Meet the Team
Dr. Stephanie Cook
Principal Investigator and Lab Director
Stephanie Cook is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Social and Behavioral Sciences at New York University School of Global Public Health. Dr. Cook’s overarching research focus is to understand how structural- and individual- minority stressors (i.e., violence, discrimination, and hate) contribute to mental health, physical health, and health behaviors across the lifespan and the virtual and physical worlds. Further, she seeks to understand how features of close relationships can exacerbate or buffer the negative effects of minority stress on health. Her work primarily focuses on young adults who are at the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual orientation minority status. In addition, much of her work examines the links between minority stress (i.e., daily experiences of discrimination) and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., cardiometabolic health behaviors).
Caitlin Shannon
Program Director
Caitlin Shannon is a global health researcher with over 25 years of experience in maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender equality. Trained in epidemiology and law, she has led multi-country studies and rigorous evaluations, including randomized field trials, quasi-experimental designs, and mixed-methods research addressing neonatal health, HIV/AIDS, and child marriage prevention. Caitlin has held academic and research roles at Emory University, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, CARE, EngenderHealth, Doctors Without Borders, the Population Council, and Gynuity Health Projects, and has collaborated extensively with UN agencies, donors, and INGOs to generate policy- and practice-relevant evidence. Her methodological expertise includes outcome harvesting, realist and participatory evaluation, and systems approaches to measuring change. She has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and is committed to advancing localized research and evaluation capacity.
Ph.D. Students
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Danning Tian is a PhD student in Social Behavioral Sciences at the School of Global Public Health, New York University. Danning holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Building on this foundation, Danning pursued a Master of Science in Biostatistics at New York University.
Danning's research primarily focuses on HIV prevention, including PrEP use, and studies on sex workers, with a broader interest in health equity among marginalized communities. Additionally, Danning examines cancer screening disparities among HIV-positive individuals and tobacco use patterns and their health impacts. With strong statistical analysis skills, Danning applies rigorous quantitative methods to uncover complex patterns in large public health datasets.
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Natalie Green is a current PhD student at New York University. She previously received her MSW from NYU's Silver School of Social Work and has experience in healthcare consulting, psychiatric social work, and economic research. Her research interests include productive aging, mental health, health disparities and examining the relationship between social factors and biomarkers.
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Cindy Patippe is a second-year doctoral student in the Biostatistics Department at NYU School of Global Public Health. She holds a Master’s in Biostatistics from New York Medical College, earned in 2021. Her research interests focus on the statistical modeling of biopsychosocial stressors and their changes over time, with an emphasis on identifying key change points. Cindy is passionate about addressing health disparities and uses advanced statistical methods to uncover critical insights in population health.
New to ADHL!
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Amy (Ssu-Ping) Wang is a second-year M.S. Biostatistics student at New York University. Her research interests include applying statistical and qualitative methods to public health research, with a focus on understanding how behavioral, social, and environmental factors shape health outcomes. Through interdisciplinary research, she aims to support approaches that address health disparities and promote population health.
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Paul Zhou is a junior at NYU Steinhardt, majoring in Applied Psychology with a minor in Public Policy and Management. He is interested in data collection in psychological and public health research.
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Onessa Hu is a senior at NYU majoring in Applied Psychology with a minor in Philosophy. Her interests center on mental health, minority stress, and how social and relational contexts shape individual well-being. She is particularly interested in how psychological research can inform policy and structural approaches to mental health and inequality. She looks forward to applying psychological insight to advance equity and well-being in real-world contexts.
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Amalia Wijaya is a freshman at NYU majoring in Nursing with a minor in Global Public Health. Her interests include health disparities, health equity, community-based care, and the social determinants of health that influence well-being across diverse populations. She is particularly interested in how global public health efforts and culturally responsive care can reduce inequities to improve access in healthcare. She looks forward to combining nursing practice with a broader public health perspective to support healthier communities on different scales.
Research Assistants
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Abigaille St. Fort is a second-year student majoring in Global Public Health with a concentration in Sociology on the pre-med track. She is interested in research on the effects of social media on the mental health of young minority individuals, as well as translational medicine. Combining her interests in medicine and research, she aims to address health concerns by studying them then using her research as a tool to implement them clinically.
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Stephanie is a Junior at NYU Arts and Sciences, majoring in Global Public Health with a concentration in Biology. She is interested in learning more about the social determinants on health, particularly among Latino youth. In combination with an interest in healthcare, Stephanie hopes these experiences will shape her outlook on various challenges facing the world.
