Past Trainees
Past Postdoctoral Fellows
Shaun Bhatia, PhD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Bhatia’s research has focused in the areas of program and policy evaluation, community violence prevention, and spatial econometrics. He earned his MS in Epidemiology from the University of Illinois and received his doctorate and MA in Community Psychology from DePaul University. Dr. Bhatia worked closely with the CDC-funded Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center based at U-M’s School of Public Health. The center partners with universities, economic development organizations, health departments, hospitals, police departments and community-based organizations to implement and evaluate strategies to prevent youth violence. He worked closely under the direction of Drs. Marc Zimmerman and Patrick Carter as faculty mentors.
Zainab Hans, PhD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Hans completed her postdoctoral research fellowship in October 2024 and is now a Research Investigator at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics in 2022. Her research interests include intimate partner violence, homicide, child abuse, and firearm violence. Her work focuses on identifying legal, environmental, and macro-economic factors that influence violence. She has previously worked with the Detroit Police Department, Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Michigan Department of Corrections, and victim advocates to improve the civil and criminal justice system responses to intimate partner violence.
Heather Hartman, MD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Hartman was a general surgeon and pediatric surgical intensivist at the University of Michigan, providing special care for critically ill pediatric patients. Dr. Hartman was also a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She trained in general surgery in Philadelphia, where she cared for many gun violence victims. Her experiences treating patients has led her to focus her research and training on firearm injury prevention in youths. She is passionate about making the community safer for everyone while providing care for those who get injured.
Stephen Oliphant, PhD, MPP
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Oliphant’s research was focused on understanding the impacts of firearm laws and social policies on self-harm and interpersonal firearm injury. The overarching goal of his work was to inform interventions and policies that are equitable and effective. Prior to joining the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, he earned a master’s in public policy and certificate in injury science from the University of Michigan and received his doctorate from the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. As a graduate student, he was a research assistant with the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium where he contributed to research projects on youth firearm carrying and extreme risk protection orders. Dr. Oliphant worked closely under the direction of Drs. Justin Heinze and Patrick Carter as mentoring faculty during his fellowship.
Karissa Pelletier, PhD, MS
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Karissa R. Pelletier was a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention from 2021-23. She is currently a fellow at Temple University in the Public Policy Lab working on firearm violence prevention and general violence reduction in Philadelphia. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2021. She holds additional degrees in Sociology, Psychology, and Philosophy. Her past research has focused on weapon choice, firearm homicide, and the covariates of firearm homicides among children and teens. She has been published in the following journals: Homicide Studies, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, The Journal of Primary Prevention, and Journal of Family Violence. Her research interests include violence, homicide, intimate partner violence and homicide, the prevention of firearm homicide among children and teens, and firearm laws. She has served as a project manager on two separate projects: the Preventing and Assessing IPH (Intimate Partner Homicide) Risk (PAIR) Studies, which aims to update IPH risk assessments, and the Monumentum Project, which aims to draw attention to the problem of firearm violence among children and teens through the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology.
Leigh Rauk, PhD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
As a Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens (FACTS) and an Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention Postdoctoral Fellow in 2021-22, Dr. Rauk studied firearm outcomes among youth in school settings, with a particular focus on preventative school safety policies. She is a Community Psychologist with a background in participatory action research methodologies. She earned her Ph.D. in Community Psychology from the University of Miami. She is passionate about using research to inform our understanding of the intersection of schooling and firearm safety. As a community psychologist and community-engaged scholar, she has experience building collaborative relationships with community members and stakeholders, specifically young people who are deeply impacted by the issue, to inform and generate actionable research. She is now an Evaluation Associate with Collaborators Consulting Group.
Laura Seewald, MD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Seewald is an adult emergency medicine physician at the University of Michigan and completed a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in June 2023 with the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. The focus of her postdoctoral research and education was in the field of firearm injury prevention, with a specific interest in interventions for high-risk youth populations. Her current work aims to examine parental attitudes towards healthcare provider firearm safety counseling. She is now an tenure-track faculty position in Emergency Medicine and Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan.
