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Leadership and Staff
Joel Cantor, ScD, Principal Investigator
Director, Rutgers Center for State Health Policy
Distinguished Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Public Planning and Policy
Dr. Cantor is published widely in the health services and policy literature on innovations in health service delivery for high-need populations and the regulation of health insurance markets. He serves frequently as an advisor on health policy matters to New Jersey state government and was the 2006 recipient of the Rutgers University President’s Award for Research in Service to New Jersey.
Paul Duberstein, PhD, Co-Investigator
Chair & Professor
Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy Rutgers School of Public Health
Dr. Duberstein is a psychologist, gerontologist, and social justice advocate with expertise in geriatric mental health. His current research aims to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers; he is particularly interested in mitigating disparities related to race, educational attainment, and poverty.
William Hu, MD, PhD, FAAN, Co-Investigator
Associate Professor and Chief of Cognitive Neurology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dr. Hu is a board-certified neurologist with special certification in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry. He is also a physician-scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of dementia research.
Dawne Mouzon, PhD, MPH, Co-Investigator
Associate Professor
Rutgers Department of Sociology
Dr. Mouzon engages in research that seeks to identify and explain risk and protective factors for the physical and mental health of populations of African descent. Her current research program focuses on identifying adaptive coping resources and strategies African Americans use in the face of chronic stress and racial discrimination, with a focus on gender differences in these processes.
Mara Getz Sheftel, PhD, Co-Investigator
Instructor
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy and Rutgers School of Public Health
Dr. Getz Sheftel is a Sociologist and Demographer who uses a life course perspective to study new drivers of stratification for aging adults. Her research has been published in Demography, Population Research & Policy Review, the Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, and Socius, among other peer-reviewed journals. With a background in mentorship and service-learning, Mara is an experienced and enthusiastic educator.
Margaret Koller, MS
Executive Director
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy
Margaret oversees the day-to-day operation of the Center as well as the development and management of the Center for State Health Policy’s research portfolio. She is a health policy expert and Co-Principal Investigator on the Center’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation core grant.
Stephanie Bergren, BA
Project Director
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Stephanie oversees the scientific implementation and operation of the NJ Health Study. She has previously worked as the project manager on multiple NIH research projects and centers, including the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE Study), in coordinating data collection, analysis, and dissemination of research findings.
Francine P. Cartwright, BS
Research Project Manager
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Francine oversees the day-to-day operations of the NJHealth Study team's research activities. She leads a talented team in recruiting participants and collecting data using multimodal methods, ensuring that all protocols are followed, and data integrity is maintained. With expertise in managing NIH-funded longitudinal research projects, Francine has successfully led the ORANJ BOWL (Ongoing Research in Aging in New Jersey - Bettering Opportunities for Wellness in Life) Research Panel and the OPTIONS (Opinions and Preferences for Treatment in Older Nephrology Patients and Spouses) Study, coordinating data collection, analysis, and dissemination of research findings.
Julia Schimmel is the Senior Program Coordinator for the NJHealth Study; coordinating data linkage and compensation administration. Before joining IFH, Julia obtained her B.A at the University of Arizona in Political Science and her MSc in Human Rights and Politics at the London School of Economics.
Nicole Swenarton
Director of Communications
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Nicole is responsible for developing and executing the communication, marketing and media strategies to grow and promote IFH’s brand. She also collaborates with IFH’s research teams to promote research studies in the community and across the region.
Dinesh Mendhe, MS
Programmer Analyst I
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Dinesh leads the software development efforts for IFH’s research grants, including the New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study, and for IFH general purpose web presence. Dinesh has built statistical and scientific web applications, mobile apps, big data algorithms, custom Android OS, complex runtimes, data structures, AI/ML tools, and research databases.
Research Team
Maria Eva Dorigo
Community Coordinator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Maria works to achieve institute goals of connecting diverse communities to research. She spearheads the New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study’s community engagement effort, involving engaging communities, raising awareness for health research, and partnering with community organizations to promote the study.
