2025 Annual Meeting Poster Presentations

Poster Presenter Information

Monday, September 8, 2025
7:00 - 11:00 a.m.  -  Poster Set-Up Time in the California Ballroom
11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.  -  Poster Exhibition Open
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.  -  Meet the Poster Presenters & Poster Judging (All Poster Presenters need to be present.)

 2025 Annual Meeting Poster Listing

2025 Poster Presenters

Note: Presenters who have yet to submit their headshots and brief biographies to ACE--should still do so--and we will post here.
We want Annual Meeting attendees to have the most up-to-date information about who is presenting posters in Pasadena:

Hoda S. Abdel Magid, PhD, MHS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and the Spatial Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California. She joined USC in 2023 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship and serving as an instructor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University. Dr. Abdel Magid’s research investigates how physical spaces and social places influence health outcomes and contribute to health disparities. She applies methods from spatial epidemiology, causal inference, and machine learning to study how structural and social determinants—particularly socioeconomic and structural spatial polarization—shape disparities in hypertension and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) across the U.S.

Kareem Abdelghani is a medical and research assistant at The Woodlands Retina Center, where he contributes to both clinical care and investigative work focused on vitreo-retinal diseases. He holds a Bachelor of Science from West Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Computer and Information Technology at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests lie at the intersection of healthcare, epidemiology, and computational science, with a particular focus on retinopathy, macular degeneration, and other retinal disorders. He is especially interested in applying data-driven and population-based approaches to advance research and innovation in vision science and patient care.

 Dr. Annette Adams has been heavily involved in ACE over the last 20 years, serving on various committees, as Scientific Program Chair of the 2019 Annual Meeting, as a Board Member, and this year, as president. In her day job, Dr. Adams is a Research Scientist in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation (R&E). She is an injury epidemiologist and works primarily on osteoporosis and risk factors and outcomes of osteoporosis-related fractures. Dr. Adams developed the Southern California Osteoporosis Cohort Study (SOCS) which has become the foundation for NIH and industry funded studies of atypical femoral fractures, the effects of osteoporosis treatment drug holidays on osteoporosis-related fractures and atypical femoral fracture incidence, and numerous other studies on pharmacologic influences on bone health and osteoporosis-related fracture. Dr. Adams has also partnered with biomechanical engineers to study the use of biomechanical measures made from existing CT scans to improve hip fracture prediction.

Nekayla Anderson, MPH, is a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where her research focuses on the intersections of psychosocial stress, reproductive health, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Her dissertation examines the role of adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic status, and discrimination in shaping sex-specific reproductive outcomes—preeclampsia and early menopause—and their contribution to long-term cardiovascular risk. She leverages data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study and the All of Us Research Program to address these questions using rigorous epidemiologic and biostatistical methods. Ms. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (2019) and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (2021), both from UAB. Prior to her doctoral training, she worked as a Disease Intervention Specialist at the Jefferson County Department of Health, where she conducted outbreak investigations and managed infectious disease surveillance. This public health practice experience strengthened her commitment to applying epidemiologic research to improve population health. She has co-authored peer-reviewed publications on neonatal kidney injury and is currently leading analyses on metformin use and inflammatory markers among African American adolescents with type 2 diabetes. Her ongoing research has been supported through a T32 training grant and is now being developed into an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship application. Ms. Anderson’s long-term goal is to establish an independent research program that investigates psychosocial determinants of reproductive health and their contribution to cardiovascular disparities in women. She aspires to lead a prospective longitudinal cohort study to advance prevention strategies, improve early identification of at-risk women, and inform evidence-based interventions that reduce the burden of CVD across the life course.

