{"id":21,"date":"2020-08-03T16:54:08","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T20:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/?page_id=21"},"modified":"2026-04-01T09:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T13:40:00","slug":"our-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/our-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Faculty Co-Director<\/h2>\n

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Dr. Jonathan Jay <\/strong><\/span>studies urban health, especially youth exposure to gun violence, as an associate professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He leads research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, Fund for a Safer Future, and KP Center for Gun Violence Research and Education. <\/span>Dr. Jay previously served as a research fellow for the Firearm-Safety Among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium, led by the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and for the Computational Epidemiology Group at Boston Children’s Hospital.<\/p>\n

Before receiving his doctorate in public health (DrPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr. Jay trained as a lawyer-ethicist and worked in global health policy. He received a BA with honors from Brown University, a JD cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, and an MA in philosophy from Georgetown University.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jonathan Jay’s CV<\/a><\/p>\n

Faculty Co-Director<\/h2>\n

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Dr. Patrece L. Joseph, <\/strong>Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at Boston University\u2019s School of Public Health, is a community engaged and mixed methods researcher who collaborates with community-based organizations to prevent and respond to community violence. Her research spans three interrelated areas: (1) adolescent and young adult exposure to community violence, particularly firearm violence; (2) the impact of exposure to community violence on adolescent and young adult mental health and substance use outcomes; (3) community-engaged measure development.<\/p>\n

Dr. Joseph received her BA in Psychology from Bates College, MA in Child Development from Tufts University, and her PhD in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University.<\/p>\n

Chief Research Scientist<\/h2>\n

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Emma Gause<\/strong> is a Research Scientist in the Center for Climate and Health at Boston University School of Public Health. She conducted her graduate training in epidemiology and geography at the University of Washington. Her expertise lies in the application of epidemiological methods and spatial analysis to address research questions related to built and social environment risk factors for firearm-related injury, and the health effects of heat and other climate exposures.<\/p>\n

Research Affiliates<\/h2>\n

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Christina Dalton<\/strong> is a master’s student in Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Boston University’s School of Public Health. Originally from Piscataway, New Jersey, she earned her Bachelor’s degree of Public Health with a minor in Environmental Science from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her prior research, conducted with the University of Guam and the University of Hawai’i, as well as a National Institute of Health (NIH)-funded program, focused on social interactions and substance use among adolescents in Guam. She is passionate about environmental sustainability in urban areas and its connection to firearm violence. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, knitting, and exploring different ramen shops.<\/p>\n

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Suzanne McLone<\/strong> is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. Originally from Chicago, she received her BA in English Literature an BS in Biological Sciences from Loyola University of Chicago, and her MPH in Epidemiology\/Biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Prior to returning to graduate school, she was the lead epidemiologist for the CDC-Funded Illinois Violent Death Reporting System and Illinois\u2019 State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System. She is interested in the intersection of firearm violence and the built, social, and legal\/policy environments in cities, and how this research can be translated to successful programmatic efforts and policy solutions to prevent urban firearm violence. In her free time, she enjoys getting to know her new city by finding the best coffee shops in Boston.<\/p>\n

Past Contributors<\/h2>\n

Faizah Shareef<\/strong> is a dual MD\/MBA student at Boston University with an interest in the intersection of racial equity, community safety, and healthcare. She has worked in gun violence prevention research and has been recognized for her efforts in this space by the American Medical Association. Faizah also volunteers with a non-profit known as the Phoenix, with an aim to support those in recovery from substance use. She hopes to create a lasting impact on the community while improving the healthcare ecosystem as a whole.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kalice Allen<\/strong> is a recent graduate of the Boston University School of Public Health where she studied Health Policy and Law, and Maternal and Child Health. She is currently Senior Research Associate at Everytown for Gun Safety. In 2017, she received a bachelor of science in public health from St. Catherine University. Prior to pursuing a graduate degree, she has worked in philanthropy, sex education and HIV\/AIDS outreach, youth development, maternal and child health, and community organizing. Areas of interest include political education, reproductive justice, community safety, and human rights.<\/p>\n