Kira Bartnick
Research Coordinator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Kira Bartnick is a Research Coordinator at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Healthcare Policy and Aging Research. She is the primary coordinator for the clinical and biomarker components of the NJ Population Health Cohort Study, as well as being actively involved in study recruitment, administration, and ensuring data integrity. Prior to joining the Institute for Health, Kira was a Research Fellow at the University of Richmond, where her work utilized electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the impact of sleep on attention. Kira received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Neuroscience from the University of Richmond.
Lisa Lanza
Research Coordinator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Dr. Lisa Lanza is a Registered Dietitian and has worked in the nutrition and public health field for 13 years. Her research has been mostly focused on infant and perinatal health. She is currently responsible for study operations and grant administration in studies related to older adult health.
Melanie Doren
Research Assistant
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Melanie graduated with a degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience (BA) from Rutgers University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health. She is currently working with the New Jersey Population Health Cohort Survey team on survey recruitment and administration.
Jaunis Estervil
Research Assistant, Spanish and Haitian Creole translator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Jaunis graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra School of Medicine and is actively licensed to practice in Haiti as a general practitioner. He is currently a Master of Science candidate in Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He is working on the New Jersey Population Cohort Study as a recruiter, survey administrator and cognitive test assessment administrator as well as Spanish and Haitian Creole speaker and translator.
Sharon Lee
Research Assistant
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Sharon has recently graduated from the master’s program at Rutgers School of Public Health. Her concentration was in social and behavioral health sciences. She is currently working with the New Jersey Population Health Cohort Survey team on survey recruitment and administration.
Woowon Lee
Research Assistant, Korean Translator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Woowon Lee is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. She holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers School of Social Work, and she is currently part of a New Jersey Population Cohort Study team as a survey administrator and the Korean speaker and translator for the Korean community.
Pooja Patel
Research Assistant, Gujarati Translator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Pooja Patel is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. She graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and she is now working for the New Jersey Population Cohort Study as a recruiter, survey administrator, and the main Gujarati speaker and translator for the survey's different components.
Melissa Marquez
Research Assistant, Spanish Translator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Melissa is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. Prior to joining IFH, she received a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Boston University. She is currently working on the New Jersey Population Cohort Study as a study recruiter and survey administrator as well as a Spanish speaker and translator.
Carmen Rodriguez
Research Assistant
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Carmen Rodríguez is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. Carmen is currently administering study surveys to Spanish speakers in New Jersey. She graduated from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor's in communications and from Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico with a MA in Hispanic Studies and a PhD in Caribbean Literature from Advanced Studies Center of Puerto Rico and Caribbean. Rodríguez has 15 years' experience as a reporter for newspapers on the Island.
Matthew Santiago is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. He graduated from Rutgers Newark with a bachelor's in psychology. He is currently working on the NJ Population Health Cohort Study as a recruiter and survey administrator.
Johnathaniel See
Research Assistant, Tagalog Translator
Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research
Johnathaniel See is a research assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health. He is currently working on the New Jersey Population Cohort Study as a recruiter and survey administrator as well as the primary Tagalog speaker and translator for the survey components. Prior to joining IFH, he recently received a B.S. in Public Health and a B.A. in Psychology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
Danny Tarng, PhD
Research Assistant
Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research
Danny Tarng is a research project assistant. He is focused on recruitment, community engagement, and data collection in South Jersey. He holds a PhD in Public Affairs from Rutgers-Camden. His current research interests lie at the intersection of urban health, community development, and food insecurity.
Marc Miller is originally from California and moved to the east coast in 2021. A graduate of the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy, his MPH program focused on Community Health. Marc’s interests include human development, family studies, program evaluation and communicable disease prevention . Marc enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family. He is an avid hockey fan and has followed the New York Rangers for many years.
Community Advisory Board
Victor Murray
Senior Director, Community Engagement & Capacity Building
Camden Coalition
In his role as Senior Director of Community Engagement & Capacity Building. Victor focuses on working across the Camden Coalition to design, iterate and operationalize new data-driven interventions that will impact specific segments of the population. Prior to this role, he formed a hospital-based violence intervention program and served as program manager for Camden Coalition’s community-based outreach team. Victor enjoys playing a role in providing better care to Camden City residents and living life.