Anna Gretz, MPH, is a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of Memphis School of Public Health (UofM SPH), where she also earned her MPH in Environmental Health. She has over seven years of multidisciplinary public health experience at the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD), where she serves as the department’s PHAB Accreditation Coordinator and oversees Academic Health Department activities. As a Public Health Scholar with the Center for PH-IDEAS, her doctoral studies are funded through a collaboration between UofM SPH and SCHD to strengthen the public health workforce. Anna’s research in environmental epidemiology began during her MPH with fieldwork in rural Haiti on vermiculture practices and indoor air pollution from biomass burning, which led to a publication in Atmospheric Environment. Her research now broadly explores the impact of environmental and structural exposures on health outcomes and their implications for policy and practice in resource-constrained communities

Edmond Kubi Appiah, BDS, MPH, is a public health researcher with training in dentistry and epidemiology whose work focuses on environmental health epidemiology, climate change, and maternal and child health outcomes. He earned his Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (with a minor in Biostatistics) from Drexel University, where he was recognized with multiple awards, including the Delta Omega Poster Award and the APHA Environment Section Scholarship for excellence in environmental public health research. Dr. Appiah’s research spans epidemiologic methods, environmental health, and chronic disease prevention. He has served as a Clinical Research Coordinator on State and industry-funded studies examining obesity, kidney disease, and behavioral health, and as a Research Fellow and Assistant in academic health centers. His ongoing projects include national analyses of hypertension, kidney disease, and depression using NHANES data, as well as investigations into climate-related health risks such as maternal morbidity associated with extreme weather events. Beyond research, Dr. Appiah contributes to the academic community as a peer reviewer for the Annals of Epidemiology, Preventing Chronic Disease (CDC), JMIR Mental Health, and the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting. He has also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Epidemiology and a writing consultant, mentoring public health students in scientific communication. Dr. Appiah is engaged in public service, volunteering with the American Red Cross, the Medical Reserve Corps, and serving as a public health advocate in Philadelphia. He is a member of several professional associations, including APHA, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the International Epidemiological Association, the National Kidney Foundation. His career goal is to integrate epidemiologic evidence with community-engaged approaches to address disparities in maternal health, chronic disease, and climate resilience, advancing population health.

Dr. Demelash Biffa Areda is an Associate Professor of Biological and biomedical sciences at Ottawa University Surprise (OUAZ) and data scientist (independent). He holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology (Norwegian University of Life Sciences), an MPH (Grand Canyon University), an MPVM (University of California, Davis), and a DVM (Addis Ababa University). His research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology, including zoonotic diseases, with an emphasis on application of AI and machine learning algorithms to epidemiological investigations. He is a senior collaborator at Global Burden of Disease Study/ The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation /University of Washington and published in leading journals including The Lancet. Dr. Areda also serves on editorial boards, reviews for scientific journals, and evaluates grants in public health (NIH). E is a recipient of several fellowships including from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Association of Colleges and University Educators (ACUE), and the University of Arizona. He is dedicated to advancing epidemiological research, mentoring future public health professionals, and fostering international collaboration.

Dr. Akshaya Bhagavathula is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at North Dakota State University whose research centers on digital epidemiology, health policy evaluation, and the application of advanced causal inference and AI methods to population health. His work emphasizes the intersection of technology and public health, particularly the role of telehealth in addressing substance use disorders and improving access to care in underserved communities. Dr. Bhagavathula has led multiple projects examining Medicaid and Medicare policies on telehealth, opioid prescribing, and behavioral health outcomes. His current research applies quasi-experimental designs, spatiotemporal modeling, and digital surveillance data to evaluate the effectiveness of payment parity policies on substance use disorder treatment utilization. By integrating health services research with machine learning and policy analytics, his work provides timely evidence to inform state and federal health reforms. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles, including contributions to The Lancet, Annals of Epidemiology, and JACC. His expertise in pharmacoepidemiology and digital health has been recognized internationally, and he has been named among the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists (2019–2024). At NDSU, Dr. Bhagavathula teaches graduate and undergraduate epidemiology and mentors students in applied public health research. He also contributes to curriculum innovation, including the development of new programs in clinical research and digital health. His broader vision is to leverage digital epidemiology and health policy analytics to improve equitable access to care and reduce health disparities across populations.