Manish Patel<\/strong> is originally from Edison, New Jersey. He is a fourth-year BA\/MS student at the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Economics, pursuing a career in Data Science. Aside from being a RISE Lab research assistant, he also participates as a CS Ambassador, serving as a peer mentor for incoming freshmen students studying computer science at BU, and is an executive board member of Sigma Beta Rho, a multicultural social fraternity on-campus. Manish also previously worked as an Economic Research Analyst Intern at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kristal Xie<\/strong> recently graduated Boston University with a B.S. in Health Science. As a member of the RISE Lab, she works on projects about urban health, focusing on the relationship between health and the built environment. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, hiking, and exploring new places. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jaii Pappu<\/strong> is originally from Robbinsville, New Jersey. He is a second-year student at the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychological Brain Sciences, on the MD-PhD track with interest in Computer Science. Jaii is also an Ambassador for Boston University Admissions and serves on the Admissions Student Diversity Board on the Boston Outreach Committee, reaching out to the Boston Public Schools and the community. Aside from his academic passions, Jaii also loves working out at FitRec, scrolling through TikTok, and exploring new coffee shops in the city!<\/p>\n

Alexa Courtepatte<\/strong> is originally from Toronto, Canada and graduated\u00a0from the University of Rochester with a B.S. degree in Neuroscience. She is currently a MPH student at Boston University, focusing on Community Program Design and Substance Use and Mental Health. Alexa is interested in medicine and also does clinical research in Urogynecology. Previous research of hers includes Huntington’s disease research in mice and clinical research in the setting of the U of R Emergency Department. When she is not doing research or school work, she does Crossfit, works at her Crossfit gym, crochets, and dances.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emma Weinberger<\/strong> is pursuing her MPH at Boston University, with a focus on Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation. Originally from California, she completed her BA in Psychology from the University of San Francisco which led her into the world of community-based mental health. She is passionate about eliminating access barriers to individuals seeking mental health care, especially for those who have experienced violence or other significant life stressors. In her free time she enjoys reading, playing board games, and eating dumplings.<\/p>\n

Rachel Martin,<\/b> originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is a MPH student at the Boston University School of Public Health, pursuing certificates in Health Policy and Law, and Human Rights and Social Justice. As part of the 4+1 BS\/MPH program, Rachel graduated from Boston University Sargent College with a BS in Health Science and a minor in Environmental Analysis and Policy in May 2022. Outside of her academic and research work, Rachel enjoys running, teaching yoga, and reading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zihan Lin<\/strong> holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University (2021) and a M.S. in Geographic Information Science from Clark University. As an environmental geographer, Zihan is interested in exploring human-environment interactions, especially the environment-health nexus, using remote sensing, GIS, spatial modeling and analytics. She has studied how hydropower dams affect the Mekong River Basin ecosystem and the influence of urban green space on human health in the United States. Currently, she is working on the association between environmental factors (e.g., temperature, green space) and gun violence incidents. Zihan loves reading speculative fiction, hiking, and traveling (as a food traveler).<\/p>\n

Felicia Heykoop, MPH<\/strong> is a recent graduate of the Boston University School of Public Health where they studied health policy and law and previous RISE Labs project manager. In 2011, they received a dual BA in applied anthropology and film production in Southeast Los Angeles, close to where they grew up. Prior to pursuing a graduate degree, they were involved in documentary production and worked as a makeup artist for film and television. Areas of study include social movements, policy change, and human rights advocacy.<\/p>\n

Andrea Kuriyama<\/strong> is currently a senior studying Health Science through the Sargent College of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation at Boston University. Andrea is passionate about public health and aims to obtain her Master\u2019s Degree of Public Health after graduation. Her work in research thus far has touched on many different topics such as the quality of the urban environment to maternal and child health as well as some work relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jordan Boulay<\/strong> originally from New Bedford, Massachusetts is a fourth-year student at Northeastern University Bouve College of Health Sciences and is pursuing his degree in Health Sciences with a minor in Society and Humanities in Healthcare. Aside from being a research assistant for RISE Lab, you can find Jordan running in his free time or volunteering at Dana Farber as a Patient Ambassador for patients acclimating to their first visits at the hospital. This coming spring Jordan will be pursuing his co-op as an Ophthalmic Assistant at Mass Eye and Ear.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jordan is also a Bouve College Student Ambassador answering prospective students questions and attending (virtual) fairs to help them through their admissions at Northeastern University. Aside from his academic passions, some of his hobbies include tennis, running, and spinning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faculty Co-Director Dr. Jonathan Jay studies urban health, especially youth exposure to gun violence, as an associate professor at Boston University School of Public Health. He leads research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, Fund for a Safer Future, and KP Center for Gun Violence Research and Education. Dr. Jay previously served as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18164,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":532,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21\/revisions\/532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/riselab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}