Meet former members of the MOTIVATE Research Lab.

Clare Viglione
Research Lab Coordinator

Clare graduated from Columbia University in 2013 with an MPH. At Columbia, Clare worked in the Population and Family Health Department on the Getting Ready for School project and on SKIP!, the toddler physical activity intervention in Early Head Start. Clare has held research positions with Harvard Prevention Research Center and Boston School of Public Health in addition to health education roles with Harlem Children’s Zone and the Department of Health. She plans to pursue a PhD to ultimately develop cost-effective familial interventions targeting social-emotional development and obesity in children. Clare is now a dietitian at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and plans to do research in early childhood development and disease prevention.

Irene Chen
Research Assistant

Irene Chen is from Long Island, New York. She is currently a senior at NYU majoring in global public health with a concentration in sociology. She hopes to get her MPH focusing in health policy and management and possibly attend dental school. During her free time, she enjoys going to coffee shops and food hunting with friends in Manhattan. She also enjoys sitting at the public parks nearby school and reading/doing homework. Irene now works full time as a Consultant at Nexera, Inc. with the Greater NY Hospital Association.

Omar Sanon
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Omar is a graduate of NYU with a degree in anthropology and a minor in chemistry. He has previously work in several research projects in the past examining the food environment in the Bronx. He is currently attending medical school at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Katja Lazar
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Katja is from New York, New York and attended Columbia University where she studied sustainable development. After Katja’s undergraduate studies, she completed culinary school at the ICC. Katja is a baker and interested in typography/calligraphy and graphic novels. She also loves being active, and her current obsession is bouldering. Katja has returned to Columbia University, in their Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program, in pursuit of a medical career.

Alejandro Plascencia
Research Assistant

Having completed his BS in community public health at the Silberman School of Public Health and Social Work at Hunter College, his areas of concentration include epidemiology, food science, and social disparities of health. Alejandro is currently enrolled in pre-med courses while gaining a minor in chemistry. His interests in preventative care have led Alejandro to co-manage a community supported agriculture program for two years in the Lower East Side and take part in volunteer work as a nutrition educator for various Grow NYC Youth markets. By working in therapy of an in-patient nursing home, he has gained experience assessing and addressing physical and emotional health conditions for seniors. As a radio station’s programming director, Alejandro has spent two years working in a team environment; either by scheduling weekly radio channels, submitting proposals, or taking part in promotional events. Alejandro loves traveling to foreign cities as well as state national parks, long distance running, playing music, and spending time with his dog.

Hedda Boege
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Hedda is a senior at NYU College of Arts and Science where she is pursuing a dual major in biology and global public health on the pre-medical track. She is passionate about diet and nutrition and recently had the opportunity to work with UNICEF on a project aiming to improve access to health resources for mothers and children in low-income countries. She spent the last semester conducting interviews about nutritional habits around New York City as part of a class project to develop an app which would teach children basics of good nutrition in a fun, easily digestible format. She is originally from Washington, D.C. and was a competitive swimmer for over 10 years. In her free time she enjoys running, baking, and exploring the city.

John Rezkalla
Research Assistant

John Rezkalla is from Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from NYU where he studied philosophy and pre-medicine. He is now completing a master’s degree in biomedical sciences at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. John hopes to apply to medical school and enter surgical residency. He enjoys powerlifting, listening to classical music, comedians, reading philosophy and theology, nature walks, pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Malka Korenblit
Research Assistant

Malka recently moved back to New York from Israel after living there for three years. Before relocating to Israel she completed two years at Yeshiva University’s Stern College, studying pre-med and fine art. Malka assisted research projects in Rutgers University Hospital and Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Passionate about her roots and history Malka enlisted into the Israeli Defense Force's Homefront Command’s Search and Rescue unit, graduating to sergeant and drill sergeant. After completing her service in March, Malka’s curiosity for culture inspired her to travel and volunteer in Asia for four and a half months. After her unique experiences, Malka is set on making a difference and is continuing her BA in Columbia University.

Daniel Koenigsberg
Research Assistant

Daniel is a current pre-med postbac student at Columbia University. He graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in mathematics in 2014. While at Brandeis he performed research in astrophysics, looking for unique polarizations in quasar jets as well as performing research in combinatorics related to extensions of the Graph Minor Theorem (Robertson-Seymour 2004). He has also worked as a professional data infrastructure engineer for the last three years, working mostly in Spark Scala and Java. In his spare time he practices guitar, writes songs and poetry, and takes his toy poodle, Lily, to the dog park.

