Staff
Kate Barnes
Communications Specialist
Kate Barnes joined the University of Michigan Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) in January 2022. Her responsibilities include working with OVPR units and leadership to create and implement a strategic communications plan for programs and projects, including website development, content creation, media relations, and external stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining OVPR, Kate served as Logistics Director for Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II (2019-2022), and Communications Specialist at a Lansing lobbying firm (2013-2019). Kate holds a B.S. in Journalism from Central Michigan University.
Emily Becker
Research Associate
Ms. Becker is a Research Associate for Michigan Medicine on Project IntERact which aims to reduce risky firearm carriage. She has her Bachelor of Social Work and a Minor in Substance Abuse Treatment from the University of Michigan-Flint. She became especially interested in reducing risky behaviors among youth while at her internship where she worked with homeless youth in the Flint area.
Marie-Elena Bitar
Project Manager
Ms. Bitar joined the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention in February 2023 as a Project Manager. She manages the development, launch, and evaluation of a self-paced virtual training for an evidence-based after school program (Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES)) designed to help middle and high school aged youth become active participants and leaders in addressing youth violence and future firearm violence. She also provides general support and works closely with the team at the Institute to develop, design, and conduct Institute projects and initiatives. Marie Elena was born and raised in Lebanon and speaks three languages (Arabic, French, English). She is a Registered Dietitian and earned her Master’s in Public Health and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is passionate about social justice issues, youth empowerment, mental health advocacy, inclusive healthcare, and non-diet nutrition.
Caitlin Boskee
Research Therapist & Recruiter
Ms. Boskee is a research therapist and recruiter on Project IntERact which focuses on preventing risky firearm behaviors among youth. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint. Prior to joining IFIP, she served as a research therapist, recruiter, and study lead for SafERteens MCoach, a study aiming to reduce risky drinking and violence among adolescents.
Kaitlyn Bowie
Research Recruiter
Ms. Bowie is a research recruiter on Project SynERgy which aims to better understand health behaviors in young adults and teens. Project SynERgy identifies assault injured youth in the Emergency Department and is examining how to reduce both ED recidivism and negative outcomes among this population. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a pre-medical concentration from the University of Michigan-Flint. She plans to pursue her Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health with a concentration in Health Behavior Health Education.
Sally Cederberg, LLMSW
Research Therapist
Ms. Cederberg is a Research Therapist for Michigan Medicine on Project IntERact, which aims to reduce risky firearm carriage in young adults. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work with an MSW and a concentration in Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health and Substance Use. Prior to joining IFIP, she worked as a Wellness Coach for students at the University of Michigan focusing on substance use, restorative justice, and nicotine cessation.
Katy Clark
Project Coordinator
Ms. Clark is a Project Coordinator and Certified Clinical Research Professional. She is coordinating the implementation of the SafERteens program that prevents and reduces youth violence in Muskegon, Michigan.
Haley Crimmins, MPH
Associate Research Specialist
Ms. Crimmins is an Associate Research Specialist with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She is a graduate of University of Michigan School of Public Health with a Masters in Public Health. Her MPH has concentration in Health Behavior Health Education. Prior to joining IFIP, she worked as a research assistant with the Detroit Urban Research Center, UM Poverty Solutions, and the UM Eisenberg Depression Center, and has also worked in local public health. She loves to watch movies and travel.
Kyana Dixie, LLMSW
Research Therapist
Ms. Dixie is a Clinical Research Therapist on Project SynERgy and Project IntERact, both of which aim to reduce the recidivism of risky behaviors such as violence, firearm carriage, and substance use in young adults located in underserved communities. She received her MSW from the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work and graduated as a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Scholar with a concentration in Interpersonal Practice. Prior to joining IFIP, she interned as a Behavioral Health Consultant for Starfish Family Services to deliver integrated behavioral health services to underserved and high-risk populations. She also worked as a Research Assistant for two esteemed professors within the Social Work department, Dr. Cordova and his Prevention Research & Health Equity La, and Dr. Daicia Price and the HRSA Scholars Program to promote academic research through the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program.
Mahum Farooqui
Data Project Manager, CLIF-VP Coordinating Center
Ms. Farooqui is a Data Project Manager For the Community-Level Interventions for Firearm Violence Prevention (CLIF-VP) Coordinating Center. Prior to joining IFIP, she was a data curator for ICPSR and has worked as a research associate for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) and Fragile Families studies. She holds a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Wayne State University.
Marilyn Laski
Community Outreach Coordinator
Ms. Laski works on the SafERteens program that prevents and reduces youth violence. She works directly with the participating provider locations offering in-person and real time support and encouragement to sites. Ms. Laski’s previous positions include working in public health to support COVID-19 vaccine providers, as a behavior technician working with kids with autism and disabilities, and as a college adviser for high school students.
Lynn Massey, LMSW
Senior Project Manager
Ms. Massey is a Licensed Social Worker and a Senior Project Manager. She managed the Firearm-Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium. She is currently overseeing the research lab for Dr. Patrick Carter which is focused on reducing risky behaviors related to gun carriage and youth violence. She has over two decades of experience coordinating federally-funded research studies focused reducing and preventing substance use and youth violence, including the prevention of firearm injury.