Woody Philippe has more than 16 years of experience. As the director of the community organization Mr. Philippe is committed to strengthening JPM's mission to become a reference to serve everyone through the various programs the organization is developing to support Haitian immigrants and other types of immigrants who may need advice. He is a person who provides support on issues of leadership, personal and organizational skills, he sets up and develops skin care programs for children. Woody Philippe has experience in accounting and finance, and uses this knowledge to help the community move forward. Mr. Philippe works with different populations and other leaders, community organizations in the state of New Jersey.
Woody Philippe gen plis pase 16 ane experyans. Kòm direktè òganizasyon kominotè mesye Philippe pran angajman pou ranfose misyon JPM pou l tounen yon referans pou sèvi tout moun a travè plizyè pwogram òganizasyon an ap devlope pou ankadre imigran Ayisyen and lòt kalite imigran ki ta bezwen konsèy. Li bay sipò sou kesyon lidèchip, kapasite pèsonèl ak òganizasyonèl, li mete kanpe epi devlope pwogram po upran swen pou ti moun. Woody Philippe gen experyans nan kontabilite ak finans, li itilize konesans sa yo pou ede kominote an vanse. Mesye Philippe travay ak diferan popilasyon ak lòt lidè, òganizasyon kominote nan leta New Jersey.
Rosalind has worked for Meridian Health for 13 years, starting as the Community and Senior Services Manager, later as the Community Outreach-Community Liaison and Curriculum Development Manager and lastly as the Community Health Instructor. At Meridian Health she developed partnerships between Meridian Health and the community it serves in order to improve health and raise awareness of Meridian services within the targeted populations.
She also worked for Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey as a Director of Community and Senior Services for 28 years. At Planned Parenthood, she directed program planning and implementation, budget administration, staff and volunteer recruitment, training, supervision, grant writing, public affairs, and community relations.
Rosalind has extensive consulting and teaching experience and has been a member of several CBO boards. She has also served as Executive Committee Member in the New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP.
Youngae Lee was born in Seoul, Korea. She moved to the United States in 1980 and resided in Queens, New York. She worked for a Korean nonprofit organization until her retirement in 2020, when she and her husband moved to Rossmoor Active Adult Community in Monroe Township, NJ. At Rossmoor, Youngae serves as the President of the Korean Club, which has more than 50 members. As leader of this growing network, Youngae’s goal is to help members acclimate socially and culturally to the surrounding community. She encourages members to participate in local events and activities and also helps them in translating English documents into Korean. Youngae is a member of the Rossmoor chorus and a contributor to the Rossmoor newspaper. Youngae and her husband are active members of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Cranbury for which she prepares the weekly bulletin.
Manuel has both lived and worked in New Brunswick for most of his life. From growing up in New Brunswick, Castaneda continues to be involved in the City through his efforts at New Brunswick Tomorrow and as a resident. He has worked at community-based organizations and Rutgers University in various roles servicing the community.
Manuel joined the team at New Brunswick Tomorrow as Director of Community Health in 2015. In this most important role, he manages the Healthier New Brunswick initiative; a comprehensive collective impact approach to improve the overall health of city residents. His work includes strategy building and collaborations with task force volunteers and local stakeholders in understanding and responding to the health, human service and educational needs of city residents. He generates ideas and leads initiatives aimed at engaging the community and improving the quality of health and healthcare in the city.
Castañeda is honored to have the opportunity to help make New Brunswick a healthier community for all the families who live and work in the City and he is proud to call New Brunswick home.
Hannah Steele
Health and Wellness Coordinator
International Rescue Committee
Hannah is the current Health and Wellness Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee’s Elizabeth, NJ office. She has over 10 years of experience working with refugees and immigrant families and children. Her work has primarily focused on education initiatives, gender-based violence, reproductive health and rights, and domestic violence prevention and advocacy. She has a master’s in public health with a focus in addressing social determinants of health, as well as global and community health.