Azucena Fuentes
Research Assistant

Azucena is from Brooklyn, New York. She is currently enrolled in the College of Global Public Health at NYU pursuing her MPH in epidemiology. She is passionate about learning about infectious diseases. Influenced by her learning experiences, she looks forward to a career in surveillance of infectious diseases, and development and promotion of proper healthcare for women and children in underdeveloped countries. She enjoys traveling and is constantly trying new foods and spending time with her family.

Katrina F. Mateo
Research Coordinator

From 2013 to 2016, Katrina coordinated the Move Toward Your Goals (MTG) Intervention project and assisted in writing the grant proposals for the following projects: Tailoring a Health Coaching Intervention to Improve Weight within a Latino Population at Bellevue Hospital, Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Goals for Eating and Moving (GEM) Intervention, and Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Goals for Eating and Moving (GEM) Intervention. She is currently a Project Manager at both CUNY Hunter College and HITLAB (Healthcare Innovation Technology Lab) overseeing research projects involving healthcare technology and digital health tools. She earned her MPH from Columbia University in 2012, and is currently a doctoral student at the CUNY School of Public Health.

Nadera Rahman
Health Coach

Nadera received her BA in Psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience. She is really passionate about behavioral health, health education, and addressing health disparities. Nadera looks forward to working with vulnerable patient populations and trying to better understand and appropriately address their needs. She is excited to be part of a team that works together to improve public health. She loves noodles, paperback novels, doing voices and impressions, and making people laugh.

Mollie Pester
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Mollie graduated with a BA in psychology at the University of Michigan in June 2015. Since graduating, Mollie was working as a project assistant at USC’s Health, Emotion, and Addiction lab conducting research on the cross-population differences (such as demographics and mental health) and underlying mechanisms of the addictive and mood-altering effects of drugs. Her research interests include investigating the etiology of problematic eating behavior, the intersection of addictive behaviors (such as food and exercise) and mental illness (such as eating disorders, depression, and anxiety), and the treatment and prevention of obesity. Mollie plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. In her free time, Mollie enjoys traveling, reading, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Tom Hanna
Research Assistant

Tom is from Indiantown, Florida. He received his BA in Hispanic studies from Columbia University, and became interested in health literacy while teaching health workshops in public schools around the city. After graduation, he moved to Melilla, where he taught English in primary schools. Now that he is back in New York, Tom hopes to pursue a career researching disparities in access to healthcare. In his free time, he enjoys casual weightlifting, studying languages, and knitting.

Terrell C. Fulton
Veteran Peer Health Coach

Terrell, former emergency medic of the U.S. Air Force, previously worked in fitness as a wellness coach and certified personal trainer. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, he received his bachelor's of health science from Long Island University in Brooklyn. He hopes to further his education in either occupational therapy or public health. He has a passion for contributing to communities through health and wellness by providing mentorship through youth sports and programs.

Vito Lattanzi
Veteran Peer Health Coach

Vito is a U.S. Army veteran with over ten years of active duty military service and health care experience. He has held various roles during his tenure in the military including combat medic, health care specialist, emergency care and evacuation sergeant, medical sergeant, platoon sergeant, battalion aid station noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), and battalion medical operations sergeant. Vito earned a BS in community and human services with concentration in healthcare management from SUNY Empire State College while in the military. He is currently pursuing a MBA in health services and risk management with the Metropolitan College of New York. Vito has a deep interest in improving the quality of health care services veterans receive and hopes to work in an administrative or managerial capacity that will allow him to facilitate quality improvements in the future. On his off time, Vito enjoys cooking as a classically trained chef, fishing, being outdoors, and spending time with his family.

Funke Ajenikoko
Lead Health Coach/Study Coordinator

Funke Ajenikoko graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 with a BS in didactic nutrition. She is currently a master’s student at NYU and after graduation she hopes to work on providing impoverished youths access to nutritious food in underdeveloped countries. In her spare time, Funke likes to read, explore New York City, and bake. Ask her about her blueberry coffeecake!