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Yashita Choraria is a first year student at NYU Steinhardt, majoring in Applied Psychology and Global Public Health. She is interested in understanding and addressing health and education disparities, particularly how systemic inequities impact underserved communities. She aims to explore how technological advancements can be leveraged to improve healthcare accessibility and outcomes, bridging gaps between data and real world interventions. Passionate about engaging with diverse perspectives, she hopes to expand her understanding of the root causes and impacts of racial and social inequities through this experience.
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Holly is a Junior majoring in Applied Psychology at NYU Steinhardt. She is interested in understanding how people’s individual experiences shape their mental health and understanding of the world. She is particularly excited to learn more about how people connect with others and how these connections can shift their experiences. Blending both psychology and public health, Holly’s goal is to address inequities in mental health treatment and help to ensure that everyone has access to effective and quality care.
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Omesh Persaud is a Junior at NYU CAS, majoring in Global Public Health with a concentration in Biology on the pre-med track. He is interested in research that explores the intersection of socially ascribed and self-identified identities with social determinants of health. He hopes to contribute a deeper understanding of how health disparities are shaped to advance more equitable healthcare practices and policies. Apart from interests in the academic and research setting he enjoys various hobbies including cooking, gardening, 3D printing, Mountain Biking, and Playing the Violin.
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Taylor is a second-year student at NYU CAS majoring in Psychology with a focus on Cognitive Neuroscience and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She is interested in using studying the brain and behavior to inform scientific policies to work towards a more equitable society, specifically in underserved communities. She hopes that her research will improve the care of neurodivergent individuals, improve substance use disorder treatment, and address mental health conditions. Taylor is excited to contribute to bridging the socioeconomic gaps in mental health care and supporting underrepresented communities.
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Director of Pup-lications
Lab Alumni
Maxline Delorme, 2025-2026
Program Coordinator
Tahira Abu, 2024-2026
NYU MPH Biostatistics (2026)
Gabrielle Martin, 2024-2026
NYU MPH Global Health (2026)
Annette Milu, 2024-2026
NYU MPH Biostatistics (2026)
Tim Dubitsky, 2024-2026
NYU MPH Nutrition
Abigaille St. Fort, 2024-2026
Mariana Rodrigues, M.A., -2025
NYU PhD candidate in Social & Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Erica Wood, 2016-2024
New York University Research Associate
Jingxuan Evelyn Ma
Janice Jachero Caldas, 2021-2024
New York University Research Assistant
Emma Risner, 2022-2024
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Stephane Labossiere, 2023-2024
New York University Graduate Research Assistant
Antoneta Karaj, 2022-2023
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Betty Cui, 2022-2023
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Alexandria Peña, 2022-2023
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Amber Ovalles, 2022-2023
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Angelina Fordjour, 2022-2023
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Yesenia Sosa, Summer 2023
New York University Research and Racial Equity [RARE] Program
Maxline Delorme, 2021-2023
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Gabriella Alvarez, 2018-2022
New York University PhD advisee
Zainab Mustafa, 2020-2022
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Aniyah Sievewright, 2021-2022
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Samantha Cajamarca, 2021-2022
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Danielle Shave,2021-2022
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Olive Jayakar, 2021-2022
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Jessica Randazzo, 2021-2022
New York University PhD advisee
Allen Weng, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Lanfei Fu, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Luna Canola, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Michelle Bandel, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Mutayyaba Adnan, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Niv Avneri, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Sandy Carrillo-Arguet, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Yao Xin, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Zhilin Wang, 2021-2022
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Sai Meghana Paidi, 2022-2022
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Madison Peskin, Summer 2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Brianna Clarke, 2019-2021
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Manoel Kadja, 2019-2021
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Raven Barret, 2019-2021
New York University Collegiate Research Initiative [CRI]
Minerva Francis, 2019-2021
New York University PhD advisee
Laura Scarimbolo, 2019-2021
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Nicolas Mirin, 2019-2021
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Ankitha Ramaiyer, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Christopher Giang, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Frances Knapp, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Jessica Li, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Mega Rajan, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Nathan Hershberger, 2020-2021
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Kamaria Taylor, 2020-2021
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Amir Eltabakh, Summer 2021
Pathways into Quantitative Aging Research Summer Program [PQAR]
Kristiana Jeffers, Summer 2021
Pathways into Quantitative Aging Research Summer Program [PQAR]
Romy Robielos, Summer 2021
Pathways into Quantitative Aging Research Summer Program [PQAR]
Liz Calderon, 2017-2019
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Ying Qi, 2017-2019
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Amanda Llanez, 2017-2019
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Jerome Vitoria, June 2019
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Robert Castro, 2017-2018
New York University Research Lab Mentee
Benjamin Calebs, 2013-2015
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Morgan Perry, 2013-2015
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]
Roderick Hopkins, 2013-2014
The University of Michigan’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program [UROP]