Dr. Alberto Caban-Martinez, DO, PhD, MPH, CPH, CFR, FACE is a board-certified physician-scientist, Professor (tenured) of Public Health Sciences, Deputy Director of the MD-MPH Program, and Associate Vice-Provost for Research Regulation, Integrity, Security, and Evaluation at the University of Miami. He has over 23 years of domestic and international research expertise in environmental and occupational epidemiology. He serves as the Deputy Director of the Firefighter Cancer Initiative at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center with a focus on firefighter subgroups such as arson investigators, firefighter trainers/instructors, wildland-urban interface and volunteer firefighters. He is a former Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences’ Gulf Research Program and served on the Institute of Medicine’s (IOMs) Committee of Gulf War and Health for two years to provide scientific expertise on occupational exposures and work-related health conditions. He currently serves as member of the National Academies’s Clinical Follow-Up and Care for Those Impacted by the JP-5 Releases at Red Hill Committee. His research work with first responders and construction workers led him to serve on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) committee, setting the national research agenda on worker health and safety. He has scientific articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, JAMA Network Open, JAMA Dermatology, CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), American Journal of Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), Preventive Medicine, and Neuropharmacology. He has published over 202 peer-reviewed publications and presented over 298 scientific presentations on a wide range of occupational health and safety topics

Dr. Karen Coleman studies the factors at the level of the patient, the provider, and the system that lead to successful interventions for physical and emotional wellness. Currently she is the Principal Investigator on a large Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute award to study the implementation of intensive lifestyle interventions for obesity.

Farzana Rahman is pursuing her PhD in Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlo>e, majoring in epidemiology. She holds an MD and an MPH in Epidemiology, with prior faculty experience teaching in the medical schools of Bangladesh. Her research spans alcohol use, suicide, environmental exposures, and childhood development, with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals. She brings a strong background in both clinical practice and quantitative methods, including SAS, Stata, R, and SPSS, to advance public health research and practice

Allana T. Forde, PhD, MPH, FAHA, is a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Dr. Forde's research focuses on stressors that are experienced by different populations and the impact that these stressors have on health and health disparities across the life course. She is particularly interested in examining how stressors contribute to cardiovascular risk, morbidity, and mortality. Her research explores the heterogeneity within and between groups to identify protective and adaptive factors that may explain why certain groups do not develop adverse health outcomes arising from stress. An extension of her research includes exploring the psychological, behavioral, and biological mechanisms through which stressors impact cardiovascular outcomes. Dr. Forde hopes to translate her research findings into appropriate interventions or strategies that aim to improve health and minimize health disparities. She received her BA in Child Development and Community Health from Tufts University, MPH in Epidemiology from George Washington University, and PhD in Epidemiology from Columbia University. She is also an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA).

Hao Fu, MPH is a doctoral epidemiology student in Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Her research focuses on occupational and environmental health, with a particular emphasis on firefighter health risks, carcinogenic exposures, and biomarker-based surveillance. Hao earned her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Columbia University and a prior MPH in Toxicology from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC). She completed her Bachelor of Preventive Medicine at Harbin Medical University. Her multidisciplinary training spans molecular toxicology, and population-based epidemiology, bridging laboratory research with applied public health. She has authored peer-reviewed publications, including studies on acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity and occupational risk assessment, and has presented her work at national and international scientific conferences. Her most recent research projects include studies on carcinogenic exposure among U.S. volunteer firefighters using silicone wristbands, investigating predictors of inflammation with machine learning, and analyzing PFAS levels in firefighter blood samples. Beyond research, Hao has worked across diverse public health settings, from hospital-based cohort studies on maternal exposure to heavy metals, to CDC projects on mortality surveillance and vaccination satisfaction. She is also experienced in advanced data analysis (SAS, R, STATA) and laboratory methods (PCR, ELISA, cell co-culture), enabling her to approach health challenges from a translational framework that includes both molecular and population perspectives. Hao is committed to advancing occupational and environmental health through interdisciplinary research, mentorship, and collaborative partnerships. Her long-term goal is to improve health outcomes for high-risk worker populations through innovative exposure assessment and preventive interventions.

