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Melissa Adomako
Melissa Adomako serves as a Senior Global Health Officer in the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She earned a BS in Biology from the University of Georgia, an MPH in Global Health from Tufts University School of Medicine, and a Global Health Diplomacy Certificate from the University of Oxford. Previously, she held global health roles at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the American International Health Alliance. Her interests include infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, health systems strengthening, and mentoring early-career public health professionals.
Hamad AlRashed
Hamad AlRashed is a DrPH candidate at the NYU School of Global Public Health. A physician by training with an MPH from the University of Queensland, he works for Kuwait's Ministry of Health in the Communicable Disease Control Department. Previously, Hamad served as a national focal point for the WHO. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he gained significant leadership experience co-managing key public health projects, including developing national guidelines and operational manuals for Kuwait's pandemic response. His work focuses on communicable diseases, emergency preparedness, and strengthening public health systems.
Kiera Bloch
Prior to graduating with an MPH from NYU, Kiera graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts with an undergraduate degree in psychology and biochemistry. She is currently the Program Manager for the Department of Global & Environmental Health here at GPH. There she is responsible for managing various projects and strategic initiatives, including collaborative courses with UN agencies and other external partners as well as providing ongoing support for current and prospective MPH students. Throughout her time at NYU, both as a student and staff, Kiera has had the opportunity to work on a number of projects with the World Food Programme and UNICEF, including an evaluation of Home-Grown School Feeding Programs in Ethiopia, a cost benefit analysis of using primary schools as a delivery platform for other health interventions and a project looking at ways to strengthen the WFP/UNICEF interagency partnership in emergency settings. While her interests are ever evolving, Kiera is particularly interested in global governance and health-inclusive policymaking to address transnational threats to public health, like climate change, mass migration and future disease outbreaks. Kiera ultimately hopes to work in government or at a think tank, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, that will provide her with an opportunity to influence and advocate for policies that promote and protect public health.
Johanna Miele
Johanna Miele is the Associate Director of Emergency Management + Enterprise Resilience at NYU Langone Health, where she leads preparedness initiatives that equip executive leaders for complex incident management. She previously established the health system’s High-Consequence Pathogen Program and has directed responses to infectious disease threats, mass fatality events, and mass casualty incidents. A former Deputy Director at NYC Emergency Management, Johanna has over a decade of experience bridging public health, clinical operations, and emergency response. Her doctoral research focuses on crisis leadership and cross-sector decision-making during emergencies.
Andrea Muraca
Andrea’s professional path began in his native Italy; he built on his lifelong interest in biology by training at a hospital in Bologna and earning a master’s degree in human biology and pharmacology there. Hoping to expand the impact of his work from a “micro” to a “macro” level, Andrea enrolled at NYU and graduated with his MPH in global health leadership. Andrea also conducted research in virologic monitoring of intestinal transplant patients and worked on studies in chemo-prevention through nutrition, adding a credential in healthcare policy and management from the graduate business school of Bocconi University in Milan. Andrea spent a few years as a project manager for Johnson & Johnson, marketing medical devices for diabetics and innovative telemedicine software. As Director of Student & Alumni Affairs at the NYU School of Global Public Health, Andrea’s expertise lies in overseeing strategic planning initiatives, and academic program development to propel increased enrollment and retention while enhancing student achievements and learning experiences. Andrea is currently pursuing a DrPH, with an eye to practice and teaching, so he can continue on a track toward leadership in higher public health education.
Joshua P. Prasad
Joshua Prasad (Josh) is Chief Operating Officer at FwdSlash, building equity in communities through public health, entrepreneurship, and innovation. He previously served as Director for Innovation at the Health Resources and Services Administration, building the Community Connected Health Initiative with the White House. Previously at HHS, he led the $25 Million KidneyX Partnership and served on COVID-19 testing teams. Josh helped create Public Health 3.0, the first federal framework on Social Determinants of Health. He co-founded Caravan, a startup integrating primary care with community health workers, and ran a small, rural community integrated behavioral health center. Josh holds an MPH from Drexel University.