Eugenio Weigend Vargas, PhD
Past Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Weigend Vargas was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. His research has focused on preventing arms trafficking and gun violence in the United States and Mexico. Dr. Weigend Vargas has provided testimonies before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as well as the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Firearms Trafficking in the Americas and has been invited to speak at conferences at Oxford University, Georgetown University, Washington University, Colegio de Mexico, and Universidad Autonoma Nacional de México.
Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Weigend Vargas was the research director for gun violence prevention at the Center for American Progress, where he published numerous articles, books, reports, fact sheets, and issue briefs advocating for measures that strengthen gun laws in the United States at the state and federal levels. Dr. Weigend Vargas has been a visiting scholar at Georgetown University and the University of Texas in El Paso. He holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Brown University and a doctorate from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.
Past Interns & Research Assistants
Mohamad Alhacham
Past Intern
Mr. Alhacham is a first generation Arab-American who is looking to build a legacy that will inspire people to challenge the systems that have negatively impacted society. Currently, he is pursuing an MPH at UM – Ann Arbor and expects to graduate in 2024. Following graduation, he wants to work with underserved and underrepresented populations to address social disparities that disproportionately affect these marginalized communities. As an intern, he assisted with project management and research on the Institute’s grant-funded projects.
Einas Ali
Past Intern
Einas Ali is a 2025 graduate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health Studies. She was an intern with the CDC-supported Future Public Health Leaders Program at the University of Michigan, and supported the SafERteens, SynERgy, and IntERact projects. These three studies are aimed at reducing and preventing violence and risky firearm behaviors among youth in clinical, emergency, and remote settings. Her interests include global health, epidemiology, health systems resilience, and improving implementation of evidence based practices in resource constrained settings.
Samantha Aprill
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Aprill was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. Samantha graduated with a master’s of Public Health in General Epidemiology at the School of Public Health. Prior to, she graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in neuroscience. Therefore, her interests are focused on mental health and firearm violence disparities.
Sloane Bennett
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Bennett was a research assistant at the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She studied Communications and Media, which she hopes to combine with her research after college. She was excited to be working in this realm, as she has always been inspired by her mother who works in the criminal justice field. She loves finding new restaurants in Ann Arbor and is a member of Sigma Delta Tau sorority.
Prudny Bonnaire-Fils
Past Intern
Mr. Bonnaire-Fils is an undergraduate student studying Public Health with a minor in Medical Geography at the University of Florida. He interned with the Institute through the Future Public Health Leaders Program at the UM School of Public Health. He is interested in entering the fields of social epidemiology and environmental health, and hopes to investigate the impact of firearm-related policy and community-based interventions across geographic areas.
Sarah Brandstadt
Past Intern
Ms. Brandstadt graduated with a B.S. in Public Health Sciences from the University of Michigan in December. She is pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology. She has a strong passion for researching community-based interventions to help decrease the rates of firearm violence in the community. Ms. Brandstadt worked with Dr. Hsing-Fang Hsieh on multiple firearm violence prevention studies.
Joseph Brown
Past Research Assistant
Joseph Brown was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. He completed his undergraduate studies at Hope College and earned his Master of Science from the University of Michigan Rackham School of Graduate Studies. He worked with assault injured adolescents in Detroit and as he applied to medical school hopes to take his knowledge of community violence into his future practice.
Mary Byron
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Byron was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She is a graduate student pursuing a dual master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in Cognitive Science with a concentration in Neuroscience and minored in Urban and Environmental Planning. Her past research experience includes novel pharmacological interventions for substance use disorder. She is particularly interested in the therapeutic effects of nature on behavioral health in urban communities. She assisted in organizing with community partners and collaborated on studies involving firearm violence and public art.
Skyla Chitwood
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Skyla Chitwood graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Foreign Service at Saint Louis University. She was a research intern with the Future Public Health Leadership program at the University of Michigan and continued as a Research Assistant with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, assisting with the Missouri Foundation for Health projects. She is interested in gun violence prevention, legislation regarding firearm laws, and youth gang-related intervention programs.
Shereen Daniel
Past Intern
Ms. Daniel is a dual-MPH student with concentrations in Environmental Health Sciences and Health Management and Policy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Philosophy from Michigan State University. Her past experience includes working as a Community Health Worker in the behavioral health program at a nonprofit in Pontiac, Michigan. With a background in biology and mental health, Ms. Daniel is interested in the associations between environmental exposures, human behavior, and firearm injury. She is passionate about understanding the ways that public policies can impact the incidence rate of firearm death and was thrilled to work with Dr. Rebekah Sokol.