My name is Kieran Gill. I grew up in a small mining town in western Labrador and now live in St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Science in Medicine studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland. My research interests focus on public health, epidemiology, and infectious diseases, with a particular interest in immigrant health. Preceding my current academic pursuits, during 2024, I completed a Master of Public Health from Memorial University. Engaged in this training I acquired a holistic understanding of health and gained skills necessary to conduct meaningful research. Through dedicated effort and a passion for public health, I was then named a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies. In addition, I completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, graduating in 2023 with honors and distinction. Beyond academic work I also serve as a student member of the Centre for New Immigrant Well-being (CNIW) Board of Directors. The CNIW is a Canadian non-profit based in Toronto, Ontario, with programs and membership extending to a variety of Canadian provinces nationwide. We are among the fastest growing immigrant health community research organizations, offering valuable insights into the health, well-being, and evolving needs of Chinese Canadians.

Rawan Iriqat, MPH, is a graduate researcher at UC San Diego whose work focuses on the mental health of refugees and war-affected children. She will present a study on the association between trauma and depression symptoms among child refugees, highlighting how this relationship shifts across different phases of forced migration.

Taeuk Kang is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa, College of Public Health, with a concentration in infectious diseases epidemiology. He holds an MSc in Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Master of Biotechnology from the University of Queensland. His diverse academic training, along with his previous research experience, is spanning pathogen diagnostics, molecular epidemiology, surveillance, bacterial genomics, and antimicrobial resistance Mr. Kang has extensive research experience across multiple international settings, including the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National TB Hospital, the University of Cape Town Lung Institute, and Konkuk University School of Medicine. His work has encompassed molecular epidemiological surveillance of tick-borne and sexually transmitted infections, development of diagnostic platforms for tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2, and biosafety system implementation at national level. He has authored or co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed publications, including firstauthor papers on Chlamydia trachomatis, Rickettsia spp., and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. His research portfolio spans multiple countries and institutions, including Philippines, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, India, and USA. Currently, Kang serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at University of Iowa Health Care, conducting clinical data management, epidemiological analyses, and advanced statistical analyses. He has gained practical public health experience through experience at Wapello County Public Health in Iowa and the S M Sehgal Foundation in India, working on community health assessments and water quality evaluation. Kang actively contributes to the professional epidemiological community through research, teaching, and service. His research has been recognized with multiple awards, reflecting his commitment to advancing infectious disease epidemiology. He has also been invited to review manuscript, abstract, and textbook in epidemiology and public health.

Mirsada Serdarevic, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Quantitative and Qualitative Health Sciences at the UT School of Public Health, San Antonio. She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Florida as a NIDA T32 trainee and has held research and faculty positions at the Center for Epidemiology and Healthcare Delivery Research at JPS Health Network and Texas Christian University. Her research focuses on substance use and improving treatment access, with an emphasis on addressing gaps in care for underserved populations.