Erin Hall
Research Assistant

Erin earned a BA in music and anthropology from The Catholic University of America and is currently a graduate student at NYU pursuing her MPH in epidemiology. While at Catholic University, she conducted research on osteomas of the human skull and presented her findings at the 2017 American Association of Physical Anthropology (AAPA) Conference. When taking a break from all the studying and working, Erin enjoys hiking, camping, and photography.

Vincent Ngo
Research Assistant

Vincent Ngo is from New York and graduated from Stony Brook University with a BS in neuroscience. Vincent has a keen interest in public health and serving underserved populations. Vincent has spent several years working with patients at Mount Sinai’s ED department as a geriatric care volunteer. He also dedicates his time as a medical scribe for various nursing homes. These interactions have given him extensive experience working with a diverse patient population. In his spare time, Vincent enjoys watching sports and traveling to various places in Yew Cork City.

Megan Maguire
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Megan earned her BS in biological sciences from Chapman Univesity in 2016 and is currently a graduate student at NYU College of Global Public Health, where she pursues an MPH in public health nutrition. With an overall goal of helping reduce chronic cardiometabolic disease prevalence in the United States, Megan is particularly passionate about the intersections of social justice, health policy, preventative health strategies, and primary care delivery. In the future, she hopes to continue exploring these passions as a primary care physician and/or physician–researcher. As a native Californian, Megan loves to swim, get outside, and lounge in the sun. She also loves film, art and tending to her small [but adorable!] indoor garden.

Angeline Gonyea
Health Coach/Research Assistant

Angeline earned her BA in economics, international studies, and Spanish at the University of Michigan. After studying through a broad lens, Angeline narrowed her focus to help people with everyday life. She moved to New York City to attend the nutrition-based Natural Gourmet Institute and studies contemporary Pilates and Gyrotonices. She aspires to be a doctor and takes prerequisites at Hunter. In her free time, she leads a drum circle at the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tests recipes with private clients, and Citi bikes around New York City.

Ololade Afolayan
Research Administration Intern

Ololade is from Queens, New York. She graduated with a BS in biology and society, a concentration in global health and nutrition, and a minor in infectious disease biology from Cornell University. She is currently taking a gap year while working as a medical scribe at CityMD Urgent Care. She is interested in exploring and making an impact in the racial health disparities in African Americans and other minority populations as a physician. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, lifting weights/exercising, reading, volunteering around New York City, and listening to music.

Milaskha Mukhia
Health Coach

Milaskha is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, and currently a sophomore majoring in chemistry (BS) at NYU. Volunteering in emergency departments and health centers for a long time and watching doctors and health workers who dedicate their time and energy into helping save lives everyday inspired her to get on the pre-med track. In addition to volunteering, she works as a medical writing intern for NYC Pain Specialists. She loves to travel, binge-watch Netflix, and sing with her acapella teammates in her spare time.

Tiffany Martinez
Research Assistant

Tiffany is from Miami, Florida. She is currently a junior at NYU, majoring in global public health and anthropology on a pre-medicine track. Tiffany has a strong interest in public health education and health disparities among vulnerable populations. She hopes to pursue an MPH with a concentration in biostatistics, and possibly a doctorate degree. During her free time, Tiffany enjoys reading, drinking coffee, traveling, and going to museums.

Eduardo Corona
Research Assistant

Eduardo is currently a senior at Hunter College majoring in biochemistry. As a Manhattanite, he has developed a passion for medicine and hopes to attend medical school in the future. Eduardo is a patient care volunteer at New York Methodist Hospital, where his interest in medicine consolidated. In his spare time, Eduardo loves playing soccer, bicycling, and rock climbing throughout New York City.

Ashley Jean-Louis
Research Assistant

Ashley graduated from the University at Albany in 2017 with a BS in human biology. She is currently undertaking her MPH at NYU College of Global Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology. Her interests include health management and risk behaviors in underserved populations. After her MPH, she intends to pursue an MD concentrated in chronic diseases. In her spare time, she loves to cook, take walks, and spend quality time with family and friends.

Grace Kim
Health Coach

Grace is currently a senior at NYU majoring in biology and in the pre-med track. Her interest in medicine was sparked after reading the book Gifted Hands in middle school. Then, she started volunteering at hospitals and working in medical clinics, where she got to really watch how doctors spend all their time and energy into interacting with their patients. Their strong passion to help others has inspired her even more to pursue in this path. Aside from that, Grace likes to watch random YouTube videos and listen to music in her spare time.

