MCH/CYF Concentrators 2009-2010

 MCH/CYF Concentrators 2009-2010

Zinzi Bailey is a first year doctoral student in the Society Human Development and Health department. Before coming to HSPH, she received her M.S.P.H. in Global Epidemiology from Emory University. Her thesis focused on the effect of advanced maternal age trends on Down syndrome rates in Latin America, 1972-2007. She also conducted focused research at CDC surrounding the potential implementation of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV/AIDS prevention, especially as it relates to social network theory, health equity measures, and ethics. Before starting graduate school, Zinzi was the acting Assistant Director of a home visiting program in Brooklyn, New York, that provides voluntary home-based services to expectant families and new parents with the goal of primary prevention of child abuse/neglect as well as the promotion of appropriate child development. Her current research interests focus on sexual and reproductive health and birth outcomes, especially as they relate to race, socioeconomic class, and individual/institutional discrimination. Outside of intellectual pursuits, she enjoys photography, dance, working out, Latin American and Caribbean culture, and ample amounts of television.

Marlene Camacho is a returning doctoral student. She is interested in the role of neighborhood context and how it contributes to asthma disparities among children and adolescents as well as the influence of social policies (particularly housing, immigration, education) in eliminating health disparities among children. Marlene received a B.S. in Biology and Society from Cornell University, an M.P.H. in Health Services Management and Policy from Tufts University School of Medicine, and and M.S. from the Harvard School of Public Health. Outside of school, she enjoys Latin dancing, yoga, and cooking.

Brittany Charlton is a first-year masters degree student in the Department of Epidemiology. Her research interests are in reproductive and sexual health including topics like contraceptives, HPV, and LGBT health disparities. In addition to Maternal Child Health, Brittany is also concentrating in Women, Gender, and Health. Her experience includes public health work in Congressman Jerrold Nadler's (NY-8) District Office, Senator Dianne Feinstein's (D-CA) Capitol Hill Office, and organizations like NARAL and the Center for Reproductive Rights. She also worked as a political strategist with groups like the Center for American Progress, the ACLU, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Most recently, she completed a year of national service as a HealthCorps Member in AmeriCorps, during which she was based at New York's LGBT-focused Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and volunteered as a DONA-trained birth doula. Brittany holds a BA with a double major in Political Science and Urban Studies and a Gender Studies minor from The New School, where she founded and chaired the student government. Her hobbies include skydiving, SCUBA diving, photography, and figure skating.

Allison Appleton is a returning doctoral student. She received her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences, and a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Sociology and Psychology. Prior to coming to Harvard, Allison spent several years evaluating child mental health and adolescent substance abuse programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Currently, Allison works on a large epidemiologic cohort study examining the pathways through which education affects health. Her research interests include socioeconomic determinants of child health and development, and the role of early child emotional development in determining physical health in later adolescence and adulthood.

Mariana Arcaya is a second year doctoral student at the Harvard School of Public Health studying social epidemiology. Her research interests include health disparities and how the built environment, housing policy, and transportation systems impact chronic disease risks. Mariana holds a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. In 2006, she co-founded the Interdisciplinary Consortium on Urban Planning and Public Health (ICUPPH), a group that promotes the collaboration of planning and public health professionals in research and practice. Mariana currently works in the Data Services Group of Boston's Metropolitan Area Planning Council mapping and analyzing planning-related data. In this capacity, she is currently supporting the development of a "Human Development Overlay District" in Boston's Chinatown as part of a pilot urban planning-public health project. Before beginning graduate school, Mariana worked at Duke University's Children's Environmental Health Initiative helping to develop a household-level priority model for childhood lead exposure. Later, she worked as an environmental consultant preparing environmental impact statements for large-scale transportation infrastructure projects.

Eseosa Asemota is an MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She was born in Nigeria, and grew up there with her parents and four siblings. She studied Medicine and Surgery at University of Ibadan, Nigeria and graduated in 2006. Since then, she has worked in several hospitals. Prior to beginning her MPH, she was pursuing a residency in Obstetrics and Gyneacology in Nigeria, and looks forward to using the knowledge she acquires at HSPH to take up leadership positions in MCH and contribute to reducing health care problems among women and children. She loves making friends and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and is pretty versatile.

