Current Lab Members
Lab director
Dr. Lawrence Were is faculty in the Department of Health Sciences at Boston University’s College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. His research focuses on application of health economics in the estimation of the impact of reforms within healthcare systems and health insurance programs on the outcomes of marginalized and high-risk populations such as informal traders and HIV+ individuals including pregnant women and their children. He is also interested in Global Health and HIV/AIDS financing mechanisms and Geo-Spatial aspects of public health. He has research projects in Kenya, Ghana, and Nepal. Were teaches courses in Comparative Healthcare Systems; Global Health; Social Determinants of Health; and Research Methods. He received his PhD in Health Services Research (HSR) – Health Economics track from the Department of Health Services Policy & Practice (HSPP) at Brown University’s School of Public Health.
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Yaxiong Ma is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Boston University. Ma earned his Ph.D. at the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University. He received his Master’s degree in Environmental Remote Sensing & Geographic Information System from Boston University. His research focuses on the coupled human and natural systems from the spatial perspective using remotely sensed data and GIS.
Research Assistant
Taylor Goldman is a current Master’s student at the Boston University School of Public Health studying Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her interests lie in equity-driven public health and mixed methods research, and she currently serves as a Jr. Research Associate at Rescue Agency, a social marketing group for healthy behavior change. Prior to her Master’s work, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Lawrence University.
Boston University Faculty Collaborators
- Sucharita Gopal, Boston University, Department of Earth and Environment
- Les Kaufman, Boston University Marine Program, Department of Biology
- John Okechi, Boston University Marine Program, Department of Biology
Global Collaborators
- Olivia N Kachingwe, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
- Fonda J. Awuor, Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)
- Chrispine Nyamweya, Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)
- Tom Achoki, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA)