institute on the Prescription for Play program, which embeds learning through play into pediatric well-child visits through provider education and free play kits in partnership with the LEGO® group and foundation. In this role Julia works to spread the model of Prescription for Play and educate pediatric providers on the importance of play for early childhood development. Julia is passionate about health, health equity, and social justice. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Diversity and Social Justice at East Carolina University, Julia went on to receive her Masters in Integrative Health and Wellness from Creighton University’s School of Medicine. Julia is proud to be a part of the Weitzman Institute and contribute to the important work conducted by the organization.
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.

Jessica McCann, MPH, MA, CPH

Assistant Director of Policy

Jessica McCann, MPH, MA, CPH

Assistant Director of Policy

Jessica joined the Weitzman Institute in 2023 where her work centers on research and dissemination to inform policies pertaining to primary care access, health disparities, and community health centers. Before joining Weitzman, she worked for the American Academy of Family Physicians, focusing on primary care access, health disparities, and community health centers, and directed the Baltimore City Data Collaborative where she oversaw the analysis and distribution of child health-related data and research. Jessica holds an MA from Temple University in geography and an MPH from Oregon Health & Science University, bringing a unique place-based perspective to health policy issues. She is a 2025 AcademyHealth Research Champion, serves on the AcademyHealth State Health Research and Policy Interest Group advisory committee, and is a Certified in Public Health (CPH) Ambassador and research committee member with the National Board of Public Health Examiners. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and lots of coffee.

Email:[email protected]

Lorena Morgan

Education Program Specialist

Lorena Morgan

Education Program Specialist

Lorena Morgan is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute who oversees both internal and external educational programming. They graduated Summa Cum Laude from Central Michigan University (CMU) in 2023 with a B.S. in Public Health Education and Spanish. One of their passions is addressing chronic and mental health treatment inequities in underserved populations.

Lorena has transitioned to supporting and expanding WI’s external joint providership services, where they interact with prospective and current clients. In this role, they also ensure that activities comply with Joint Accreditation standards. They also look forward to overseeing Key Populations ECHO, WI’s longest-running ECHO program.

Previously within the WI Education team, Lorena has helped launch several series, including Weitzman ECHO Fusion, Substance Use Disorders ECHO for Ohio, and Adult Psychiatry and Trauma-Informed Care ECHO for Ohio.

In their free time, they enjoy caring for their houseplants and spending time with their beautiful Siamese cat, Goju."

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

Assistant Director of Quality Improvement

Rosie Motz, MPH, MA, RDN

Assistant Director of Quality Improvement

Rosie Motz is the Assistant Director of Quality Improvement at the Weitzman Institute, where she oversees project milestones and deliverables, designs new programs, leads and mentors a team, and manages successful stakeholder partnerships for educational interventions designed for health care professionals. In 2020, Rosie joined the Weitzman Institute, where she managed and implemented educational interventions in her capacity as a Program Specialist. Following, she was a Program Manager for two years and a Senior Program Manager for two years where she oversaw every aspect of educational projects’ life cycles. Rosie has more than ten years of expertise in the field of public health and is also 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 a Master of Public Health degree in Behavioral, Social, Community Health and a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from Indiana University Bloomington. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics and Bachelor of Arts 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 the Weitzman Institute, 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. In her spare time, Rosie enjoys playing in her garden, adventuring outdoors, and experimenting in her kitchen.

Thelma Nanbigne

Junior Project Manager

Thelma Nanbigne

Junior Project Manager

Since joining the All of Us Research Program as a Research Coordinator in September 2021, Thelma has advanced to her current role as a Junior Project Manager. In this position, she collaborates closely with the Research Coordinators and oversees outreach, engagement, and enrollment initiatives across the various CHCI sites and within the community.

Claire Newby, MPH

Aly Jarocki, MSPH, MCHES

Instructional Design Specialist

Aly Jarocki, MSPH, MCHES (she/her) has joined the Weitzman Institute as an Instructional Design Specialist. She is passionate about how and why people learn, and what motivates them to change behaviors. Aly earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.S.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Health Education and Communication. She is also a Master-level Certified Health Educational Specialist (MCHES). Aly brings experience in training and education in the non-profit, higher education, corporate, and consulting spheres. Her past work has focused on violence prevention, bystander intervention, workplace compliance, and cultural norm change.

Carla Reyes

Education Specialist

Carla Reyes

Education Specialist

Carla Reyes (they/she) is an Education Specialist with the Weitzman Institute, providing needs analysis, development, design, implementation and evaluation of educational interventions for health professionals. They hold a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Carnegie Melon University, where they engaged in interdisciplinary studies in mathematics, psychology and philosophy.

Before joining the Weitzman Institute, Carla supported coalitions of faith leaders and public health professionals fighting to end gun violence as a Partnerships Coordinator, honing their skills in communication, advocacy, and volunteer management. They also have experience working as an Education Specialist at Mazzoni Center, a comprehensive LGBTQ+ health and wellness center in Philadelphia, designing and delivering professional development and community education surrounding LGBTQ+ Interpersonal Violence, Trauma Informed Care, Intersectionality, and Healthy Relationships.

Carla is rooted in community care and equity, with a deep interest in LGBTQ+ communities, anti-violence, social determinants of health, and harm reduction. They are passionate about creating and providing equitable and accessible education for diverse audiences. Outside of work, Carla enjoys collaging, walking in the park, and spending time with their friends and family.

Our Team

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