Elevate Lab Team

Anastasia Harris (she/her) is a clinical research associate with more than five years of research experience. She earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health and is passionate about health equity and improving perinatal health outcomes for Black birthing people. Before joining the team, she worked at NorthShore University HealthSystem on a perinatal mood and depression study and at the University of Chicago on the Monogenic Diabetes Registry. She is from St. Louis and loves running, traveling and movie-watching.

anastasia.harris@northwestern.edu

Ann Yau previously worked at Mercy Hospital for seven years and gained experience in a variety of positions, including as an oncology patient navigator. At the Simon Lab, she connects participants to cancer screening services, makes referrals for other heathcare needs (e.g., establishing a primary care physician, providing support in health insurance benefits), makes referrals for other social service needs (e.g., transportation, financial and legal assistance, support groups) and initiates communication with cancer patients to help them, their families and their caregivers in overcoming any barriers they may be facing in the healthcare system. She also helps facilitate timely and quality access to care through all phases of the cancer journey.

Kofi Sarkodie joined us after two years of collaborating with the San Antonio Spurs' (NBA) chief impact officer to drive societal impact and support community initiatives. At the Simon Lab, Kofi first served as a health equity scholar before transitioning to a full-time program coordinator role, where he contributes to the CUSP2CT SUPPORT Trial. This research study, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), aims to increase diversity in enrollment for NCI-supported clinical trials. Through his research, Kofi seeks to identify factors influencing participation in these trials and raise awareness within Black and Latino communities. He graduated from the University of Akron in 2017 with a BA in Natural Sciences, along with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. In Ghana, it is customary for names to be given based on the day of the week a person is born. Kofi means "born on Friday."

kofi.sarkodie@northwestern.edu

Cayla Iwaniuk (she/her) is a clinical research project manager for multiple projects. Prior to joining us, she worked as a research specialist at the University of Illinois Chicago supporting projects that investigated occupational lung disease in U.S. coal miners and supported initiatives to connect them to quality care in order to receive their federal black lung benefits. Cayla has received her Master of Public Health in Social Epidemiology and her BS in Health Sciences.

cayla.i@northwestern.edu

Denisha Brown (she/her) has a background in clinical trial and project management specific to the implementation of oncology studies and programs. In her role as clinical research associate, she supports infrastructure development and research initiatives for various projects. Her passion is to help facilitate equitable access to quality oncologic care and clinical trials for underrepresented communities. Brown obtained her Master of Public Health from DePaul University and BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a Chicago native, she enjoys maximizing patio season, playing with her pup, tending to her garden and crafting her woes away.

denisha.brown1@northwestern.edu

Joanna Mendoza (she/her) earned a BA in Psychology and Neuroscience from Texas A&M University and an MA in Social Sciences from The University of Chicago. Mendoza has a diverse research background spanning child developmental psychology, attention and behavior, moral development, workforce development, and substance abuse. She is a born-and-raised Texan and looks forward to embracing the vibrant city of Chicago.

joanna.mendoza@northwestern.edu

Erin Chen is a research project coordinator who received his BA in History and Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to working with us, Chen was working as an undergraduate Pre-Medical Intern at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. There, he assisted in conducting research involving patients and their health-related social needs. He is passionate in researching and reducing health disparities and enjoys mentoring students and promoting their success within STEM. His future goal is to become an epidemiologist. In his free time, Chen loves to explore local restaurants and cafes while reading a good book or listening to podcasts.

erin.chen@northwestern.edu

After over a decade of working in community-based research, Ivy Leung is experienced in cancer health disparities and health equity. She has a proven track record of conducting research that has led to improved access to healthcare for underserved communities, particularly for immigrants facing language barriers. She is also a strong advocate for food justice and intimate partner violence (IPV). Leung is passionate about sustainable living and supporting the local food system. She volunteers at local food pantries, cancer organizations and an adaptive climbing group. She is also a certified Domestic Violence Professional and a certified Mental Health First Aider. She is always happy to provide support and resources for cancer, mental health, IPV and local farms.

ivy.leung@northwestern.edu

Joana Salievska, a research assistant, received her BA in Anthropology from Middlebury College. She has worked at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in a preschool classroom and hopes to one day work as a pediatrician or an OB-GYN. She is passionate about reproductive justice, specifically contraceptive access and use in historically underrepresented communities. She's excited to contribute to our various projects and research and is motivated by the lab's mission.

joana.salievska@northwestern.edu

Laura Tom is a senior clinical research associate who oversees the day-to-day scientific operations of the lab. For over a decade, she has contributed to research studies led by Dr. Simon in the areas of cancer, women's health, and implementation science. Prior to joining Northwestern in 2013, she supported cancer prevention and control research projects at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. She holds an MS in social and behavioral sciences and a BA in sociology from Harvard University.

