Join us in welcoming Interdisciplinary Research Leaders’ newest cohort.
We are humbled by what we are learning about building a Culture of Health, particularly the critical importance of leaders who collaborate across disciplines to create equitable solutions for the unique health challenges in their home communities. What makes us hopeful is how the members of this new cohort, and all cohorts, embody the open, inclusive, and visionary leadership our country so urgently needs. And we are excited by the work these remarkably committed and caring human beings are doing.
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Here is a glimpse of the people joining our third cohort. Get ready to be inspired!
Amanda Kiger pictured; team also includes Erin Haynes, DrPH, and Lydia Rose, PhD
Community organizer Amanda Kiger has teamed up with researchers Erin Haynes and Lydia Rose to understand the impacts of pollution on rural communities and develop an innovative citizen science protocol that will give residents tools to measure toxic metals in yards and play areas.
Left to Right: Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, MSW, MOA, Theodore Radovich, PhD, and Jane Chung-Do, DrPH
Public health professor Jane Chung-Do, organic farming specialist Theodore Radovich, and Native Hawaiian cultural and health practitioner Ilima Ho-Lastimosa are merging modern agricultural techniques with traditional Hawaiian food practices by bringing together Native Hawaiian families to build and maintain backyard aquaponic systems, which allow plants and fish to grow symbiotically and sustainably.
Interdisciplinary Research Scholars is just one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s leadership programs. Meet the newest leaders from Clinical Scholars, Culture of Health Leaders, and Health Policy Research Scholars who will be joining minds and efforts with our fellows to expand their thinking and impact.
Clinical Scholars
Left to Right: Joe Currier, PhD, Erin McAdams, PA-C, MHS (Captain, US Army Reserve), Jeremy Fletcher, PT, DPT, OCS (Major, US Army Reserve), and Marjorie Scaffa, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, ALC
(Photo credit: Shane Rice (Veteran), Shane Rice Photography)
Combining the expertise of a physical therapist, clinical psychologist, occupational therapist, and physician assistant, this Alabama-based team led by Jeremy Fletcher is removing barriers and designing new ways to infuse peer support and vibrant community engagement into high-quality, compassionate, affordable mental health care for Veterans.
Left to Right: Ursula Aragunde-Kohl, PsyD, Fernando Janer, ND, MSW, and Lydael Vega-Otero, MSW
Ursula Aragunde-Kohl and her team are integrating psychology, social work, and naturopathic medicine to improve health for Puerto Rico’s Universidad del Turabo community by providing access to healthy and affordable food, growing crops on campus, and developing a graduate course and training program.
To stay in touch with Clinical Scholars, sign up for email updates.
Culture of Health Leaders
M Barclay, MDiv
Rev. M Barclay, the first openly non-binary, transgender deacon in the United Methodist Church, is helping communities explore how faith can work for or against our well-being, how systemic injustices keep us from flourishing, and how deeply we need healthy relationships.
Stanley Andrisse, MBA, PhD
Committed to changing lives and inspiring others to excel, Stanley Andrisse is a professor and endocrinologist who was incarcerated for drug trafficking in his youth. Today, he serves as a mentor and educational counselor to people facing similar challenges, helping them build career skills to push them toward their full potential.
To stay in touch with Culture of Health Leaders, sign up for email updates.
Health Policy Research Scholars
Deniss Martinez, PhD student
(Photo credit: Laura Galvez)
Deniss Martinez, a doctoral student in ecology, is conducting research with indigenous communities to elevate their perspectives and include their expertise in difficult conversations about environmental injustice, climate change, resource depletion, and habitat destruction.
Benjamin Carter, PhD student
Benjamin Carter, a doctoral student in political science, is bridging the gap between academia and government, using economic experiments and public opinion research to find real-world policy solutions, challenging society to deliver more equitable health care and minimize fiscal waste.
To stay in touch with Health Policy Research Scholars, sign up for email updates.
Now that you’ve met some of our newest fellows, tell us: Who else needs to know about these programs? Please tell people about this opportunity, especially those who might not otherwise hear about a program like this.