Research Team (continued)
Dmitrii Krivorotko is a Research Data Analyst for the PRESTO Study. He graduated from the University of Maine in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In May 2024, Dmitrii received his MPH at the Boston University School of Public Health in Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Global Health. Dmitrii joined the PRESTO team full-time in May 2024. He uses statistical software for data management and analysis or any other data-related needs of the research team. He is interested in using diverse statistical methodologies for evidence-based research conducted by PRESTO.
Krystal Kuan is a Research Data Analyst at PRESTO, bringing a unique blend of nursing experience and public health training to the team. She recently graduated with an MPH from BUSPH, where she specialized in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation. Before joining PRESTO, Krystal gained valuable research experience as a Biomedical Researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Samantha Schildroth is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. She completed her MPH at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health in 2019 and received her PhD from the Department of Environmental Health at BUSPH in 2023. She joined the PRESTO team in March of 2023, and her research focuses on understanding the impacts of complex chemical mixtures on reproductive, psychosocial, and children’s health
Julia Bond is a post doctoral research associate at Boston Medical Center. She received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to study preconception oral health and reproductive health outcomes in PRESTO. She received an MPH in Epidemiology with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Washington and a BA in Neuroscience from Bowdoin College. Prior to pursuing graduate studies in public health, she worked as an advertising copywriter and medical writer.
Ruth Geller is a fourth-year doctoral student in the department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. She is conducting research on environmental factors and fecundability. Ruth received a BS in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh and an MHS in Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to joining BUSPH, Ruth conducted data management and statistical analyses for epidemiologic research at Massachusetts General Hospital and The George Washington University.
Chad Coleman is a fourth-year doctoral student in the department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. He is conducting research on social determinants of health, the microbiome, and fecundability. Chad graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in 2015 with a BS in Biological Sciences and an MPH in Epidemiology from BUSPH in 2017. Prior to joining BUSPH as a doctoral student, Chad managed reproductive and perinatal epidemiologic research studies at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
Sharonda Lovett is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. She is conducting research on time to pregnancy, menstruation, and early life adversities. Sharonda received her MPH with a combined concentration in Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health from the University of South Florida and BS in Health Education from the University of Florida. Prior to joining BUSPH, Sharonda completed a chronic disease epidemiology fellowship at a biomedical research agency where she examined history of gynecologic surgery, hormone therapy, and breast cancer risk.
Molly Hoffman is a second-year doctoral student in the department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. She is interested in racial and socioeconomic disparities, and the impact of the social determinants of health on pregnancy outcomes. Molly received a BS in Psychology and a BA in Global Health from Arizona State University and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Prior to joining BUSPH, Molly conducted statistical analyses for population health research at Duke University.
Martha Koenig is a Research Fellow for the PRESTO study. She graduated from the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota in May of 2020 with a BA in both Integrative Health Sciences and Peace Studies and received her MPH at Boston University School of Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics in January of 2023. Martha joined the PRESTO team in November 2020 and is interested in Social, Reproductive and Environmental Epidemiology. As a Research Fellow, Martha provides study and research support to all PRESTO team members and PRESTO participants.
Andrea Kuriyama is a Research Fellow for the PRESTO Study. She graduated in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Boston University where she also received a Masters of Public Health degree with concentrations in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and Program Design and Implementation. Prior to joining the PRESTO team in August 2021, Andrea held several Research Assistant position on projects relating to a wide range of topics such as urban health disparities and maternal and child health.
Eliza Pentz is a Research Assistant for the PRESTO Study. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Studies and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. Eliza joined the PRESTO team in January of 2024. Prior to joining PRESTO, Eliza worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant on several projects related to reproductive health and family planning.
Michael Bairos is the Computer Programmer for the PRESTO Study. Mr. Bairos received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Northeastern University. He started working as a Research Database Analyst at Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center in 1999 and has been assisting Boston University investigators design complex computer databases for epidemiologic studies ever since. On the PRESTO study, he is involved in web-based questionnaire design, data management, and implementing all the security features to maintain confidentiality of participant information. Mr. Bairos has always enjoyed discovering innovative and secure ways to collect health-related data through web-based technologies.
Past Contributors
Tanran Wang is the Senior Data Analyst for the PRESTO study. She graduated from Boston University School of Public Health in May 2018 with an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She has been with the PRESTO team ever since, performing statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and multivariable regression in support of various research projects. She is also responsible for data management, including data cleaning, quality control, and multiple imputation. Tanran also assists with preparing study results for inclusion in conference presentations, grants, and scientific publication.
Dr. Jennifer Yland received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Boston University School of Public Health in May 2023 and her MS in Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2018. Her dissertation research focused on using observational data to emulate randomized trials assessing the safety of medications used before and during pregnancy. Her work has evaluated a variety of medications including contraceptives, asthma medications, and vaccines. Dr. Yland has published in top journals including BMJ and AJE. She started a new job as an Epidemiologist at Optum in May of 2023.
Dr. Marlon D. Joseph, is a graduate of the doctoral program in Epidemiology at BUSPH. originally from Trinidad and Tobago, earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology and Mathematics from St. Francis College, NY. After graduating, Marlon spent three years in the International Projects Unit of the National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (NIHERST), where he developed and coordinated a variety of public health projects for the National Science Center of Trinidad and Tobago. Marlon received his Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the City University of New York, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. Marlon joined the PRESTO research team in 2020. His research focuses on men’s reproductive health and lifestyle factors.