Victor Medina Del Toro
Research Project Coordinator
Mr. Medina Del Toro joined the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention in January 2023 as a Research Project Coordinator. His work focuses primarily on supporting the Pathways to Potential (P2P) research project led by Dr. Rebeccah Sokol. He also provides general support for the Institute and its various ongoing projects. Mr. Medina holds a B.A. in History from Haverford College, a PgCert in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime from the University of Glasgow, and an M.A. in Global Criminology from Utrecht University. His Master’s thesis, (Re-)Imagining Gun Violence in Washington, DC, was a qualitative study that sought to understand how District residents conceptualize, discuss, and experience everyday gun violence.
Miriam Midoun
Project Coordinator
Ms. Midoun is a Project Coordinator with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention where she currently focuses on community recruitment for Project IntERact. She has a background in interdisciplinary social sciences and holds a MSc in Behavioral and Social Sciences and a MA in Comparative Human Development.
Carrie Musolf
Administrative Coordinator
Ms. Musolf began working for the University of Michigan in 2007. She is currently the Administrative Coordinator with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention providing support to the Institute faculty and staff. She received her degree in Business Administration.
Teresa Neumann
Community Engagement Project Manager – CLIF-VP Coordinating Center
Ms. Neumann is the Community Engagement Project Manager of the CLIF-VP Coordinating Center. Before joining the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, Ms. Neumann worked at the Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University Chicago for over 10 years in a variety of roles, specializing in Community Based Participatory Research. She oversaw a large portfolio of community based research projects addressing issues including housing, access to health care, quality early childhood resources, homelessness, youth leadership, and senior tenant voice. Ms. Neumann previously worked as a youth organizer in Chicago and as a public health research assistant collecting data for the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS). Ms. Neumann has a MA in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago and a BA in Philosophy with a concentration in Community Studies from the College of the Holy Cross.
Jorge Portugal
Statistician/Data Analyst
Mr. Portugal is a Statistician/Data Analyst with the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. He assists in the development of research projects and provides statistical support. Mr. Portugal obtained his MS in Biostatistics with a Health Data Science concentration from the University of Michigan.
Chris Rudski
Research Area Specialist
Mr. Rudski is a Research Area Specialist at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. He manages a research study aiming to understand racism, firearm injury risks, and resiliency among Asian Americans led by MPI Hsing-Fang Hsieh. Mr. Rudski holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Toledo. Prior to joining the Institute, as a Regional Coordinator for the CDC Foundation’s COVID-19 response Workforce/Vaccine Initiative, he supported critical public health field employees serving state and local health departments and intermediate school districts in Regions 5 & 7, including Michigan. He worked as a Registered Nurse at Michigan Medicine in Oncology where he spearheaded various staff and patient DEI and wellness initiatives. He also taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Japan for several years promoting cross-cultural communication for K-12 students in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Greg Sallabank, MA
Managing Director – CLIF-VP Coordinating Center
Mr. Sallabank is the Managing Director of the CLIF-VP Coordinating Center, an NIH-funded Coordinating Center to support research on community level interventions for firearm and related violence prevention. Previously, Mr. Sallabank was Center Manager at the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities at the University of Michigan where he led a multi-disciplinary research center focused on improving sexual health outcomes for marginalized groups.
Mr. Sallabank has managed NIH funded research studies focused on HIV and STD prevention and has supported research to understand the impact of intimate partner violence on sexual health. With over 15 years of experience delivering major programs that have included homelessness prevention, multi-agency neighborhood renewal, multisite research projects and health disparities research, Mr. Sallabank has expertise in project and program management, organizational strategy and development, stakeholder communications and engagement and multi-organization collaborations. He was previously a member of the Leeds City Council Safeguarding Children Board.
Philip Stallworth, JD
Research Analyst
Mr. Stallworth joined the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention as a Research Analyst in 2022. In this role, he provides statistical support, data management, and data cleaning across projects supported by the institute. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School with a JD and has experience working with children and adults involved in the criminal justice system. Prior to law school, Mr. Stallworth worked as a research analyst with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. He also works as an analyst for the Michigan Injury Prevention Center.
Michelle Thomas, M.Ed
Project Manager
Ms. Thomas joined the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention in February 2023. She is, currently, the Project Manager for the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm Related Harms, as well as, oversees the planning for the National Firearm Injury Prevention conference. She has experience in nonprofit management, holds a Master of Education degree in Special Education, and has a passion for advocacy within the disability community.
Elissa Trumbull, MPH, CRA
Project Manager
Ms. Trumbull is a Project Manager at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention including management of the T32 Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens: Multidisciplinary Research Training Program. Prior to joining the Institute, she supported a wide range of externally sponsored research activities in the College of Engineering. She brought a career of experience with her to U-M, dedicated to working with communities to increase food security and healthy food access in partnership with diverse stakeholders, partners, and funders. Previous roles included Program Director of a statewide healthy food incentive program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients called Double Up Food Bucks. She has expertise in program development and evaluation in a range of settings, including projects aiming to assess the evidence for health impacts of a state-funded program run by the Michigan Department of Education called 10 Cents a Meal. She is a Certified Research Administrator and earned her Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan – Flint.