Alyssa Donovan
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Donovan was an undergraduate student in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan when she conducted policy research on the influence of politics and legislation on U.S. gun violence and in comparison to other nations. Ms. Donovan worked on Turn up the Turnout, advised by Edie Goldenberg, and gave Dinners for Democracy to help inform students on the importance of voting in relation to firearm injury prevention.
Paul Dumaraos
Past Intern
Mr. Paul Dumaraos is a graduate from the University of Guam with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology under the Bio-Medical Track and a minor in Psychology. He was an intern with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention through the Future Public Health Leaders Program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He worked on the SafERteens program, which is aimed at reducing and preventing youth violence. His interests include neuro-psychiatric epidemiology, environmental health, and learning more about mental health among children and young adults.
Imani Elliot, MD, MPH
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Elliott is a dual degree MD/MPH student at the University of Michigan, originally from Detroit Michigan, she obtained her Bachelor of Science from Howard University. During her time at the University of Michigan she has been active as the co-president for the Association of Women Surgeons, A member of the Black Medical Association, and Wolverine Street Medicine. She is passionate about health advocacy, increasing access to care, and caring for minority populations. After medical school Imani plans to pursue a career as a surgeon. In her role as a research assistant, Ms. Elliott worked on Dr. Laura Seewald’s secondary data analysis project.
Brooke Forrey
Past Intern
Brooke Forrey is a junior undergraduate intern majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, with a minor in Crime and Justice. She is particularly interested in pursuing a Clinical Psychology PhD to seek a career that focuses on forensic psychopathology and enhancing the relationship between mental health and the justice system. In her free time, she enjoys dancing with her hip-hop team, going to concerts, and traveling with friends and family.
Mackenzie Furnari
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Furnari graduated with her Masters of Public Health in the Epidemiology program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She worked closely with Dr. Hsing-Fang Hsieh’s on a research project aiming to explore mental distress and firearm outcomes among Asian Americans relating to racism/discrimination. The objective of the study is to investigate multi-level risks and protective factors of firearm injury risks, identify correlates of neighborhood-level structural racism and discrimination, and understand the mechanisms between these factors and firearm outcomes. Ms. Furnari is now a Research Area Specialist with the Institute.
Shravya Ghantasala
Past Intern
Shravya Ghantasala is a rising senior pursuing a B.S. in Public Health Sciences with a Community Action & Social Change minor at the University of Michigan. Shravya is passionate about enacting structural changes to mitigate health disparities and changing the criminal legal system. Shravya worked alongside Dr. Lisa Wexler in partnership with tribal health organizations in Alaska to pilot strength-based and evidence-informed interventions focused on firearm lethal means reduction with families who are concerned that one of their members is struggling with their mental health.
Ashley Gordon
Past Intern
Ashley Gordon was a summer intern at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. Ashley, a rising senior at Fisk University, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and is the proud recipient of the Ella Sheperd Moore Provost Scholarship. She is passionate about equity issues concerning education, healthcare, and racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Post-graduation, she aspires to forge a career in criminal justice within the nonprofit sector, where she can affect meaningful change.
Jennifer Guo
Past Intern
Jennifer Guo is a current Masters student in Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She has previously earned a B.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. At the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, Jennifer worked with Dr. Daniel Lee to evaluate how exposure to firearms and firearm-related violence affects the health of black youth, as well as worked on tools to measure racism experienced by young people.
L. Esther Hibbs
Past Intern
L. Esther Hibbs is a first-year MPH candidate in the Health Behavior Health Education concentration. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Arts Administration from Skidmore College. She is excited about implementing community development and system-based advocacy programs to create safe spaces in education, healthcare, and beyond.
Holly Holland
Past Intern
Holly Holland is a first-year master’s student at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, pursuing an MPP with a concentration in Policy Analysis Methods. She graduated in May 2024 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Gender, Race, and Nation from the University of Michigan. Her interests lie in social policy, particularly gender policy and achieving gender equality, as well as reducing gun violence across the United States. At the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, she worked under Dr. Zeoli.