Yves-Line Auguste

Namrata Bagaria "I have done my Bachelor's of Medicine and Bachelor's of Surgery from Mumbai,India. I worked as a medical intern for one year in Seth G.S. Medical and K.E.M. Hospital in Mumbai before joining HSPH. I am a MPH student in Family and Community Health and I am concentrating in Maternal and Child Health as well as Women, Gender and Health. I intend to continue in a Doctorate program after I graduate. I am particularly interested in the role emotions play in determining our susceptibility to certain diseases and my key research areas are Women's Health in terms of their mental make up and emotional quotient. My hobbies are writing and I blog very often. I occasionally read and love travelling."

Shagun Sabarwal is a returning doctoral student. Her research interests include women's health and HIV/AIDS in developing countries. She is also interested in the area of violence against women, particularly domestic violence. Before coming to Harvard she worked as a research assistant in various organizations in India. Her educational background includes a Masters degree in Psychology with specialization in clinical psychology. In her free time she loves to read and cook.

Sabrina Selk is a fourth year doctoral student who completed her master's degree at SHDH. She has a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Washington, and has previously worked as a high school counselor while living on Guam. Her research interests are focused on the impact of psychosocial stress and social determinants on reproductive health. She is currently at work on her dissertation looking at childhood abuse, PTSD, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. She has a phenomenal husband who is supporting her through her prolonged education, an amazing 4 year old daughter, and a delightul 2 year old son, all of whom bring her tremendous joy and keep her outrageously busy.

Kendrin Sonneville is a fifth year doctoral student in Public Health Nutrition minoring in Maternal and Child Health and Social/Behavioral Research Methods. Kendrin received a B.S. in nutritional sciences and a B.S. in dietetics from Michigan State University and an M.S. in nutrition from Tufts University. Kendrin is a registered dietitian and has been working as a clinical nutrition specialist at Children's Hospital Boston for the last 7 years and has a small private practice in Newton. Kendrin's interests include adolescent/child nutrition issues including the prevention and treatment of overweight and eating disorders. In her free time, Kendrin enjoys cooking, traveling, running, and biking.

Deb Stone is a graduating doctoral student. She received her Bachelor's in Psychology and a dual Master's in Public Health and Social Work from the University of Michigan. After receiving her Master's, Deb worked for two years doing HIV/AIDS prevention and then did a 3-yr CDC fellowship where she worked for two of those years at the RI Department of Health in violence prevention. From there, Deb moved on to Boston where she managed a federally funded project for the Harvard Injury Control Research Center (HICRC)--the National Center for Suicide Prevention Training (www.ncspt.org). She is currently a part-time consultant for the MA Dept of Public Health's Suicide Prevention Program. Her dissertation is on child maltreatment and suicide-related behavior. In her spare time, Deb is a cyclist and enjoys spending time with her 3 nephews.

Nancy Street is a third year doctoral student in SHDH. "I have been a nurse practitioner for the past twenty years, working with adolescents in school based health centers. I completed my Master's degree in Public Health in 2006 and look forward to resuming my studies at Harvard, with a focus on research on adolescent fatigue. I am an assistant professor of nursing, teaching at the graduate level. Native to the Boston area, I currently live in Milton with my husband and two children."

Rachel Vanderkruik is an entering two-year masters student. She received her B.A. from Bowdoin College with a major in Biology and minor in Psychology. After graduation, she worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Reproductive and Perinatal Program as a Clinical Research Assistant for 2 years. She plans to concentrate in Maternal and Child Health, and is very interested in determining the factors that contribute to healthy physical and mental development in children. She is also interested in the role of diet and physical activity in preventing chronic diseases and promoting overall well-being. In her spare time she enjoys running, rowing, playing soccer/basketball, being outdoors, walking dogs at the Animal Rescue League, exploring New England, and being with her family & friends.

Monica Wang is a first year doctoral student and graduated from Harvard School of Public Health with a M.S. in Society, Human Development and Health and from Tufts University with a B.A. in Community Health and Child Development and a minor in Chinese. Professional experience includes biomedical lab research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the Dept. of Pathology and Dept of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, as well as public health research in the Nutrition Department at HSPH. Fields of interest include childhood obesity, racial health disparities, and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents. Hobbies include reading, dancing, running, and cooking.