Emeka Iloegbu
Emeka Iloegbu, MSc, MPH, MLS(ASCP) is a Field Laboratory Epidemiologist and Assistant Professor with over 15 years of experience in global public health, laboratory science, and emergency response. He currently serves as Assistant Program Director of Laboratory Sciences at CUNY and leads implementation science initiatives at NYU's ISEE Lab. Emeka has supported pandemic response efforts, strengthened diagnostic systems across Africa, and represents the World Federation of Public Health Associations at the UN. His work bridges microbiology, policy, and equity, with a focus on integrating laboratory resilience into health systems affected by high disease burdens and structural disparities.
Mentalla Ismail
Mentalla Ismail is a Doctor of Public Health candidate at NYU’s School of Global Public Health. She holds a BS in Biology and Neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati, where she founded Refuge-UC, a student organization supporting refugee education. She earned her MPH in Global Health from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, researching health literacy among Syrian refugees. As a Research Coordinator at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, she led emergency medicine studies. Mentalla later expanded Refuge-UC into Refuge Collaborative, a nonprofit promoting health and education for refugee youth, where she now serves as Executive Director. Her work focuses on refugee health literacy and education accessibility.
Alyson Lippel
Alyson Lippel is a DrPH student at the New York University School of Global Public Health. Alyson received her BS in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Scranton in 2010 and her masters in Bioethics from NYU in 2012. Alyson has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for the last ten years in various roles ranging from Clinical Research scientist, Integrated Patient Centered Medical Team Head, Associate Director Congress and Customer Engagement and Director of Medical Capabilities. Alyson hopes to acquire the skill set to assess determinants of health and implement innovative solutions on how to overcome potential barriers to care and pursue more diverse, equitable and inclusive clinical trials. She is interested in leveraging her strong cross-organization relationships to elevate the conversation around all aspects of public health, create a shared vision, advocate for change through internal education and information sharing and bring all the key stakeholders together to create a shared vision to deliver care at the highest level for all patients, not only through their physical treatment journey but support their emotional and cognitive health as well, with the goal of improving their quality of life.
Rashmi Shrestha
Rashmi Shrestha is an Adjunct Faculty at New York University College of Dentistry, where she teaches Epidemiology and Biostatistics to Clinical Research graduate students. She earned her MPH in Infectious Disease Epidemiology with a certificate in Vaccine Science and Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an M.S. in Clinical Research from NYU. Previously, she worked as a scientist at Lifecell Corporation. She co-founded Adhikaar, a New York–based nonprofit advocating for human rights and social justice for marginalized Nepali communities, and founded the Celeritas Foundation, dedicated to addressing preventable infectious diseases in resource-limited settings globally.
Faith Daniel
Faith Daniel, MPH (She/Her) is a current Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at NYU School of Global Public Health. She received her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, where she studied population and family health and earned a certificate in health policy analysis and practice. Faith has joined the NYU GPH community as a full-time Project Manager to support two grants: New York City Treats Tobacco (NYCTT) under the direction of Dr. Donna Shelley and Stewards in the Storm – COVID-19 Pandemic Backlash and Public Health under the direction of Dr. Cheryl Healton. A Bronx native and daughter of immigrants from Nevis, Faith is a fierce advocate for reproductive and social justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and health equity.
Rachel Lacy
Rachel Lacy has her BA in Theatre with a minor in Latin American Studies from Loyola University New Orleans and her MPH with a concentration in nutrition from Tulane University. She has worked as an actress, chef, a nutrition educator and most recently as a clinical research coordinator and research project manager at the University of Virginia with a focus on cancer prevention and control with a specialization in Gynecologic Oncology. She has also taught classes and sits on national protocol review committees and writes and manages multiple private and NIH grants. She is currently a member of the NYU AIRE Lab. She believes that the best public health solutions are interdisciplinary and practical.