Izza Nawaz
Research Assistant

Izza recently graduated from Hunter College with a BA in biochemistry. She’s currently taking a gap year before applying to medical school. She was born and raised in a small village in Pakistan. The lack of healthcare in her village has been her biggest motivator to pursue medicine. She strives to provide her services to her village and all other areas that lack access to healthcare. She also tutors high school and middle school students in science and math. In her spare time, she enjoys playing Badminton, crafting, origami, as well as photography.

Shea Cerveny
Research Coordinator, PAL

Shea earned her master's degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles in 2016. While living in California, she performed more than 1,000 hours of individual psychotherapy as a marriage and family therapist intern and worked as a research assistant in UCLA's Stress Resilience Lab, where she and her colleagues investigated the effect of glucose on posttraumatic stress disorder. Prior to entering her master's program, Shea also spent three years as a personal trainer and fitness manager at 24 Hour Fitness. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and hopes to focus her career on supporting the veteran population. Outside of work, Shea enjoys exploring New York's vegetarian cuisine, spending time with her partner and their fur-family (three cats, one dog), and crossing items off her Netflix queue.

Shirley Chen
Research Assistant

Shirley is currently a sophomore at Hunter College and plans on pursuing a BA in biological science with a concentration in behavioral neurobiology. After volunteering in different clinical setting, she hopes to continue her passion for medicine and attend medical school in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys being adventurous and planning spontaneous trips as well as biking, kayaking, and cooking.

Elizabeth A. Yako
Research Assistant

Elizabeth is a first-generation Russian American who is currently completing pre-medical classes as a post-baccalaureate student at Hunter College. She holds a BA from Purchase College, SUNY, majoring in psychology. Elizabeth was awarded an Associate of Arts degree from Bard College simultaneously with her high school diploma from Bard High School Early College. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, surfing, and partaking in the arts.

Makena Rutan
Research Assistant

Makena recently earned her MPH in public health nutrition from NYU College of Global Public Health. She is a native Californian and received her BS in biology from University of California, Santa Barbara. She is passionate about improving food access for underprivileged children as well as studying diet-related chronic illnesses including diabetes and obesity. Makena loves exploring New York City parks, hiking, ocean swims, Pilates, and her cat!

Greg Mueller
Peer Health Coach

Greg served the U.S. Air Force for 13 years as an operator and product manager of new space and communication technologies. He studied management at the U.S. Air Force Academy and business at UCLA Anderson. He is obsessed with understanding human behavior and how people can change it in ways that serve themselves and others. He currently works as a health coach, where he supports veterans who are making these changes. He also loves to read, travel, and spend time with his wife.

Christina Hernandez
Research Coordinator, FIREWoRK

Christina is from Brooklyn, New York and received her MPH in nutrition from NYU College of Global Public Health in May 2017. She is interested in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases through behavioral health change, and the impact of weight-related stigma on the health outcomes of overweight/obese individuals. She has previous research experience investigating how dentists can best help patients who smoke with tobacco cessation, and helped implement an intervention to increase the utilization of farmers markets. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, Broadway musicals, and volunteering.

Alia Dixon
Lead Health Coach/Study Coordinator

Alia is from Westchester, New York, and recently graduated from NYU with a BA in Spanish and Latin American literatures and cultures with a minor in global public health. She hopes to attend medical school and get her MPH. In her free time she likes to cook, kick box, and watch movies.

Susan Parraga
Research Assistant

Susan is from Queens, New York, and a current senior at NYU majoring in comparative literature and pre-medicine. She is passionate about the natural sciences and hopes to attend medical school in the future. Currently an EMT, Susan is interested in emergency medical practices as well as pre-hospital interventions. She has a strong affinity for travel, coffee, and friends and is excited to be a part of this team.

Brianna Bhoopsingh
Health Coach

Brianna is currently attending Hunter College, pursuing a BA in human biology with a concentration in mind, body and health. Ever since she was a little girl, Brianna has had a passion for science and helping others. As she grew older, she decided to combine these interests. By joining the American Red Cross and volunteering in multiple clinical settings, she has discovered new ways of connecting with her community. Because of her personal experiences and extracurriculars, Brianna decided that the best way to give back to her community was to obtain a more active role as a liaison between medical professionals and people. She plans on attending medical school upon graduating, hoping to educate and elevate access to healthcare in underrepresented populations as a physician. In her spare time, Brianna enjoys traveling, photography and spending quality time with friends and family.