Ashley Winning is a first year doctoral student. She received a B.A. in Psychology (and Theatre) from Queen's University and an M.P.H. in Behavioral Sciences & Health Education from Emory. Between these degrees, she worked for three years in child developmental psychology, exploring cultural similarities and differences in early child development. During and after her M.P.H. she worked on a refugee mental health assessment, at the CDC division of violence prevention, and on developing and disseminating a mindfulness-based CBT program for people with epilepsy and depression. Her thesis explored the relationship between intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. Very broadly, she is interested in mental health, maternal & child health, violence prevention and human rights. Slightly less broadly, she is interested in the role of mind-body therapies in mental health promotion and violence prevention, and the impact of community/social groups and environment/neighborhood on wellbeing. She loves singing, dancing, bicycling, yoga, community gardens, potlucks, and being outdoors. An ideal day would combine all of the above.

Alana Wooley is a returning two-year masters student in the Society, Human Development and Health department, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She earned her B.A. from Bowdoin College, where she majored in Gender and Women's Studies and minored in Biology. After college, Alana was involved in a study examining the influence of community, environmental and social factors on the development of asthma in children in and around Boston. Alana currently assists in the implementation and evaluation of programs addressing birth disparities in Boston. Alana's public health interests include implementing and evaluating health equity programs pertaining to women's health and early childhood health. In her free time, Alana enjoys photography, reading and traveling.

Marcus Yap

Kerith Conron

Madeleine DeBlois is a 2nd year doctoral student. After graduating from Wellesley College in 2004 with a B.A. in Environmental Science, she became a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia. While teaching science, reading and English to middle schoolers, she completed an MS.Ed. at Saint Joseph's University. Madeleine then worked for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern PA as a school-based program coordinator (and Big Sister!) and held a part-time research position at UPenn investigating the relationship between material hardship and health. Madeleine's research interests broadly pertain to children's health and well-being, both physical and emotional. She is interested in the roles that socioeconomic disparities, communities, family, and especially schools and out of school time programs play. Madeleine currently works as an RA for the Harvard Prevention Research Center on the Out of School Nutrition & Physical Activity Program. Outside of school, Madeleine enjoys riding her bike around in search of farmers' markets, vegetarian cooking, running, ultimate Frisbee, traveling, gardening, being crafty, and ceramics.

Juliana Cohen is a returning doctoral student in the department of Nutrition. She received a masters at Harvard in the Society Human Development and Health department. She is a consultant for Project Bread's Better Breakfast initiative and is interested in children's nutrition, school-based interventions, cognitive development, and diet during pregnancy. In her free time, Juliana enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and cooking.

Emily Harrison is a second-year Masters student in the department of Global Health and Population at HSPH. Currently a research assistant for Theresa Betancourt and the Research Program on Children and Global Adversity, she is also continuing to work with Mary Kay Smith-Fawzi of Harvard Medical School and FXB staff to develop a monitoring and evaluation program for the FXB Villages in Rwanda and Uganda. Before returning to graduate school she worked as an editor and writer at Scientific American and moonlighted in documentary filmmaking. During that time she was involved in relief work following Hurricane Katrina and in attempts to refocus the visual media's involvement in the Iraqi refugee crisis. With an BA in biology from Harvard College, she is now a non-resident tutor at Leverett House and a teaching fellow at the College.

Marin Hoffman is a first year masters student. She earned her BA in Psychology from Colby College in 2003. Since then, she has worked primarily in the education sector. She ran educational centers for children in California and worked as an Academic Advisor for an online university before joining a national non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of education for high need schools in low income communities. Marin's academic interests (health literacy, the social determinants of health behaviors and intervention research) are directly related to her experiences in education. Outside of school, she enjoys practicing yoga, playing with her dog, painting and spending time outdoors.

Holly Harris is a 4th year epidemiology doctoral student. She received her B.A. in Biology from Macalester College in 2000 and her M.P.H. from the University of Southern California in 2005. Prior to coming to HSPH she work as the Maternal Child Health Epidemiologist for the Orange County Health Care Agency. She currently manages a study on the labor and delivery floor at Brigham & Women's Hospital. Her research interests include inutero exposures and their impact on adult chronic diseases; body size, nutritional factors and premenopausal breast cancer; and diet and endometriosis. In her spare time she enjoys running marathons and traveling.