Dr. Sydney Willis is a graduate of the doctoral program in Epidemiology at BUSPH. She has been conducting data analyses of the extent to which behavioral and lifestyle factors, such as occupational stress, sleep patterns, and night shift work, influence female fecundability. She graduated with a BA in Anthropology and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Utah. She has extensive expertise in the study of fertility awareness methods, including the effects of tracking menstrual periods and fertility signs in helping couples time intercourse to maximize their chances of successful pregnancy. She began her doctoral studies in the department of epidemiology at BUSPH in September 2017.
Dr. Holly Crowe is graduate of the doctoral program in Epidemiology at BUSPH. She has been conducting data analysis on the extent to which the use of certain medications may impact female and male fecundability. Holly graduated from The George Washington University in 2014 with a BS in Public Health and an MPH in Maternal and Child Health. Prior to joining BUSPH as a doctoral student in 2018, Holly was a Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of Defense, where she worked to improve population health for military service members and their families, and the Department of State, where she served as the interim coordinator for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for the U.S Embassy in Uganda.
Study Consultants
Dr. Ellen M. Mikkelsen is Senior Researcher in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. Her Ph.D. work focused on the psycho-social consequences of genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. Dr. Mikkelsen is also trained as a nurse, with experience in intensive care, and has been teaching and tutoring for several years within the field of clinical epidemiology and quality development in the health services. Dr. Mikkelsen has been collaborating with researchers at Boston University on the Snart Gravid and Snart Foraeldre studies, two internet-based studies of women and fertility in Denmark. Like PRESTO, those studies were designed to identify risk factors associated with women’s fertility. The project also examines whether internet-based questionnaires are useful for collecting scientific data. Dr. Mikkelsen first-authored the main publication describing the methods of the Snart Gravid study in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Her recent work focuses on the effects of oral contraceptives and alcohol on fertility.
Dr. Michael Eisenberg is a Professor of Urology at the Stanford University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from Yale University, completed his residency in urology at the University of California San Francisco, and completed his fellowship in Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Eisenberg’s clinical and research interests include studying factors associated with semen quality and male sexual function. Dr. Eisenberg is co-principal investigator on PRESTO’s semen testing (Trak) study and advises on all matters pertaining to male reproductive health.
Dr. Joseph B. Stanford is the George D. and Esther S. Gross Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Dr. Stanford is board-certified in Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is also certified as a FertilityCare Medical Consultant through the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals. Dr. Stanford is the principal investigator or co-investigator on several large clinical and epidemiologic studies related to fertility, infertility treatment and human development. He is a co-investigator for the University of Utah Vanguard Site of the National Children’s Study. Past work has focused on day-specific probabilities of conception, the clinical and demographic implications of fertility awareness and natural family planning, and improving the understanding and measurement of pregnancy intendedness. He has served on national scientific advisory committees for the NICHD and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Dr. Stanford is a consultant on PRESTO who advises on topics related to fertility.
Dr. David Savitz is Professor of Epidemiology in the Brown University School of Public Health with joint appointments as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics in the Alpert Medical School. His epidemiologic research has addressed a wide range of topics including exposures to physical and chemical hazards in the workplace and community, health impact of exposures associated with military deployment, environmental effects of energy development, risks from environmental exposures during pregnancy, and drinking water safety. He has authored more than 400 papers in professional journals and is the editor or author of four books on environmental epidemiology. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Savitz is a consultant on PRESTO who advises on topics related to pregnancy loss.
Dr. Katherine L. Tucker is Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology in the Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, and Director of the Center for Population Health, at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, with an adjunct appointment at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She received her PhD from Cornell University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut, both in nutritional sciences. Dr. Tucker has contributed to more than 400 articles in scientific journals. Her research focuses on dietary intake and risk of chronic disease, including osteoporosis, cognitive decline, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease, with an emphasis on health disparities. She is the PI of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, an ongoing cohort study, to examine the roles of diet, health behaviors, stress and genetic predisposition in relation to chronic conditions, including heart disease, cognitive decline and bone health. She serves as a scientific adviser for the Jackson Heart Study, a cohort of African American adults. She is the Editor in Chief of Advances in Nutrition, the international review journal of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN); and was a co-editor of the 11th edition of the textbook, Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease.
Dr. Ugochinyere Vivian Ukah is an Assistant Research Investigator, Pregnancy & Child Research Centre, Health Partners Institute, USA and an Affiliate Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, USA. She is Nigeria-Canadian and completed her postdoctoral fellowship, funded by Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRQS), at the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health at McGill University. Her research focuses on the short- and long-term outcomes of pregnancy complications, and development, and validation of prediction models in maternal and perinatal health, and examining racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. Dr Ukah holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (Health services research) from the University of Sheffield, England and a PhD in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences from the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Dr. Diana Ceballos is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Exposure Biology Research Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is an exposure science expert and certified industrial hygienist with 15 years of experience in environmental health studies, worked at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and was a Harvard JPB Environmental Health fellow. She received her doctoral degree in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene from the University of Washington, her Master of Science in Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Nevada, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia. She is the Principal Investigator of the HUD-funded RECLEAN Pilot Study.
Dr. Henrik Toft Sorensen is Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and is founder of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at Aarhus University, Denmark, which was established in 2000. Henrik Toft Sørensen is head of the department and since 2004 has been adjunct professor of epidemiology at Boston University. He is furthermore Visiting Professor at Stanford University and Editor of Clinical Epidemiology. His research interests involve investigating the safety of medical interventions, in particular drugs and procedures. Dr. Sørensen has a long history of collaboration with Boston University investigators. He is Co-investigator of the Snart Gravid and Snart Foraeldre time-to-pregnancy studies being conducted in Denmark, studies after which PRESTO is modeled. His recent work focuses on studying the effects of medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of miscarriage.
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