Current and Past IRTHA Trainees
Current Predoctoral Trainees
Jillian Baker, Department of Epidemiology (2024-2025): As an IRTHA trainee, Jillian Baker is examining the functional and endocrine effects
of intimate partner violence in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)
for her doctoral dissertation. SWAN is a multi-ethnic, multi-site cohort study that
has followed women for nearly 30 years, through and beyond the menopausal transition.
The T32 has also supported Jillian to investigate the link between partner violence
and cognition, sleep and fall risk, physical function and cognitive function, and
environmental exposures and health within SWAN.
Mentor: Dr. Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez
Chelsea Cox, Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity (2023-2025): As an IRTHA trainee, Chelsea is investigating multi-level factors that contribute
to underdiagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. For her dissertation,
Chelsea is using the National Poll on Healthy Aging and the Health and Retirement
Study, large national surveys based at the University of Michigan, to examine barriers
to screening and timely diagnosis in diverse cohorts of older U.S. adults. Overall,
the aim of her dissertation is to identify individual and social determinants of diagnostic
disparities to help inform policies and interventions for a more equitable future
in dementia healthcare.
Mentor: Dr. Scott Roberts
Past Predoctoral Trainees
Kallisse Dent, Department of Psychology (2023-2024):
Mentors: Dr. Leah Richmond-Rakerd, Dr. Briana Mezuk
Current Position:
Linh Dang, Department of Epidemiology (2022-2024):
Mentor: Dr. Briana Mezuk
Current Postion:
Laura Brotzman, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education (2021-2023): As an IRTHA trainee, Laura Brotzman conducted a mixed methods investigation of older adult perspectives on use of life expectancy information to guide cancer screening decisions for her doctoral dissertation. Laura co-designed and analyzed data from a National Poll on Healthy Aging module and conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with community-dwelling older adults over the age of 65.
Mentor: Dr Brian Zikmund-Fisher
Current Position
Erin Ice, Department of Sociology (2021-2023):
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Burgard
Current Position:
Maria Carabello, Department of Sociology, (2020-2023):
Mentor: Dr. Sarah Burgard
Current Position: Data Scientist, Connecticut Hospital Association
Mia Peng, Department of Epidmeiology (2018-2023): As an IRTHA trainee, Mia Peng investigated the cardiometabolic health implications of phthalate exposure in midlife women using longitudinal data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) for their doctoral dissertation.
Mentor: Dr. Sung Kyun Park
Current Position: Research Instructor, Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, Denver
Amilcar Matos-Moreno, Department of Epidmeiology (2017-2019):
Mentor: Dr. Carlos Mendes de Leon
Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Population Reserach Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Leah Abrams, Department of Health Management & Policy (2018-2019): As an IRTHA trainee, Leah Abrams used the Health and Retirement Study to characterize depressive symptoms at ages 51-90 by gender, race/ethnicity, education, and birth cohort, highlighting social inequalities and time trends in the U.S. Her dissertation investigated the impacts of unmet retirement expectations on depressive symptoms across sociodemographic subgroups, finding that unexpectedly not working at age 62, but not working longer than expected, was associated with depressive symptoms even after controlling for the mediating mechanism of health declines. Because depressive symptoms often co-occur with physical health conditions in adulthood, Dr. Abrams also examined the role of depression on recovering from acute hospitalizations by comparing hospital readmission, falls, and mortality among depressed and non-depressed Medicare beneficiaries in a range of post-acute care settings.
Mentor: Dr. Neil Mehta
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Tufts University
Angela Perone, School of Social Work (2016-2018): As an IRTHA trainee, Dr. Perone investigated depressive symptoms among informal caregivers and examined how formal caregivers make sense of conflicting rights arising in nursing home care. She conducted secondary data analysis of caregivers in the community with survey data from the Health and Retirement Study and primary qualitative data analysis of nursing home workers through semi-structured interviews and eight months of participant observation.