Erin Dunn is a returning doctoral student. "My research interests are centered around genetic and environmental risk and protective factors linked to depression in MCH populations and the intersection between mental disorders and violence. For my dissertation, I am looking at neighborhood and school effects on youth risk for depression and the extent to which three specific genes modify these associations. When I'm not studying, I enjoy traveling, food/wine, movies, yoga, and spending time with my partner, Chad."

Alison El Ayadi is a third year doctoral student. She is interested in social determinants of health primarily with regard to maternal health and breastfeeding issues. Prior to beginning her doctoral program she worked at HSPH doing research and evaluation in school health and youth nutrition and physical activity. She received her MPH from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and her BA from Colby College. She enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, and most of all playing with her two sons Lucas (6) and Isaac (3).

Kate Falb is a first-year doctoral student. She received her B.S. in Community Health from the University of Illinois in 2004 and a Master of Health Science degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2007. Her focus was on maternal and women's health issues, particularly violence against women, and the relationship between health and human rights. She has worked on child marriage and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs in Uganda, managed health education programs in refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border, and developed a program to address mental health issues in the military population. Kate enjoys snowboarding and scuba diving with her husband, aerobic classes with good music, and gaining confidence to commute on her bicycle.

Meghan Frey

Paola Gilsanz is a first year doctoral student. Prior to coming to Harvard she was a CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow in Maternal and Child Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She has been working primarily with data on maternal and early infant health (through the Massachusetts Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) and adolescence (through the Massachusetts Youth Health Survey and the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey) to examine health disparities. Paola graduated from Brown University with honors in Community Health and received an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from UC Berkeley. During her free time Paola likes to travel, cook, and be outdoors.

Josephine Hahn is a third-year doctoral student and Maternal and Child Health concentrator. She earned her BA from Princeton University and her MPH from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She has spent seven years working with and learning from court-involved youth in programs such as the Harlem Youth Court and a substance abuse and mental health intervention program sponsored by the Vera Institute of Justice. She also enjoyed teaching for four years at the Horace Mann School in Riverdale, NY. Currently, she is excited to be working with Vera's newest demonstration project, Common Justice, an alternative to incarceration based on participatory justice (also called restorative justice) principles for young people (16-24 years) who have committed serious and/or violent crimes and those they have harmed in Brooklyn, NY, as well as her dissertation involving male victims of color. Interests include: antiracism, conflict resolution, effective alternatives to incarceration, as well as meaningful criminal justice and health policy reform.

Jason Rafferty is an M.P.H. student. He is also an M.D. candidate in the New Pathways Program at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar. He received his B.S. degree in Neuroscience from Bates College in 2005. His interests are in pediatrics, particularly adolescent health, and medical ethics. Before coming to Harvard, Jason was involved in biomedical research which ranged from lead poisoning to stem cells, from dissecting brains of invertebrate snails to investigating HIV in chimpanzees. His experiences include research in the social sciences including projects on adolescent drug use interventions in urban Boston and healthcare access in the most remote regions of the South Pacific island nation of Samoa. He also spent a year teaching in a public junior high school.

Bernice Raveche is a first year doctoral student. "My research interests are primarily centered on adolescent mental health development, with a specific interest in eating disorder prevention, weight based stigma and the influence of the media on body image satisfaction. I recently received my M.P.H. in Health Promotion from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University where I worked on a research project looking at the health and physical activity of adolescents in the South Bronx. I received my B.A. in international health and nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. Outside of the classroom, I love to ski, run and play field hockey."

Elizabeth Rhodes is a first-year masters student in the Society, Human Development, and Health Department. She is primarily interested in the causes and consequences of gender-based violence and approaches to prevention. Prior to becoming a student at HSPH, she established and led the National Public Outreach Program at Polaris Project, an international organization dedicated to combating human trafficking. Her tasks included conducting state and federal policy advocacy, generating media, educating the public about anti-trafficking resources and victim services, and building grassroots campaigns. As part of this work, Elizabeth conducted community trainings and presentations and launched the Polaris Project Action Center, a website to promote awareness and community action. She also worked to empower individual survivors of human trafficking through service provision, including transitional housing and job training workshops. Elizabeth holds a B.A. in Sociology from Brown University and studied conflict resolution at the University of Cape Town. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, taking road trips, and spending time with family and friends.