Daisy Holthus
Past Intern
Daisy Holthus was an intern at the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She is pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan School of Social Work in the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway. Ms. Holthus worked under Dr. Lisa Wexler and Dr. Amelia Mueller-Williams to address suicide by firearm injury. Suicide prevention and intervention are two topics Ms. Holthus is passionate about and a domain in which she hopes to develop further as a social worker. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Cornell University, where she was a student-athlete.
Janaye Jones
Past Intern
Ms. Jones was a summer intern with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan. She is a rising third-year dual MPH student studying Health Behavior Health Education, and Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in Sociology. Her research interests include firearm injury disparities, improving safety in schools and communities, preventing community-level violence, and racial health disparities. Her research experience has ranged from Alzheimer’s and aging to COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. She aspires to become a Physician Assistant, working to make healthcare more equitable for everyone.
Roman Kalaczinski
Past Intern
Mr. Kalaczinski is a rising Junior studying Public Health and applying for a minor in Public Policy. He is interested in pursuing a career as a physician and is passionate about the intersection between medicine and public health.
Lindsay Kasprowicz
Past Intern
Ms. Kasprowicz was a summer intern with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan. She is a rising senior undergraduate student double majoring in Cognitive Science and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Medical Anthropology. Within the Psychology department, she was able to assist with research related to firearm injury prevention by looking at adolescent psychopathology and how it may relate to neighborhood disadvantage.
Claire Liu
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Liu was a Research Assistant and summer intern with the Injury Prevention Center at the University of Michigan working on several youth violence prevention studies. She graduated with dual master’s in Physiology and Health Behavior Health Education. She was involved in multiple research projects investigating the efficacy of emergency room interventions aimed at reducing youth firearm violence through motivational interviewing and other behavioral interventions in urban centers throughout Michigan.
Sophia Martinez
Past Intern
Sophia Martinez is a rising senior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Community and Global Public Health through the School of Public Health. She was an intern with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, where she worked on the SAFE ARMS study under the guidance of Drs. Miller and Hsieh.
Sophia is on the pre-med track with aspirations of becoming a physician and is deeply committed to advancing health equity. Her previous work with IFIP on the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) project focused on preventing youth violence through community engagement and empowerment strategies. She is especially interested in the intersection of healthcare and community-based policy and hopes to apply her background to advocate for more inclusive, community-informed healthcare systems within medicine.
Ezekiel Medina
Past Intern
Mr. Medina is a rising second-year dual-master degree student in the School of Public Health and School of Social Work. He is working towards his Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education and Master of Social Work in Interpersonal Practice. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Latino and Caribbean Studies from Rutgers University. He is interested in community violence intervention work and firearm injury prevention. He worked as a violence intervention specialist in a hospital violence intervention program immediately following graduation. Mr. Medina is an alumnus of the Fulbright program in Argentina.
Megan McKee
Past Intern
Megan McKee was a senior undergraduate student pursuing a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science. She was interested in the role of public policy and community-based solutions in firearm injury prevention. As a former intern at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, she assisted the Policy Core with the development of implementation resources for Emergency Risk Protection Orders and other legislation.
Avery Moje
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Moje was a graduate student in the Masters of Public Health Behavior and Health Education program at the University of Michigan when she worked as a Research Assistant with the Family Safety Net Project, which seeks to increase the safety of youth in Northwest Alaska by providing information and resources to support families in storing firearms safely. She assisted the Family Safety Net team in cleaning and analyzing survey data, writing reports and publications for the project’s stakeholders, and developing various materials for Family Safety Net’s community partners.
Dylan Morris
Past Research Assistant
Morris is currently pursuing an A.B. in Government and Global Health and Health Policy at Harvard University. He served as a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention during the summer of 2025, where he worked under Mr. Holtz on the Michigan Firearm Law Implementation Program. In this role, he developed resources to support firearm law implementation and conducted research on the use of ERPOs in Michigan. His interests include U.S. firearm policy, behavioral science interventions, and promoting responsible firearm ownership practices.