Mentor: Dr. Ruth Dunkle
Current Position: Assistant Professor & Director, Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley
Ilona Argirion (Kabra), Department of Environmental Health Sciences (2016-2018):
Mentor: Dr. Laura Rozek
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Human Science, Georgetown University
Kate Duchowny, Department of Epidemiology (2014-2016):
Mentor: Dr. Philippa Clarke
Current Position: Research Assistant Professor, Social Environment & Health Program, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Researh, University of Michigan
Jenny Ostergren, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education (2012-2024):
Mentor: Dr. Scott Roberts
Current Position:
Lindsay Pool, Department of Epidemiology (2012-2013):
Mentor: Dr. Carlos Mendes de Leon
Current Position: Program Office, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US National Institutes of Health
Jennifer Sun, Department of Psychology (2011-2013):
Mentor: Dr. Jacqui Smith
Current Position:
Jana Hirsch, Department of Epidemiology (2011-2014): As an IRTHA trainee, Dr. Jana A Hirsch (she/they) investigated longitudinal associations between neighborhood built environments and physical activity or cardiovascular risk outcomes among a diverse population of middle- and older-age adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis for their doctoral dissertation.
Mentor: Dr Ana Diez Roux
Current Position: Associate Reserach Professor of Epidemiology, Urban Health Collective, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University School of Public Health
Shama Virani, Department of Environmental Health Sciences (2010-2012):
Mentor: Dr. Laura Rozek
Current Position: Scientist, Genomic Epidemiology, World Health Organization
Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez, Department of Epidemiology (2010-2012): As an IRTHA trainee, Carrie Karvonen-Gutierrez investigated the non-loading effects of adipose tissue as a predictor of knee osteoarthritis. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, this dissertation identified the pro-inflammatory and metabolic effects of excess adipose tissue as predictors for knee osteoarthritis. Further, an important sex dimorphism was observed where as leptin, a pro-inflammatory adipokine was associated with knee osteoarthritis among women only but among men (but not women), insulin resistance was associated with knee osteoarthritis. High leptin levels predicted both incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis as well as MRI-defined knee joint damage among women.
Mentor: Dr. Sioban Harlow
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health
Carina Gronlund, Department of Environmental Health Sciences (2011-2013): As an IRTHA trainee, Carina Gronlund investigated the impacts of extreme heat on hospitalization rates in Medicare beneficiaries throughout the U.S. This research has informed our understanding of what types of hospitalizations increase during extreme heat events and how the rates differ depending on the prevailing weather conditions and air conditioning prevalence.
Mentor: Dr. Marie O'Neill
Current Position: Research Assistant Professor, Social Environment & Health Program, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
Kelly Bakulski, Department of Epidemiology (2010-2012): As an IRTHA trainee, Kelly Bakulski investigated the roles of DNA methylation and RNA expression in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis by conducting new measures in human postmortem frontal cortex tissues of cases in comparison to age and sex matched controls from the Michigan Alzehimer's Disesae Research Center. She also studied the prospective associations between lead exposure and dietary factors on homocysteine levels by analyzing data from the longitudinal Verteran's Affiars Normative Aging Study. This interdisciplinary doctoral thesis implemented laboratory biomarker studies, population exposure assessment and molecular epidemiology to approach the multi-faceted origins of neurological disease in aging populations.
Mentor: Dr. Howard Hu
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health
Emily Nicklett, Department of Health Management & Policy (2009-2010):
Mentor: Dr. Jersey Liang
Current Position: Associate Professor of Social Work, College for Health, Community, and Policy, University of Texas at San Antonio
Elsie Grace, Department of Epidemiology (2009-2011):
Mentor: Dr. Allison Aiello
Current Position: Senior Research Scientist, Eli Lilly and Company
Anda Botoseneanu, Department of Health Management & Policy (2008-2010):
Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Alexander
Current Position: Professor, Health Policy Studies, College of Education, Health, and Human Services, University of Michigan-Dearborn