Natalie Smith, PhD, MS, aims to advance public health by improving the adoption and implementation of evidence-informed programs and policies. Her research program emphasizes applying a variety of decision science methods to implementation and dissemination related questions, including economic evaluation, simulation modeling, and stated preference methods. She earned her PhD in Health Policy and Management and her MS in Biostatistics from UNC Chapel Hill. Her work is currently supported by…
Michelle Fredericks, MPH is a Data Analyst with the Survey and Qualitative Methods Core at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is a part of the Evaluation Unit for the Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control Equity where she helps provide data management and analysis support for various projects. Michelle received her Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics from Boston University School of Public Health and…
Lynette Mascioli, MPH is the Director of Health Informatics at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Ms. Mascioli has a broad background in healthcare and public health, with specific community health center experience in quality data and informatics. In her current role, she maintains an agile and responsive data analysis and reporting infrastructure to support member health center’s clinical quality improvement, operational, research, and business systems analysis needs. She…
Leslie Salas Karnes, MPH, is the Public Health Initiatives Manager in Clinical Health Affairs at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Work closely with staff and clinicians from community health centers throughout the state of Massachusetts to improve healthcare quality and delivery and reduce health inequity. Responsible for planning, overseeing and leading technical assistance projects and programs that support health center clinical and operational improvements. Work collaboratively with other…
Catherine S. Nagawa, PhD, studies how social determinants of health influence health behavior in vulnerable populations using mixed methods. Her research area of focus is cancer prevention and early detection. Her work aims to inform the implementation and dissemination of tailored behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes. During her fellowship, she seeks to learn how to integrate various data sources, such as electronic health records, surveys, and interviews, to assess…
Melanie Racine, MPH is Director of Special Projects at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. In this role, Melanie supports BHCHP’s teams and initiatives with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of new clinical initiatives. She is also a student in the Doctor of Public Health program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her interests are in health services design, implementation science, community-engaged research, homelessness, and community…
Talya Salant MD, PhD is a primary care physician and the Medical Director of Community Health Equity and Research at Bowdoin St. Health Center, a community health center in Dorchester, MA. Dr. Salant graduated from the University of Chicago Medical Scientist Training Program. She completed her Internal Medicine residency in the primary care track at Brigham and Women’s hospital and she was a Kraft Fellow in Community Health Leadership. Dr.…
Karen Emmons, PhD is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a behavioral scientist with a strong track record of funded research in community-based approaches to cancer prevention in a variety of settings that serve under-resourced communities, including low income housing and community health centers. Her work targets a range of cancer risk factors, including nutrition, physical activity, sun exposure,…
Elsie M. Taveras, MD, MPH is Chief of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics and Executive Director of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also Conrad Taff Professor of Pediatrics in the Field of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School and Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Taveras is a Pediatrician, clinical epidemiologist, and a childhood obesity…
Susan Dargon-Hart, LICSW is the VP of Clinical Health Affairs at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Ms. Dargon-Hart oversees the agency’s clinical health affairs department, managing innovative clinical collaborations that target health equality and improve patient health; offers resources and continuous support and training for quality improvement. For over 25 years she has been deeply committed to addressing substance use, mental health, trauma, and healthcare related issues in communities…