Gabrielle Maranga
Gabrielle Maranga is a DrPH student at NYU School of Global Public Health and Senior Research Project Manager of the RECOVER Study at NYU Langone, which aims to study the long-term effects of COVID. Gabrielle received her MPH in Epidemiology from NYU School of Global Public Health in 2020.
Karen Martirosyan
Karen Martirosyan is a DrPH student at NYU’s School of Global Public Health. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. John’s University and a Master of Public Administration from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. During his time at NYU Wagner, where he gained an in-depth understanding of health policy and health systems performance, he had the opportunity to work with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) as part of his Capstone Project. For this project, his team developed rural Indian market-entry strategies for the GeneXpert Ultra, a next-generation diagnostic assay capable of detecting TB and drug resistance. In addition to his Capstone Project at NYU Wagner, Karen worked with renowned faculty and health policy researchers to explore intra-urban inequalities in Moscow, specifically examining how socioeconomic and health system factors affect infant mortality (with particular attention to neighborhood effects). Karen also brings eight years of clinical research experience from NYU Langone Health, Columbia University Medical Center, and, more recently, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where he works as a Senior Global Trial Manager. With a strong interest in global health, health policy, health systems, and urban health, Karen is interested in utilizing data-driven insights to make informed decisions and develop analytical solutions. His pursuit of the Doctorate in Public Health at New York University is driven by his strong interest in implementation science, epidemiology, and health economics to design equitable health policies and programs to ensure the delivery of proven lifesaving interventions in low-resource settings.
Jacqueline Saltarelli
Jacqueline Saltarelli is a Senior Project Manager with Together Growing Strong at NYU Langone, a program focused on building a community-partnered model to enhance the development of young children and their families in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Jacqueline holds an MPH in Population and Family Health with a certificate in Health Promotion Research and Practice from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and a BA with Honors in Sociology and Peace and Conflict Studies from College of the Holy Cross. She is currently a student in the Doctor of Public Health program at NYU School of Global Public Health.
Abdulaziz Almuhanna
Abdulaziz Almuhanna, MBBS, MPH, is a physician and public health professional focused on strengthening health systems and advancing equitable healthcare. He earned his MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating in Health Systems & Policy with a certificate in Health Finance and Management. He has contributed to national health strategies at the Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs and consulted on national-level projects aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Currently, he is a faculty member at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS).
Pierre Amiel
Pierre Amiel, RN, MPH, is a DrPH student at NYU and a Syndromic Surveillance Epidemiologist at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. He brings clinical experience in cardiology and expertise in health data science, with work centered on public health surveillance, epidemiologic analysis, and cross-sector collaboration. Trained in both the U.S. and France, Pierre integrates advanced statistical methods with real-world public health practice to inform population health responses. He is fluent in French, English, and Spanish, and has advanced skills in R and SQL.
Pratik Chhetri
Pratik is a global health policy enthusiast– a scientist, an entrepreneur and an unapologetic global justice fighter. Originally from Nepal, Pratik has worked with leaders from over two dozen countries, primarily on health justice and policy interventions. He is the co-Founder/ Director of All In Foundation(AIF- Nepal) that focuses on research and policy interventions to mitigate health and economic disparities of marginalized communities in Nepal, and around the world. He has received several awards and recognition including recognition as ‘Extraordinary Ability’ individual in global health and biomedical research by the US Immigration Services in 2015. He has been an invited speaker to events and conferences in Brazil, South Africa, Switzerland, India, Nepal, and the US, including keynote speaker in Under30Changemakers Global Summit in 2015. Pratik has a Master of Public Health degree from University of California- Berkeley, and a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from Central Michigan University. Pratik has also been working actively with the resettled Bhutanese refugee community in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as Program Manager for Asian Refugees United (ARU).
