Our Team

Our Team

OPEN’s researchers and staff are primarily based at The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and Case Western Reserve University. Our team members bring a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to OPEN’s work. We collaborate across campuses and disciplines to minimize siloes and increase holistic research practices. 

Our Researchers and Program Staff

Danielle Bessett,
Co-Principal Investigator of OPEN

she/her/hers or they/them/theirs

Professor

Department of Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Affiliate

University of Cincinnati

Alison Norris,
Co-Principal Investigator of OPEN

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Epidemiology and Division of Infectious Diseases

The Ohio State University

Marta Bornstein

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior

Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina

Sarah CM Crow

she/her/hers

Senior Research Communications Associate

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Maria Gallo

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Jennifer Glaser

she/her/hers

Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

Department of English

University of Cincinnati

Priya Gursahaney

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Cincinnati

Hillary Gyuras

she/her/hers

Senior Research Associate

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Amanda Harvey-Panfil

she/her/hers

Research Coordinator

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Sarah Hayford

she/her/hers

Professor

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Jessie Hill

she/her/hers

Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law

School of Law

Case Western Reserve University

Courtney Kerestes

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The Ohio State University

Autumn Kirkendall

she/her/hers

Senior Research Associate

University of Cincinnati

Michelle McGowan

she/her/hers

Professor of Biomedical Ethics

Mayo Clinic

Stef Murawsky

they/them/theirs

Policy and Program Director

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Abby Norris Turner

she/her/hers

Professor

Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Tamika Odum

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Behavioral Science

University of Cincinnati

Meredith Pensak

she/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Cincinnati

Katherine Rivlin

she/her/hers

Associate Professor

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

University of Chicago

Mikaela Smith

she/her/hers

Research Scientist

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Celia Williamson

she/her/hers

Faculty Fellow

Ohio Policy Evaluation Network

Trainees

Kayla Alvis

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Rural Sociology

The Ohio State University

Cynthia Beavin

they/them

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Christina Bijou

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Aalap Bommaraju

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Sarah Bostic

they/them/theirs or she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Jeremy Brenner-Levoy

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Molly Broscoe

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Shibani Chettri

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Anna Church

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Willa Del Negro Skeehan

she/her/hers

Graduate Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Maralyn Doering

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Victoria El-Hayek

she/her/hers

MD Student

College of Medicine

The Ohio State University

Jacob Kepes

he/him/his

MA/PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Lydia Kotowski

she/her/hers

JD/MHA Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Mahboobeh Davoodifar

she/her/hers

Graduate Research Assistant

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Katy McFarland

she/her/hers

MD/MPH Student 

University of Cincinnati

Zoe Muzyczka

they/them/theirs

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Neela Nallamothu

she/her/hers

MPH Student

Milken Institute, School of Public Health

George Washington University

Rosa Negash

she/her/hers

Graduate Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Emily Neiman

she/her/hers

PhD Student and Clinical Instructor of Practice

College of Nursing

The Ohio State University

Pragi Patel

she/her/hers

Medical Student

Division of Epidemiology

The Ohio State University

Hannah Piscalko

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Public Health

The Ohio State University

Brianna Smith

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Social Work

The Ohio State University

Shreekari Tadepalli

she/her/hers

MD Student

College of Medicine

The Ohio State University

Taylor Tomu

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Anthropology

The Ohio State University

Kierra Toney

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

University of Cincinnati

Abigail Underwood

she/her/hers

PhD Student

College of Social Work

The Ohio State University

Evangeline Warren

she/her/hers

PhD Student

Department of Sociology

The Ohio State University

Affiliated Scholars

Francis Anagbonu, The Ohio State University

John Casterline, The Ohio State University

Payal Chakraborty, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Danielle Czarnecki, Case Western Reserve University

Cynthia Colen, The Ohio State University

Meredith P. Field, Alfred University

Claire Forrestal, The Ohio State University

Bucky Foster, The Ohio State University

Orlaith (Orla) Heyann, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Rudy Hightower II, The Ohio State University

Robert Hood, Emory University

Dana Howard, The Ohio State University

Ayaz Hyder, The Ohio State University

Elaina Johns-Wolfe, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Lisa Keder, The Ohio State University

Alex Kissling, Cerner Enviza

Emily Kim, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Chasity Knight, The Ohio State University

Kaiting Lang, NJ Department of Health

Juliana Madzia, University of Cincinnati

Annie McGhee, University of Cincinnati

Kelsey Mello, Valley Children’s Healthcare

Saira Nawaz, PATH

Carolette Norwood, Howard University

JaNelle Ricks, The Ohio State University

Sara Zandvakili, University of Cincinnati

Our Researchers and Program Staff

Trainees

Affiliated Scholars