PhD

September 25, 2025

Andrew Hoover

Andrew Hoover is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. He completed his Master of Science in Environmental Health Sciences and Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is interested in understanding and mitigating the health effects that socially…

September 19, 2025

Ananya Iyengar

Ananya Iyengar is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington-Seattle. She is interested in infectious disease epidemiology in global LMICs, reducing transmission of vaccine-preventable illnesses, improving healthcare access, and drugs and therapeutics development. She received a Master of Science in Public Health in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control from…

September 18, 2025

Nada Ali

Nada Ali is a PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Washington, focusing on injury and violence research, particularly intimate partner violence. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Medicine and Surgery from Cairo University and her MPH in Health Policy with a minor in Emergency Preparedness from Drexel University. Nada is deeply…

September 11, 2025

Ruby Lucas

Ruby Lucas is a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. They received their MPH in Epidemiology (Maternal & Child Health Track) in 2022 and BA in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019. Their research interests include mixed-methods and community-engaged research to examine psychosocial and environmental…

August 5, 2025

Advancing Sexual Health for Cisgender Women: A Series of Studies Addressing Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, Vaginal Health, and Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenyan Women

Abstract Globally, high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) persist even in the face of effective antibiotic treatment, with young women living in Africa facing a disproportionate burden. Sexually transmitted infections can lead to dire reproductive health consequences for women, including severe complications and significant economic burdens related to lost productivity and quality of life….

Early Childhood Education and Violence Prevention Across the Life Course and Generations

Abstract High-quality early childhood education may buffer against social and structural drivers of interpersonal and self-directed violence. This dissertation examined associations of Head Start—a large-scale early childhood education program for low-income children, launched in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty—and violence-related outcomes within and across generations. Intragenerational analyses found that attending Head Start…

Retention, mental health, and scalable treatment programs for youth living with HIV: An exploration of social and behavioral influences

Abstract Background: Adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYLHIV) are at higher risk of negative health outcomes including disengagement from care, viral non-suppression, depression, and anxiety. This additional risk may be partially explained by the substantial changes in relationship structures, cognitive functioning, and independent self-management of HIV that occur throughout adolescence, but age-specific data…

Workplace injuries, early opioid prescribing, and disability in Washington State

Abstract INTRODUCTION: From the late 1990s through early 2010s, opioid prescribing increased dramatically in workers’ compensation (WC) systems, following national trends within the United States. The increase in opioid prescribing coincided with an increase in overdose deaths and morbidity linked to prescription opioids. While subsequent policy interventions including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) and updated…

The methamphetamine use continuum and associated risk factors among cisgender men and transgender people with male sex partners

Abstract The methamphetamine (meth) epidemic in the United States (US) disproportionately impacts cisgender men and transgender people who have sex with males (CMTSM). This confers a disparate burden of meth-related sequelae, including cardiovascular, cognitive, and psychiatric conditions. Among CMTSM, meth is syndemic with HIV, posing a threat to the US initiative of Ending the HIV…

Examining Mental Health and Recovery Following School Shootings

Abstract This dissertation examines the mental health impacts of school shootings in the United States, with a particular focus on the effects on subpopulations, gaps in existing research, and the importance of incorporating survivor perspectives into study design, interpretation of findings, and dissemination. Since 1999, over 380,000 students have been exposed to firearm violence while…