Elise Robinson is a third year doctoral student in the department of Society Human Development and Health. She holds a Masters in Public Health from Emory and a B.A. in anthropology from Dartmouth. Her research interests include psychiatric and cognitive health across the lifecourse, particularly the intersection between cognitive disability and psychopathology. Her current research focuses on sex and IQ interactions in autism epidemiology; the heritability of autism-like traits in the general population; and the influence of outcome definition in autism risk factor research. She works with the department of Developmental Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston.

Eve Nagler is a returning doctoral student. Her roots in public health began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic working in maternal and child health. She subsequently coordinated a patient education project in Africa as part of the CDC/WHO Malaria Initiative, worked with Georgia communities to develop drug prevention programs for youth, and trained physicians and midwives in Central Asia ( Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) to conduct family planning counseling. Most recently, she served as the national director for Special Populations at the American Cancer Society, where she continues to work part-time. Eve holds an M.P.H. in Health Behavior and Health Education from UNC Chapel Hill and a BSFS in Foreign Affairs from Georgetown University. Her research interests focus on blending two seemingly divergent passions: working with underserved communities and weight control/obesity. When she's not trekking the globe, Eve enjoys reading, running, thrifting and baking - her grandmother won the Pillsbury Bake-Off, giving her a GREAT role model!!!

Sara Olson is a returning second year masters student in Society, Human Development, and Health. After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Human Biology, Health, and Society, concentrating in nutrition; she completed her dietetic internship and co-developed a community needs assessment for a pilot nutrition program in her community. She has worked in several hospitals as a clinical dietitian, most recently in the New York metro area as a dialysis dietitian. Currently her interests are in health promotion, particularly through wellness policies and environmental change in schools and worksites. She is also interested in the design of more effective health education methods targeting both caregivers of children as well and health practitioners. When not studying she can be found working part-time as a dietitian for Dana Farber at Faulkner Hospital, co-chairing the Student Advisory Committee under the Division of Public Health Practice, and TAing within the SHDH department. In her leisure time, Sara enjoys singing, cooking, reading, and running around JP Pond.

Lisa Peterson is a first year masters student in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health. She received an A.B. in Psychology from Bowdoin College in 2007. She then worked for two years as a research assistant in the Memory Disorders Research Center under Boston University and the Boston VA Healthcare System. Her interests pertain to adolescent sexual health and education with a particular interest in teenaged parents. She is also interested in the discussion surrounding sexual assault and violence and how it interfaces with health and education. Her focus is in program design and implementation. She currently works part-time as a Center Associate at Isis Maternity, a comprehensive company for new and expecting parents, as well as, volunteers with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center's Community Awareness and Prevention program. In her spare time she enjoys baking, reading, yoga, Zumba, and spending time with her nephew.

Valerie Polletta is a second-year master's student in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College with a double major in Biology and Latin American Studies. After graduating, she completed a one year fellowship in emerging infectious diseases at the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). This experience led to a 4 year career with the NYSDOH Immunization Program where she coordinated a project to immunize migrant and seasonal farmworkers; as well as, a quality improvement project to improve immunization rates and practices in provider offices. Her primary interests are in reducing health disparities by increasing access to care for immigrant population through community based health promotion. In her spare time she enjoys latin dancing, traveling, cooking/baking, and has dabbled in triathlons.

Yalonda Hutchings is an MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She recently received her Medical Degree from Duke University School of Medicine in 2009. While at Duke, she conducted basic science research that worked on improving a clinical vaccine targeted toward particular types of breast cancers. She has also worked as the primary recruiter and educator in a study focused on high risk pregnancies and their impact on maternal and infant
mortality, as well as serving as the primary research assistant in a study that assessed the risk of obstetrical complications and the future development of cardiovascular dysfunction. She has also traveled abroad working in various cities in Kenya, targeting the diagnosis and prevention of HIV among their inhabitants. After completing residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and fellowship training in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Yalonda plans to become a leader in the field of Maternal and Child Health by heading organizations and developing research studies designed to improve the overall health and welfare of mother and child. Yalonda loves fashion and design, interior decorating, and taking ballet classes during her spare time.

