2025 Graduating Student Spotlights

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Coming from a rural, medically underserved community in California’s Central Valley, my path to public health is deeply rooted in lived experience. Having undergone multiple heart surgeries and hospitalizations, I witnessed the barriers marginalized communities face in accessing care – often relying on my mom as my fiercest advocate. Her unwavering support inspired me to become an advocate for others, working to increase health literacy and access in under-resourced communities. At YSPH, I’ve focused on bridging systems and communities through storytelling and communications. As I graduate, I carry not just a degree, but a mission to build more compassionate, accessible care.

As a public health practitioner, my goal is to advance health equity by developing campaigns, messaging, and community-centered communications that increase access to care and improve health literacy. Building on my YSPH experiences in health communications, digital storytelling, and outreach, I hope to ensure that public health information is accurate, culturally responsive, accessible, and empowering for communities.

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Biostatistics

Teaching has always been a passion, a source of inspiration, and a way to renew my energy. During my two years at YSPH, I have had the privilege of serving as a teaching fellow for three professors across five courses, supporting more than 400 students. Alongside them, I grew, learned, and deepened my commitment to education and mentorship. In addition, working with Dr. Xin Zhou, assistant professor of biostatistics, on my master’s thesis solidified my passion for applied research. My thesis examined the impact of covariate adjustment in randomized clinical trials. This process involves including additional variables, known as covariates, in the analysis. These covariates help to account for other factors that might influence the primary outcome with the aim of reducing bias and providing a clearer understanding of the treatment’s effect. I am excited to continue conducting real-world data analysis and research that drives lasting change as a statistician at the Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE).

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Chronic Disease Epidemiology

Two weeks post-surgery for endometriosis, I arrived in the U.S. alone, in a wheelchair, and 10,000 miles from home, fueled by purpose to better understand this chronic disease. What began as a personal struggle has become a mission: to advance innovation in the field. As a Quad Fellow representing Australia and Yale, I walked the halls of the White House and the U.S. Department of State, bringing the voice of 1 in 10 people globally diagnosed with endometriosis to conversations on STEM and health equity. From the lab to the classroom, I’m working to ensure endometriosis is no longer invisible in science, policy, or society.

Read more about Chantelle.

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Health Policy and Management (Health Policy Concentration)

In 2011, my father passed away unexpectedly at age 48, and the cause was never determined. For years, I searched for answers, trying to understand the forces that shaped his life and death. I realized the marginalization my family faced as immigrants was part of a larger pattern—one that affected communities globally. This understanding fueled my drive for change. At YSPH, I found the tools to turn my grief into action, learning how to uncover and address systemic inequities. As I prepare to leave, I am empowered with the knowledge and resolve to create the change I’ve longed for.

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Chronic Disease Epidemiology

The opportunity to pursue doctoral training at Yale was a dream come true. When I arrived at Yale, I hoped to study how residential factors influence cancer risk, prognosis, and long-term survival. Working with Dr. Xiaomei Ma, professor of epidemiology, I was able to pursue this interest while complementing my studies with courses at the Yale School of the Environment and applying advanced spatial methodology to my research. I received the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health and the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation Pre-Doctoral Award in support of my research endeavors. At Yale, I further developed my pedagogical skills by serving as a Teaching Assistant in several courses. These teaching experiences were incredibly rewarding, as I had the opportunity to interact with the broader Yale community and received the Yale School of Public Health Teaching Fellow Award in recognition of these efforts. As I prepare for the next chapter, I am looking forward to applying my public health research and teaching skills to improve health conditions among marginalized communities and reduce health disparities. I am incredibly grateful to my mentors and students for creating the best doctoral experience I could ask for and strive to pay it forward in my future career.

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Social and Behavioral Sciences (U.S. Health Justice Concentration)

Coming to Yale, I knew I wanted to further my research and state-level policy advocacy experience for adolescent sexual and reproductive health. At YSPH, I was able to build a diverse research portfolio under the guidance of Dr. Ijeoma Opara, associate professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department and director of The Substances and Sexual Health (SASH) Lab. For my thesis, I investigated the effects of social media use on adolescent sexual health, substance use, and mental health. Additionally, I gained in-depth work experience with state-level policy through Professor Shelley Geballe's Health Policy Practicum. I work as the administrative intern for the Reproductive Rights Caucus under the preceptorship of State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest and have worked during the 2024 and 2025 Connecticut General Assembly sessions from January to May. I will be staying at Yale to pursue my PhD in public health with the goal of further integrating my policy advocacy work into my research on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Learn more about Nimisha.

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Social and Behavioral Sciences

Working in The Substances and Sexual Health (SASH) Lab has been a dream come true and has allowed me to support Black girls through research designed for and by them. Dr. Ijeoma Opara, associate professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department and director of The SASH Lab has been an incredible mentor, teaching me how to blend research with advocacy in ways that truly uplift this community. Her guidance has shaped my love for mixed-methods research and my approach to public health. Being a part of this important work has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my time at YSPH.

After graduation, I plan to head to Uganda through the Global Health Experiential Fellowship (GHEF) at Yale, where I plan to work on a research project exploring family planning attitudes and barriers among men in Buyende District. Alongside this, I’m excited to put my doula training into practice and support Black and brown communities in their birthing experiences.

Read more about Olivia.

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Environmental Health Sciences

Growing up in British Columbia, I watched wildfires turn skies orange, shaping my passion for environmental health. At YSPH, I built expertise in climate change, wildfires, and air pollution. Dr. Krystal Pollitt, associate professor of epidemiology (environmental health) and a fellow Canadian, has been an incredible mentor, guiding me in designing a thesis on wildfire smoke in my home community. I also led air quality projects with NASA DEVELOP, the Healthy Air Network, the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, and the Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions. YSPH has equipped me with the tools to bridge science, policy, and community action to address environmental health challenges.

After graduation, I will be starting a research associate position at the Milken Institute of Public Health at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In this role, I will be applying the skills I developed at YSPH including those in data and geospatial analyses, and leading research teams to conduct original community-engaged public health studies on air quality and food access.

Read more about Aline.

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Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases

I began studying global health mere months before the COVID-19 pandemic. Witnessing how the pandemic deepened inequities in my community and abroad motivated me to work in health emergency preparedness and response. For example, I wrote U.S. government policy on pandemic funding and advocated for preparedness at the World Health Organization. I joined the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases Department to sharpen my quantitative skills and bridge them with my policy background. At YSPH, I’ve tackled policy issues through epidemic modeling, created briefs for the Texas measles outbreak, and practiced outbreak investigation, all of which have strengthened my ability to impact health emergencies.

Read how Shoa and other YSPH students prepared a measles outbreak report.