Principal Investigators
Lindsay Till Hoyt, PhD, MA, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Fordham University. Dr. Hoyt studies how biological, behavioral, and social processes interact to influence developmental trajectories across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Dr. Hoyt's research focuses on environmentally-sensitive psychobiological systems (e.g., stress, sleep) and structural forces (e.g., racism, sexism) that underlie socioeconomic, gender, and racial/ethnic inequalities in health and well-being. Learn more about Dr. Hoyt's work here.
Alison Cohen, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, and is also affiliated with the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. Trained in both epidemiology and education, she does community-driven, policy-relevant applied epidemiology research, with a focus on social and environmental determinants of health inequities and identifying potential interventions to address inequities. Much of her work is multidisciplinary, with an interest in understanding the complexities of young people’s educational, economic, civic, environmental, and health experiences and inequities that emerge. Learn more about Dr. Cohen's work here.
UC Riverside
Robert Ream, PhD, is a Professor and Associate Dean of Student Success in the Division of Undergradate Education at the University of California, Riverside. With a background in postdoctoral research at Princeton University and the RAND Corporation, his research focuses on the social dynamics of racial, social class, and linguistic inequality in K-12 and higher education. Dr. Ream has served as an associate program officer at the Spencer Foundation and previously worked as a legislative aide to former California state senator Gary K. Hart. Learn more about Dr. Ream's work here.
Norbert Negrea is a doctoral student in Education Policy Analysis and Leadership at UC Riverside. His research focuses on advancing education equity for marginalized populations and improving the academic achievement and well-being of students with adverse childhood experiences. With professional experience in policy, teaching, counseling, and program evaluation, Mr. Negrea aims to provide evidence-based policy recommendations in the field of education. Learn more about Mr. Negrea's work here.
Sofia Ulisses is a Fulbright doctoral fellow from Brazil pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy Analysis and Leadership at the University of California, Riverside. She received her B.A. in Psychology and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with highest honors. Sofia has experience working as a clinical psychologist and researcher with adolescents and youth in different settings, from public schools to juvenile detention systems and psychiatric hospitals. Her research interests merge Psychology, Education Policy, and Youth Civic Engagement, aiming to support the well-being of students by providing research-informed recommendations and responding to pressing social issues.
Omisha Sangani is an undergraduate student at UC Riverside. She is passionate about promoting health equity and hopes to pursue a career as a physician. Outside of research, her interests include fitness, art, spending time outdoors, and volunteering in her community.CSU East Bay
Ryan Gamba, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at CSU East Bay. Dr. Gamba is a Bay Area native and got his MPH in Maternal and Child Health and PhD in Epidemiology at the University of California Berkeley. His research program focuses on how do help students who are struggling with basic needs. His current focus is how food insecurity impacts college students, and the best interventions to assist students who are food insecure. Learn more about Dr. Gamba's work here.
Marina Franco is a pre-medical student in the post-bacc program at Cal State East Bay and was born and raised in the Bay Area. Ms. Franco is interested in Primary Care and is passionate about strengthening health equity and advocacy in underserved and underrepresented communities.
Anisha Ali is a pre-medical student in the post-bacc program at Cal State East Bay. Ms. Ali was born in Oakland, CA and is passionate about acting on the health care disparities and irregularities that she grew up witnessing in the Bay Area. Ms. Ali received a Bachelor's degree in Integrative Human Biology from UC Berkeley in 2022.
Hayne Navarra is a pre-medical student in CSU East Bay's post-bacc program (PHAP). Mr. Navarra enjoys cooking and hiking and believes that everyone has the right to education!
Cristina Zavala is an undergraduate student at Cal State East Bay. She was born and raised in the Bay Area. Ms. Zavala plans on advancing her education and is interested in preventative healthcare/public health and disease prevention. She hopes to pursue a career in public health that gives back to her Hispanic and underrepresented community. Ms. Zavala works and goes to school full time. However, during her free time she enjoys exploring new places/foods and going to the gym.
Contact the CSU East Bay team at [email protected]!
Other Co-Investigators
Natasha L. Burke, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fordham University and the director of the Burke Health and Wellness (BHW) Lab. Trained in clinical and pediatric psychology, her research program makes inroads into eating- and weight-related disparities by addressing measurement, models, and interventions for multiply marginalized children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Her interests include intersectionality, food insecurity, and the complex interplay among weight status, sociodemographic characteristics, psychological comorbidities, and associated risk factors. Given the persistence of significant eating- and weight-related health disparities, her goal is to continue to inform research and interventions in racial/ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged populations. Learn more about Dr. Burke's work here.
Mathew Kiang, ScD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has a multidisciplinary background that enables him to use methodologies drawn from computational social science and social epidemiology to address socioeconomic and racial/ethnic health inequities. His ongoing research projects focus on reducing disparities in opioid use disorder treatment, examining the effects of wildfires and climate change on vulnerable populations, and leveraging data to inform effective interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about Dr. Kiang's work here.
Michelle Odden, PhD, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University and an Investigator at the VA Palo Alto Health Care Center. Her research focuses on improving preventive strategies for chronic disease in older adults, particularly those who are underrepresented in research. She has contributed to the fields of cardiovascular and kidney health, physical and cognitive function preservation, and methodological approaches to reduce biases in observational studies. Learn more about Dr. Odden's work here.
David H. Rehkopf, ScD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health and in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health at Stanford University. His research is focused on understanding the health implications of the myriad decisions that are made by corporations and governments every day - decisions that profoundly shape the social and economic worlds in which we live and work. Learn more about Dr. Rehkopf's work here.
Tiffany Yip, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology specializing in ethnic identity development among minority youth, young adults, and adults. Her research examines the association between ethnic identity and psychological adjustment, as well as the impact of ethnic-specific and general stressors on well-being outcomes. Additionally, she holds editorial roles for the Asian American Journal of Psychology and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Learn more about Dr. Yip's work here.
Other Research Staff
Tatyana Bidopia is a third-year clinical psychology PhD student at Fordham University working under the mentorship of Dr. Natasha Burke. Her research interests are understanding sociocultural risk and protective factors for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction in underserved populations. During her free time, she loves to read, try out new restaurants, and watch reality TV.
Giovanna Rafanello is the Lab Manager for the Youth Development, Diversity, and Disparities (3D) Lab at Fordham University under Principal Investigator Lindsay Till Hoyt, Ph.D. Broadly, Ms. Rafanello is passionate about community-engaged research with adolescent and emerging adult populations. She feels privileged to contribute to the 3E Study as it promotes equity in education and health. Learn more about Ms. Rafanello's work here.
Angelica C. Vega is currently a doctoral student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at Fordham University under the mentorship of Dr. Lindsay Till Hoyt, as well as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Youth Development, Diversity, and Disparities (3D) Lab. Her research focuses on examining the risk and protective factors associated with the college experience of emerging adults and nontraditional students with various challenges. This includes conducting research and designing programming focused on student needs and resilience, to better inform practices and techniques specific to promoting student wellbeing and overall college success.
Julianna Hsing is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University. Her research interests focus on digital health and chronic disease prevention. Specifically, she aims to integrate epidemiology, bioinformatics, and data-drive approaches to develop equitable, population-level prevention strategies for chronic diseases, such as diabetes, liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Outside of work, Julianna enjoys rock climbing and playing music with friends.
Saniya Sran is high school student aspiring to major in Public Health. From conducting a scoping review concerned with increasing access to remote healthcare to helping with the 3E study, Ms. Sran is dedicated to exploring her passions and contributing to public health research. Learn more about Ms. Sran's work here.
General questions? Email us at [email protected]