Ivette Guillermo-McGahee, is the founder and CEO of Allies In Caring, a New Jersey nonprofit offering for the past 11 years, a continuum of behavioral health services for under-resourced individuals living in poverty, immigrants and individuals with disabilities, the services provided include In-home crises interventions and tele-health treatment. And its new “Wellness Hub, ConVivir” offers prevention and skill building programs.
Additionally, Ivette serves as a consultant in developing the capacity to provide equal access to health resources in NJ. She served in the design team for the NJ Public Health Institute, The Elevating Equity in NJ program, and currently, the Jenga Council, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s advisory council that promotes health equity in NJ.
Ivette's experience as a Mexican-born child of Deaf parents (CODA) and sister of two Deaf siblings, has provided profound understanding of the potential for growth that lies within the hardships that are a part of the human experience. Her vision is to help families thrive and develop into more skillful, mindful, and compassionate human beings, while working through adversity in their lives.
Mrs. Guillermo- McGhee is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Her professional training includes a Master in Mental Health Counseling from Gallaudet University, D.C. Her post-graduate training includes: Multicultural Therapy, Systems Centered Therapy (SCT), Trauma Focus – CBT, and Mindfulness Based Interventions. Additionally, she studies and practices Theory U and Social Presenting Theater.
Katherine is a registered nurse with 8 years of experience providing quality healthcare to adult patients in acute and outpatient settings. She is passionate about health equity for all. As a Former Jesuit Volunteer I’ve volunteered as a support person for the Camden/Philadelphia Chapter from 2017-present.
Dr. Monica Lallo is an educator, team strategist and advocate for improving government and nonprofit services to under-served youth and families. Throughout her professional career, she has been committed to bridging the socioeconomic divide that exists in disadvantaged communities. Dr. Lallo has extensive experience specializing in contract management, program development and evaluation over her eleven years in county government. She produced several accomplishments with the creation of numerous initiatives that helped improve service delivery outcomes, increase stakeholder involvement and promote networking among nonprofit organizations serving youth and families in the County of Union.
Dr. Lallo also served as a resource to local agency providers seeking state and national research information about services, which was rated effective by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and other national foundations that support youth initiatives. Dr. Lallo received her Doctorate in Education from Immaculata University, her Master’s degree in Public Administration from New York University, and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Rutgers University. She taught several courses at Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) in their Human Services Program as a Senior Adjunct Professor.
Tenisha Malcolm-Wint's career has been marked by impactful leadership roles and an unwavering passion for community advancement. She previously served as the Director of the Urban Mayors Policy Center at the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. In this role, she played a pivotal part in assisting 33 member mayors of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association in navigating the complex challenges that urban municipalities face.
Before her tenure at the Watson Institute, Malcolm-Wint made significant contributions to a range of national and community-based nonprofits. She spearheaded large-scale, innovative programs, led successful fundraising campaigns, and drove strategic development initiatives, all while fostering positive social change. Her dedication to social causes extends beyond her professional roles, demonstrated by her active involvement as a board member for organizations such as New Jersey Future, Urban Agriculture Cooperative, Boys & Girls Club of Union County, National Association of Double Dutch Organizations, and New Jersey School of Conservation.
Currently, Malcolm-Wint serves as the Director of the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Girls Leadership Center in Newark. She also leads TNM Consulting, LLC, and is the Founder & Chief Outdoor Experience Officer of Outdoors On Purpose (OOP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to dismantling systemic racism within New Jersey's natural and built environments. OOP focuses on empowering Black and Brown communities by fostering connections with the outdoors, advocating for equitable access to green spaces, addressing issues such as food deserts and urban agriculture, and providing pathways for young Black and Brown individuals to explore and pursue careers in the green sector.
Tenisha’s commitment to fostering community growth and driving innovation remains at the forefront of her professional endeavors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bloomfield College and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Nonprofit Leadership at Kean University. Additionally, she has earned a Professional Certificate in Creative Placemaking from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.