Tina Nguyen holds an MPH in Health Management and Policy from Drexel University and a BS in Biochemistry from Temple University. She is currently a third-year PhD student in Health Services Research and Policy at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Her research interests span cancer prevention, infectious diseases, environmental and occupational health, immigrant health, health policy advocacy, and community engagement. Tina has held diverse research and leadership roles across academic and community settings. She currently serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at Drexel University (2023-current), focusing on identifying social and structural barriers to accessing high-quality lung cancer screening in the U.S. She also works part-time as a senior Clinical Research Coordinator/Project Manager at the Infectious Diseases Clinical Trial Unit at the University of Pennsylvania (2022-current), supporting clinical trials in vaccine development and HIV treatment. Previously, she was the Project Manager for the Healthy Nail Salon Project at Drexel University (2020–2022), where she partnered with stakeholders to improve occupational health and safety for nail salon workers. From 2019 to 2021, she was a Research Fellow at Drexel’s Urban Health Collaborative, contributing to projects examining the impacts of air pollution on communities in Philadelphia. She began her research career as a Research Assistant in the Nicholson Lab at Temple University (2017–2019), where she worked on biochemistry and nanotechnology studies on ribosomal RNAs. Through her academic training, professional experience, and community engagement, Tina is committed to producing research that informs policy, empowers communities, and promotes health equity, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Rohit Ojha: I am Director of the Center for Epidemiology & Healthcare Delivery Research at JPS Health Network, Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences at the Burnett School of Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. My work generates evidence that helps healthcare providers and healthcare organizations make decisions that improve the quality of care, optimize patient outcomes, and reduce costs. Specifically, I apply expertise in causal inference, predictive analytics, and evidence synthesis to understand the effects of healthcare interventions (medications, digital health interventions, programs, or policies) on healthcare utilization and health outcomes; the validity and clinical utility of clinical prediction models; and the effects of decision support tools on the adoption of evidence-based practices. Evidence generated from my research has been cited in 37 clinical practice guidelines and health policy statements.

Chidimma Okoli is a third-year doctoral student in Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Covenant University, Nigeria. Her bachelor’s thesis investigated the potential therapeutic effects of pigeon pea extract in malaria infections in Nigeria. She later completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) with a concentration in Epidemiology at UNC Charlotte. Chidimma’s research interests lie in nutrition epidemiology, with a focus on the risks and burden of chronic diseases among women, children, and young adults. She is also passionate about applying innovative research and statistical methodologies to further explore these interests.

Paola Rodriguez-Grisales, MPH, is a master's degree graduate in public health with an interest in how our environments, both physical and social, shape health, especially for women, children, and historically underserved communities. Her work explores the intersections of climate, vaccine access, and health equity. At the 2025 ACE Annual Meeting, Paola will present two research posters. One shares findings from her MPH capstone on how heatwaves impact preterm and low birth weight across the U.S. The second, co-authored with Colin O’Mahony, MPH, examines how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted adult vaccination coverage and how community-level risk factors influenced these outcomes. Paola earned her Master of Public Health from Rollins College, where she now works as a Research Assistant. Originally from Colombia, she holds a degree in Pharmacy from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and has led hospital-based pharmacovigilance efforts and health promotion programs in both clinical and school settings. Her current work continues to center around making public health more inclusive, accessible, and community driven. She collaborates with organizations like the Male Wellness Collective to support mental health initiatives through qualitative research and outreach.

Tanko Rufai: I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. I also hold a master’s degree in Applied Epidemiology and Disease Control from the University of Ghana School of Public Health. Currently, I work as a graduate research assistant focusing on autoimmune diseases, severe maternal morbidity, and newborn outcomes. Through collaboration with other researchers, I have authored approximately nine peer-reviewed publications addressing communicable diseases and maternal health. I have received awards such as the Arnold Fellowship from the University of South Carolina, the student dean’s grant, and a conference grant from Virology Education in the Netherlands. As part of community service, I review for journals including BMC Public Health, BMC Infectious Diseases, and PLOS ONE. I am a member of the American College of Epidemiology, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in the UK, the Society for Implementation Research and Collaboration in the US, the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Alumni Network of Ghana, and the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists

Madeleine M. Sayre is a research support specialist at the University of Miami, where she contributes to multiple projects within the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative. Her work spans several studies focused on occupational health risks among U.S. firefighters, including those serving in volunteer fire departments. She currently coordinates the “Forestry & Wildland Risk Discussions” study, which investigates health and safety perceptions among wildland firefighters. Madeleine earned her Bachelor of Science in Health & Exercise Science from Wake Forest University, with minors in Journalism and Psychology. Her undergraduate research explored intermuscular coordination and fatigue, and she presented her findings at conferences hosted by the American College of Sports Medicine. In her current role, she develops IRB protocols, designs REDCap projects, and supports field operations and data collection. She is particularly skilled in synthesizing scientific literature into actionable insights and organizing research workflows with clarity and precision. Her interdisciplinary experience includes pharmaceutical marketing, science writing, and public relations, equipping her with a strong foundation in both research and communication. At the American College of Epidemiology, Madeleine will present findings on predictors of decontamination training among volunteer firefighters and the characteristics that influence whether they receive such training, highlighting behavioral, organizational, and environmental factors that shape access to safety practices. Her work reflects a deep commitment to scientific rigor, collaborative inquiry, and the wellbeing of frontline workers exposed to environmental hazards.

Dr. Scialla is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Nephrology and Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA). She trained in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Clinical Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At UVA, she serves as the Director of the Nephrology Clinical Research Center within the Division of Nephrology. Nationally she serves as a Deputy Editor at the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Her research focuses on chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology with an emphasis on secondary prevention in CKD, chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorder, and data science

 Anton Stremousov, MPH, MS, is a Research Associate with the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative (FCI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In this role, he works closely with fire investigators, inspectors, and firefighters across Florida and the United States to advance occupational health research and cancer prevention initiatives. His responsibilities include developing and implementing firefighter health education programs, coordinating NIH- and FEMA-funded studies, supporting IRB submissions, and disseminating research findings through peer-reviewed conferences, workshops, and community engagement initiatives. He contributes to several multidisciplinary studies focused on improving firefighter health and safety, including the Fire Investigator and Inspector Comprehensive Occupational (FI2CO) Health and Safety Assessment, the Florida Firefighter Integrated and Representative Epidemiologic (F2IRE) Cohort Study, the Tracking Heat Exposure, Response, and Markers in Adaptive Levels (THERMAL) Project, and the Photovoice Approach to Volunteer Firefighter Health and Safety Concerns. He is also actively involved in the FLARE Study (Fire Investigators’ Lived Awareness of Risk and Exposure), which uses qualitative methods to identify occupational risks. Anton earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Pre-Med) and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Barry University in Miami, Florida, as well as a Master of Public Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he gained extensive training in epidemiology, environmental health, and public health sciences. During his MPH program, Anton served as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Environmental Health Lab, contributing to studies on air pollution, hurricane impacts, migration, and respiratory health outcomes. He also collaborated on neonatal intensive care research examining biomarkers of consciousness recovery. His research interests include occupational and environmental health, exposure science, climate-sensitive health risks, and cancer prevention, with a particular focus on advancing evidence-based policies to protect fire investigators and firefighters.

Haitao Zhang is an epidemiologist at National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, focusing on population health. His research examines survey and genetic data to understand alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorder, and their public health implications.

Zhaomei Geng is a graduate student in Biostatistics at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego. Her research interests are in statistical methods for public health and biomedical applications. At ACE 2025, she will present a poster titled "Impact of Trauma Exposure on Mental Health Outcomes among Refugees: A Secondary Analysis.

Suky Zheng is a 5th-year co-op student majoring in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. Her research experience spans across multiple disciplines in the life sciences, health sciences, public health & epidemiology, and clinical research. Previously, she was a clinical research student at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (Toronto Western Hospital) and a co-op research student at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). She completed her undergraduate honours thesis project in Dr. Sheila Singh's lab at McMaster, and is currently continuing her work investigating the role of endogenous retroviruses and cancer-associated inflammation in aggressive brain cancers. Aside from her background in neuroscience and immuno-oncology, Suky is also extensively involved in public health research with the Centre for New Immigrant Well-Being (CNIW). As a student member on the CNIW board of directors, she has contributed to various research and community projects that aim to better understand the needs and barriers faced by Chinese immigrants in Canada. Suky has presented her research at both national and international conferences, and has won multiple awards for her work. Most recently, she was a recipient of the Ontario Youth Volunteer Award for outstanding community service and volunteerism at CNIW.