Akhil Paleru
Past Research Assistant
Akhil Paleru will be a senior pursuing a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and a minor in Crime and Justice at the University of Michigan. Akhil is passionate about urban health and aims to build evidence for community-guided, equitable solutions to gun violence through his research with IFIP. As an research assistant, he worked under Lynn Massey on Dr. Patrick Carter’s Project IntERact and Project SynERgy clinical trials which aim to reduce risky firearm behaviors among young people.
Abigail Peacock
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Peacock recently graduated from the University of Michigan, majoring in Philosophy with minors in Political Science and Italian. She is passionate about the roles of public policy and mental health interventions in preventing gun violence. As a research assistant at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, she worked under Policy, Implementation, and Evaluation Project Manager Michael Holtz on his project building Extreme Risk Protection Order implementation resources for the State of Michigan.
Philip Quansah
Past Research Assistant
Mr. Quansah was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and worked on the SafERteens program which aims to prevent and reduce youth violence. He is a sophomore at the University of Michigan, majoring in cognitive sciences. He hopes to use his collegiate research experiences to either end up working in research in the future, or find various ways to make a difference in this world. Other than research, Philip is a part of many clubs at the university and is also a supervisor for Michigan Recreational Sports. In his freshman year, Philip also played for the University of Michigan Football Team as a walk-on.
Huanyu Ren
Past Research Assistant
Mr. Ren is a dual degree candidate in the School of Information and the School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He is interested in data-driven evaluation of public policy programs. As a former research assistant at the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, he assisted Dr. Sokol in a policy evaluation effort. This natural experiment will evaluate the effect of Pathways to Potential (P2P) on youth violence outcomes using administrative data sources and surveys of key program staff.
Katherine Romero-Trejo
Past Intern
Ms. Romero-Trejo is a graduate from East Carolina University with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and a minor in Nutrition. She interned with the Institute through Michigan Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP) at the UM School of Public Health. She worked on the SafERteens program, which is aimed at reducing and preventing youth violence. Her interests include research on the prevention of firearm violence, environmental health, and learning more about firearm laws and policies.
Audrey Ruhana
Past Intern
Ms. Ruhana recently completed her MPH in Epidemiology. She earned a Bachelors of Science from the University of Michigan majoring in Life Science Informatics and minoring in History. She is interested in studying ways to lessen the burden of gun-violence and improve the overall health in underserved communities.
Muhammad Salman
Past Research Assistant
As a student at the School of Education, Muhammad Salman is pursuing a Master’s in Educational Studies. Interested in becoming a quality researcher, he worked at IFIP as a researcher with Dr. Elyse Thulin in her anonymous reporting systems project. As a Fulbright scholar from Pakistan, he wishes to create a peaceful world and promote dialogue and good values
Shreya Sampath
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Sampath is a rising junior at U-M studying Architecture, with intended minors in UX design and music. As a design student, she is passionate about creating unique, innovative, and inclusive projects that sparks conversation. At U-M, she is a part of the professional architecture fraternity Alpha Rho Chi and is publicity manager of Maize Mirchi A Cappella. She also worked as a design lead at optiMize, and she hopes to continue pursuing her professional interests in architecture and design development and research. As a research assistant at the Institute, she worked on the U-M NEA Research Lab focused on the intersection of firearm violence and public art.
Melia Schliebe
Past Research Assistant
Melia Schliebe was a research assistant at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She earned her MPH at Boston University School of Public Health and her BS at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. She previously worked as a research assistant for the School of Kinesiology’s Childhood Disparities Research Lab. She is interested in school and community safety for children, teachers, and their families.
Hannah Schneider
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Schneider is a graduate from the Masters of Public Health Behavior and Health Education Program at the University of Michigan, with a certificate in Injury Science. She recently graduated from the University of Connecticut with degrees in Psychology and Urban and Community Studies, where she focused on under-resourced youth and their communities. She supported three studies aiming to reduce firearm violence among youth in urban settings as a Research Assistant. She is especially interested in youth violence prevention and interned with the Injury Prevention Center.
Esther Shon
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Shon was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. She is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Public Health. She aspires to be a physician assistant (PA), and believes that her interest and research assistance in public health, particularly in the domain of firearms, will help her provide the utmost care, patience, and understanding to any future patients.
