2025-26 RESEARCH SCHOLARS (COHORT 5)
Melody Altschuler, PhD.
Health Management & Policy, College of Public Health
Research interests: Mental health care practices and policies that promote resilience in individuals and their communities with diverse intersectional identities across the lifespan and neurodiverse spectrum, focusing the processes and skills that support adaptation and improve wellness for those with internal and external challenges in the context of systems
Radmila Choate, PhD, MPH
Epidemiology and Environmental Health, College of Public Health
Research Interests: Chronic pancreatitis-specific financial toxicity measure (FinTox-CP) through community engagement and focus groups, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of the financial burden and its relationship with health outcomes and social determinants of health.
Darlingtina Esiaka, PhD
Behavioral Science, College of Medicine
Research Interests: Link between trauma and dementia risk among African refugees from the Congo War and Rwandan Genocide resettled in the U.S., focusing on how trauma, physiological risks, and social factors influence cognitive decline.
Abigail Latimer, PhD, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C
College of Social Work
Research Interests: Adapting the Serious Illness Care Program (SICP) for delivery in temporary shelters for unhoused older adults, emphasizing cultural relevance, accessibility, and feasibility. The research aims to improve serious illness care for this population and inform broader applications in similar contexts.
Jenny Lutshumba, PhD
Neurology, College of Medicine
Research Interests: Understanding sex differences in systemic immune responses during the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and identifying biomarkers that will be more specific to individuals with cardiovascular diseases and/or risk factors.
Meagan Scott, PhD
Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology, College of Education
Research Interests: Intersecting racial and gender inequities in education impact the mental and behavioral health of Black high school girls, who face disproportionately high rates of suicide attempts. Using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) approach, it aims to amplify Black girls' voices through focus groups, photovoice narratives, and stakeholder engagement.