Anmar Homeida
Anmar Homeida, MD, MPH, is a public health physician, and Health services strategist with expertise in clinical service operations, emergency health systems resilience, and humanitarian response in complex settings. He leads a nonprofit delivering integrated health and humanitarian services in conflict-affected regions of Sudan, and refugees. Previously with UNICEF and Sudan’s Ministry of Health, he supported health systems strengthening focused on emergency preparedness across primary care, rural, and tertiary facilities. His work emphasizes innovation and technology integration in service delivery, alongside health policy reform, strategic planning, and legislative frameworks to enhance equity and resilience in complex emergencies.
DeRonn Kidd
DeRonn Kidd is a healthcare executive with robust experience spanning the healthcare spectrum. He is passionate about transforming healthcare to improve outcomes and advance equity. He most recently worked at The Bronzeville Group, a management consulting firm that advises on strategy, growth, and innovation. His leadership experience includes roles at CVS Health, NYC Health + Hospitals, and the NYC Department of Health. At Otsuka Pharmaceutical, he worked on the largest prospective drug trial for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis ever to be conducted. DeRonn holds an MBA from the University of Rochester, an MPH from NYU, and a BA from the University of Michigan.
Shalini Suresh
An epidemiologist by training, Shalini has dedicated her career to applying data and evidence-based solutions to drive advancements in global health, focusing on women’s health, child nutrition, financial inclusion, and education. Shalini currently leads the Population Research team at Understood.org, overseeing mixed-methods research to generate actionable insights that inform product development and organizational strategy. Over the past 10+ years, her career has spanned building strategic research and impact portfolios, leading teams within non-profits, and consulting as a technical expert with international organizations. Shalini holds an MPH from Columbia University and is pursuing a DrPH at NYU.
Jae Viloria
Jae is a community health practitioner with a strong background in HIV prevention, health education, and engaging LGBTQ+ Asian Americans in New York City. He received his BA in Biology with a Minor in Philippine Studies from the University of Mount Saint Vincent; his MPH in Community Health Sciences & Practice from GPH; and became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®). As a DrPH student, they are excited to sharpen their skills as an emerging leader in the nonprofit and government sectors. In the long-term, Jae has their sights set on becoming a professor who shapes the future generations of the public health workforce. Outside their professional work at Apicha Community Health Center, Jae currently holds the title of Acting Executive Director of Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation, Inc.
Lamees Almuallm
Lamees Almuallem, MBE, MPH, is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at NYU with interdisciplinary training in global health, bioethics, and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR). She brings over eight years of experience across clinical care, public health research, and pharmaceutical consulting. Her work focuses on health technology assessment, real-world evidence, and policy evaluation to support equitable and evidence-informed healthcare systems. Lamees holds an MPH from NYU and a Master of Science in Bioethics from Harvard University. Her research interests include access to essential medicines, value-based decision-making, and the integration of ethics into global and national health policy.
Avani Ansari
Avani Ansari is a public health professional pursuing her DrPH at NYU’s School of Global Public Health to grow as a leader who bridges traditional public health communications and art to develop poignant, high-level interventions. Avani started her public health communications journey with the NYC Health Department’s Public Health Detailing team. After receiving her MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, with a certificate in Health Promotion Research and Practice, she worked at a healthcare marketing agency; she now serves as the Senior Program Manager for New York City Treats Tobacco, a NYS-funded grant that aims to increase rates of tobacco use treatment in healthcare settings across all five boroughs through policy-level intervention.