laura.tom@northwestern.edu

Maggie Nava is a clinical research associate who oversees various activities related to community engagement and underserved and underrepresented communities facing health disparities. Nava has more than 25 years of experience in the public health sector working within various communities in Chicago such as Pilsen, Little Village, Humboldt Park and Lakeview. Her work has been in the spheres of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, AIDS/HIV, domestic violence and cancer. She also has experience across several research studies, as she served as both a research coordinator and research assistant at Rush University Medical Center, as part of an NIH-funded study on community health workers where she assisted with the supervision of community health workers. Nava has research interests in health research coordination and training of community health; community engagement; health education; and the development of bilingual health program materials for Latinos. She obtained her Master's in Public Health from DePaul University. When she is not working on making a tiny difference in the health of individuals living in underserved and underrepresented communities, she is spending time with her lovely daughter Bellie, Snowie (the dog) and Maya (the cat).

magdalena.nava1@northwestern.edu

Sydney Alairys is a research assistant who earned her BA in Chemistry with a minor in English from UCLA. During her undergrad, she worked as an organic synthetic chemist researching diagnostic and therapeutic options for Parkinson's disease and general oncology. Later, she worked as a consultant for Ernst & Young implementing DEI strategies, managing a Life Sciences Community and proposing organization designs for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Alairys is particularly interested in chronic diseases, the gap between community needs and academic research and genuinely helpful implementation. She hopes to obtain her MPH and continue researching health disparities and working with communities. In her free time, she loves to visit cafes, throw pottery and play cozy video games.

sydney.alairys@northwestern.edu

Mo Yan Leung joins the team as a patient navigator for the Chinatown project. Working in a group home of unaccompanied immigrant minors, she encountered children from around the world who suffered with atypical medical conditions. She work experience in a Chinatown clinic aroused her interest in patient advocacy, particularly for the under-resourced community. This passion was strengthened by the IBCCP team in Mercy Hospital while she worked as a data control specialist in the team. Leung graduated from Chinese University of Hong Kong with a bachelor's degree in Geography and obtained her MS in Administration of Justice from SIUC. She enjoys spending time with her turtle family, Carl the dad, General Tso the mom and their baby turtle Max, who is just two years old.

moyan.leung@northwestern.edu

Rabih Dahdouh manages multiple research projects focused on reducing health disparities across the spectrum of disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. He is also the Northwestern University site director for the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative, a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer partnership led by the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has an extensive background in brain and behavioral science, innovative health interventions and community/preventive medicine. Previously he worked in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as research project manager for the Keep Your Heart Healthy program and as director of Communications and Engagement with the All of Us Research Program at Northwestern Medicine. At CHET, he also works with the Chicago Public Library in co-designing a digital health learning tool focused on preventive services and increasing diversity in clinical trials. He also manages the massive open online course (Career 911: Your Future Job in Medicine and Healthcare) and co-hosts our podcast Skinny Trees: Lift Health for All. Dahdouh completed his bachelors in Child Learning and Development and master's in Psychological Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.

rabih.dahdouh@northwestern.edu

Chisom Chima (she/her) is a program assistant. She received her BS in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago, with the trajectory of medical school and becoming an obstetrician/gynecologist. Chisom coordinates administrative processes and prioritizes, directs and responds to matters involving administrative functions. She hopes to gather experiences and connections that will aid her in her journey to the medical field, where she hopes to bridge the gap in female health disparities, especially in the Nigerian community. In her free time, Chima immerses herself in her small business, where she cooks and caters homemade Nigerian dishes.

chisom.chima@northwestern.edu

Angie Li (she/her) is a health equity scholar who recently received her BA in Neuroscience from Northwestern University. Through the Chinatown Patient Navigation Program Study, Li is able to contribute and explore her interests in health equity and improved healthcare access for vulnerable populations, like immigrants facing language barriers. She is working toward her goal of becoming a physician who serves the underserved. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants and taking walks around various neighborhoods in Chicago.

angie.li@northwestern.edu

Tracy Kwan (she/hers) comes to us with a background in community organizing and public service in the underserved immigrant communities in Chicago. In her role as a patient navigator for the Chinatown Patient Navigation Program, she assists participants with accessing healthcare resources according to their needs, including resolving their health insurance issues and providing in-person medical interpretation services. Kwan volunteered as an interpreter after moving from Hong Kong to the U.S. in 2019, and her work allows her to continue giving back to the community that raised her family. She has a bachelor's degree with honors in English for Business and Professional Communication from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In her free time, you can find Kwan traveling, hiking and doing yoga.

chuiyi.kwan@northwestern.edu

Sanjitha Boobalan (she/her) joins us as a health equity scholar. She is a junior at Loyola University Chicago working towards a BS in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience. By contributing to the OPTIMIZE and Well Mama study, she is able to apply her passion for health equity into her work and learn more about maternal health disparities. She is working toward her long-time goal of becoming a physician and increasing health equity. In her free time, you can find her reading, singing and taking walks in nature.

sanjitha.boobalan@northwestern.edu