Sunah Susan Hwang is an MPH student in Family and Community Health. She graduated from McGill University with a BA in English Literature and then went obtain her medical degree from SUNY Downstate. After completing her pediatrics residency at NYU Medical Center, she moved to Boston where she is currently a second year clinical fellow in the Division of Newborn Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston. She is interested in investigating the etiologies of racial and class disparities in health as it relates to prematurity.

Elizabeth Janiak is an entering MS2 student in SHDH. She holds an AB in the Comparative Study of Religion from Harvard College and an MA from the department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, where she matriculated as a doctoral candidate. Her graduate research focused on legal, cultural, and biomedical constructions of sexuality, family, and childhood in the United States, with a particular interest in rightwing religious and social movements since the postbellum period. Elizabeth has worked in a variety of positions promoting sexual wellness in clinical and advocacy settings. She is interested in domestic disparities in sexual health outcomes and in reproductive healthcare quality and access according to socioeconomic status, region, and race, with a particular focus on abortion care. She currently works as a case manager assisting uninsured and Medicaid-insured women in overcoming structural barriers to accessing sexual health care. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys talking about sex and contraception, baking, walking around Boston, taking road trips throughout New England, and avidly following the Red Sox. She is a proud third-generation Boston native.

Erica Kenny

Laura Khan is a first-year masters student in the Global Health and Population Department. She received her BA from Tufts University in Psychology and Spanish in 2006 and spent two years serving as a US Peace Corps Volunteer ('06-'08) in the Fiji Islands where she worked with an Indian women's group on social infrastructure creation, health promotion and income-generating projects. She spent the last year working with the Research Program on Children and Global Adversity (RPCGA) at HSPH's FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. Laura currently lives with her husband in Jamaica Plain and enjoys running, reading and baking banana bread.

Natalia Linos

Michelle Lugalia is a returning MS2 student. She was born and raised in Kenya, East Africa and received her B.A. in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago where she also minored in African Studies. In college, she focused her studies around society, sexuality, and human development and wrote her culminating thesis on the social stigma around the sexual lifestyles of elderly African American women. In the past, she has worked in violence prevention particularly in researching, training and raising awareness around sexual violence prevention, elder abuse and youth on youth violence in Chicago. She has also worked to bridge disparity gaps in youth education, leadership development, college application, acceptance as well as attendance rates for youth through programming and curriculum development. Academically, she is interested in several aspects of public health including: how various structural and social determinants of health disparities unjustly affect minority populations and also developing nations. How programs can be developed, shaped and evaluated with those factors and populations' cultures in mind, and particularly how advocating for children's rights can be used to strategically develop programs and policies for entire communities. She is also interested in HIV and STI prevention as well as trauma and the effects of violence on urban communities of color. Besides that, she loves to read, watch movies, explore new sights and sounds, dance, laugh, cook new recipes and eat amazing food.

Katelyn P. Mack is a returning two-year masters student with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Katelyn is interested in better understanding the social factors that influence the health of women and families, and is passionate about communicating those findings to policymakers and public audiences. In addition to regularly writing about her passions in her public health blog, Veritas Health, she has co-authored several peer reviewed publications on the determinants, health and economic consequences of gender-based violence in the US and abroad. This past summer she traveled to Central America investigating the vulnerabilities of women and children to trafficking for sexual exploitation. Before coming to Harvard, Katelyn worked at the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder examining the causes and consequences of violence against women in California. While there, she led a social marketing project aimed at improving the health-seeking behaviors of female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Katelyn is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she earned her BS in Health Studies and Latin American Development. Katelyn is currently Co-editor and Chief of the HSPH Connection blog, an online forum for students to share their public health interests and activities.

Avika Dixit is a MPH student concentrating in Maternal in Child Health. "I graduated from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal in Karnataka, India with a MBBS in April 2009. Most recently, I worked with UNICEF Kenya country office on cholera prevention and control. During internship, I worked on a project studying the implications of applying the new WHO child growth standards in a rural Indian health center. I worked with WHO, Geneva in 2008 on the research priorities in child and adolescent health supported by WHO and how it influences health agenda in developing countries. I look forward to use the skills I acquire at HSPH to work in MCH with a vision to take up leadership position in MCH and contribute to reducing morbidity and mortality among women and children."