Elizabeth Stout
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Stout was a summer intern with the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan working on multiple projects. She graduated with a Masters of Public Health Health Behavior and Health Education Program from the University of Michigan and received undergraduate degrees in biology and music from Albion College. She is interested in youth health promotion and support, including through violence prevention, and participates in programs with Michigan Children’s Special Health Care Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other organizations.
Michael Strauss
Past Research Assistant
Mr. Strauss is a rising senior at the University of Michigan majoring in Business Administration with the intention of pursuing a career in clinical medicine. He is driven to help address systematic healthcare inefficiencies, specifically those within emergency medical care. As a research assistant at the Institute, he worked on Dr. Patrick Carter’s Project IntERact and Project SynERgy clinical trials.
Qiyun Teng
Past Research Assistant
Qiyun Teng is a undergraduate student pursuing dual B.S. degrees in Economics and Statistics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is deeply interested in the application of data analytics and public health strategies to prevent youth suicide and firearm violence. As a research assistant with Dr. Elyse Thulin’s group at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, she was involved in analyzing data from technology-facilitated reporting systems and contributing to the development of best practices for anonymous reporting systems.
Jaymie Tibbits
Past Intern
Ms. Tibbits is currently pursuing a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Prior to her graduate studies, she supported various organizations that serve children in the child welfare system, survivors of domestic violence, and families experiencing homelessness. During her previous work, she observed the disproportionate impact gun violence devastatingly has on communities of color and low income families. Ms. Tibbits is passionate about policy solutions centered on equity and social justice. She worked alongside Dr. Ewell Foster and her team, assisting with projects such as Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) and research surrounding best practices for safe storage and firearm safety, specific to children in foster care.
Mildred Wallace
Past Intern
Ms. Wallace is a graduate of the School of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Medical Laboratory Science, and uses her medical and healthcare knowledge to launch her into the field of public health. Her research experience includes taking on the role of a research assistant with the Epidemiology Department, working alongside colleagues regarding the IVY Surveillance of Respiratory Viruses and Vaccine Effectiveness. She worked with Dr. Rebeccah Sokol on studies involving firearm violence and climate.
Hailey Weiss
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Weiss is a first-year MPH candidate at the University of Michigan with a concentration in Health Behavior and Health Education and a certificate in Injury Science. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a focus in Global Health and Environment from Washington University in St. Louis. She is passionate about the intersection of medicine and public health and is seeking to ultimately reduce preventable injuries among youth. As a research assistant, she worked under Lynn Massey on Dr. Partick Carter’s Project IntERact, Project SynERgy, and SafERteens studies aimed at reducing firearm violence among youth and young adults.
Sophia Weng
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Weng was a research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention’s Community Firearm Violence Prevention Network. She is a rising senior pursuing a BA in Psychology. She aspires to get a Master’s in Counseling and has an interest in how firearm policies affects public well-being. Ms. Weng believes research assistance at IFIP will provide a new perspective on her growth as an aspiring therapist and result in better care for her future patients.
Parker Wise
Past Intern
Mr. Wise received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas Christian University. His degree granted him a comprehensive understanding of engineering and electrical principles and strong skills in mathematics and data analysis. Following graduation, Mr. Wise worked in the construction industry and gained experience in cost estimating, proposals, and project management. He is pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Master of Science in the Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. As a graduate student, Mr. Wise has focused on opportunities to improve his engagement skills and continues to develop his research and qualitative analysis skills. He is interested in community-informed sustainable land uses, improving access to services and amenities in cities, and improving the health and well-being for all residents.
Ava Zarewych
Past Research Assistant
Ms. Zarewych is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Biology, Health, and Society with a minor in Gender and Health at the University of Michigan. As an pre medical student, she is passionate about the intersection of clinical medicine and public health. At the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, she worked on Dr. Patrick Carter’s Project IntERact and Project SynERgy, which aim to reduce youth firearm violence in urban settings.
Emilie Ziebarth
Past Research Assistant
Emilie Ziebarth is a first year Master of Public Health Student at the University of Michigan in the epidemiology track. With a background in community health and neighborhood organizing initiatives, Emilie is interested in environmental influencers of health, including the impact of the built environment and neighborhoods on community well-being, and in community-informed interventions. She worked with the UM-NEA research lab investigating the impact of public art on firearm violence in Detroit.