Karina Bañuelos
Karina Bañuelos, MA, is a DrPH student in Global Public Health at NYU with over a decade of experience in community-based research and public health initiatives. Her work began in 2017 through the El Sueño Mexicano program, conducting applied research with the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas (CDI) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her current focus includes Indigenous maternal health, structural determinants of health, and culturally grounded evaluation. Karina holds an MA in Ethnic Studies and a BA in Latina/o Studies from San Francisco State University. She is a Senior Research Associate at Clarity Social Research Group, Vice President of the Latin and Indigenous Native Health Equity Network (LINEN), and a Community Advisory Board member with UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
Eshani Bhatt
Eshani is a public health professional who is passionate about studying the nexus of social and environmental determinants of health in vulnerable communities around the world. She holds a BA in International Studies and a minor in Psychology from American University in Washington, D.C., and an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences with a certificate in Environmental Health from Columbia University. She works as a federal public health contractor in global and domestic settings, providing subject matter expertise and program management for government agencies like USAID, FEMA, Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Mia Melchior
Mia Melchior is a DrPH student at the NYU School of Global Public Health and a Program Administrator in the Office of Public Health Practice. In this role, she supports MPH students in securing and completing their required internship experiences. Prior to joining the practice office, Mia served as Project Coordinator for the Safe Futures Lab at NYU, where she worked primarily on an NIH-funded study focused on the prevention of child sexual abuse. Mia earned a BS in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies from Penn State and an MPH in Population and Family Health, with a certificate in Health Policy and Practice, from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Kristin Memoli
Kristin Memoli is a dental hygienist with over seven years of experience promoting oral health and preventing disease among pediatric and vulnerable populations at NYU College of Dentistry. She has served as a Course Director, leading community-based initiatives and providing clinical and didactic training to dental and interdisciplinary students in school-based outreach. Kristin coordinates a HRSA-funded grant training providers to care for people with disabilities and complex medical conditions, and contributed to NIH-funded clinical research on Silver Diamine Fluoride. She is excited to join GPH’s DrPH program to strengthen her leadership skills and advance local and global dental health efforts.
Molly Pace
Molly Pace comes to NYU from Santa Fe, New Mexico to pursue the DrPH degree program. Molly works as a researcher and program manager in the CDC ERASE Maternal Mortality program. Molly is passionate about reproductive health and harm reduction. Molly has worked with many public health programs, including family planning care access, intimate partner violence prevention, and health access for justice involved individuals and communities. Molly was an HIV Outreach volunteer with the Peace Corps in South Africa. Molly has a certificate in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University, and a Masters of Public Health from Tulane University.
Dina Pimenova
Dina Pimenova is a Doctor of Public Health student at NYU School of Global Public Health and Project Manager at NYU Langone’s Community Health Worker Research & Resource Center (CHW-RRC). She brings experience in patient advocacy, care management, and social services navigation for diverse populations, including refugees and Medicaid recipients. Her work supports research, policy, and workforce development to strengthen community-based public health and promote equity across health and social services systems. Dina holds an MPH in Global Health and Infectious Disease from Emory University and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include structural drivers of health, data equity, and the visibility of underrepresented communities in public health.
Eddie Rosenbaum
Eddie Rosenbaum, MPA, MPH is dedicated to social impact, health equity, and leadership development in global health, in particular oral health. As Director of Global Outreach Programs and Adjunct Faculty at NYU College of Dentistry, he leads initiatives delivering essential dental care to underserved communities and teaches dental public health, business development, and leadership courses. A returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Eddie served over three years in Cameroon on WASH projects and has worked in India, Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Ukraine, and Spain before joining NYU. Passionate about mentorship and service, he brings positivity and purpose to every project. He also enjoys cycling adventures and advocating for LGBTQ health equity.
Shivani Shenoy
Shivani is a DrPH student and a Program Manager at the NYU School of Global Public Health. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy and Masters of Business Administration at NMIMS, India before transitioning to public health approximately six years ago. Her entry into the public health field began with a non-profit that helped solidify her commitment to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. She received her MPH from GPH and was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. Her interests include utilizing implementation science to increase access to care in LMICs.
Amin Yakubov
Amin Yakubov is a healthcare leader with over 10 years of experience in clinical research operations and strategy. As Associate Director at NYULH Brooklyn, he advances access to research in underserved communities. He has held roles at NYU Langone Health Perlmutter Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Institute of Precision Medicine, where he excelled in establishing and managing innovative clinical research initiatives. Amin holds an executive MBA, an MPH, and a BS in biomedical sciences. He has published on research access, implementation and education, and actively mentors clinical research professionals through his role on the ACRP board and NYU research committee.