Dominic Cotumaccio
Research Assistant

Dominic is currently a junior at Hunter College, majoring in human biology with a minor in chemistry. Dominic is a current member of the Hunter men’s basketball team and is very passionate about combining his love for physical health with medicine. As a pre-med student at Hunter, he plans to attend medical school after graduation. He is currently a volunteer at Lenox Hill Hospital in the Ambulatory Surgery Department, gaining clinical experience and growing as a student. In his spare time, Dominic enjoys playing sports and spending time with his family and friends.

Eushavia Bogan
Research Assistant

Eushavia earned her BA in environmental studies from Vassar College in 2013, with concentrations in ecology, education, and political geography. After graduating, Eushavia worked in food justice and urban agriculture in various communities within her hometown Brooklyn, New York. From managing urban farms to coordinating youth culinary programs, Eushavia is deeply invested supporting and growing integrative community health models. Eushavia is currently enrolled in a pre-med post-baccalaureate program at Hunter College. She hopes to focus in preventive medicine and pursue research focusing on the intersections between food access, the built environment, and chronic disease. In her free time, she enjoys digging in the dirt at her community garden, whipping up delicious meals, and making ceramics.

Zuheir Diab
Research Administration Intern

Zuheir is currently completing a master's degree in health policy and management at NYU. His career goal is to use innovative approaches to redesign and improve the healthcare delivery process. In his studies, he focuses on new healthcare delivery models, healthcare IT, and design thinking. He spends most of his free time reading about psychology and history.

Carlos Martinez-Mejia
Research Assistant

Carlos is from Long Island, New York, and is currently a sophomore at NYU majoring in anthropology and global public health. He is passionate about wildlife, conservation, and public health and hopes to work in health administration in the future. In his free time, he loves exploring the city, going to see Broadway musicals, and playing board games.

Isaac J. Roman
Research Assistant

Isaac is currently a Junior at Hunter College majoring in biological sciences. Previously, Isaac used to work for a cardiovascular clinic for a couple of years and hopes to continue pursuing medicine to become a cardiologist. In addition to working in patient care, Isaac has also gained further exposure with patients as he shadowed many times in several departments in the hospital. However, Isaac has always had a heart for people and their wellbeing. Isaac's hope is to give back to his community by providing exceptional care when he becomes a doctor.

Jennifer Bernal
Research Assistant

Jennifer is from Brooklyn, New York. She is currently a junior pursuing her BA in human biology with a concentration in mind, body, and health at Hunter College. Jennifer has always been passionate about medicine and aspires to attend medical school upon graduating. She is interested in improving healthcare for those of low-income communities and reducing racial disparities in healthcare. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys baking, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.

Juliana Esposito
Research Assistant

Juliana is a senior at NYU studying global public health and history while also minoring in Spanish. She is particularly interested in epidemiology, infectious diseases, and disadvantaged populations in a global or international context and hopes to work towards lessening the health gap between different groups of people. She plans to attend graduate school to further pursue her studies. In her free time she likes to stay active, travel, cook and watch movies.

Paula Szwedowski
Research Assistant

Paula is a second-year MPH nutrition student at NYU College of Global Public Health. In addition to this degree, she is taking the Didactic Program in Dietetics courses at Steinhardt, which will allow her to become a registered dietitian. She completed her BSc in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany. If she isn't studying, Paula enjoys being out in nature and enjoying time with her friends.

Tammy Yang
Research Assistant

Tammy is currently a sophomore at Hunter College, majoring in biochemistry with a minor in computer science. She loves listening to other people's stories and learning more about other cultures. Furthermore, she is interested in eliminating disparities that prevent people from living a healthy life. In the future, Tammy hopes to attend medical school and support underserved populations. In her free time, Tammy enjoys baking, fencing, and spending time with friends and family.

Xintong Gu
Research Assistant

Xintong is from China and recently moved to New York for her master’s degree. She is a second year MPH nutrition student at NYU College of Global Public Health. She studied dietetics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her undergraduate and completed her DPD. Xintong is becoming a registered dietitian after graduating from NYU. In her free time, Xintong enjoys horseback riding, studying other languages, self care, and spending time with family and friends.

Jimmy Council
Research Assistant

Jimmy is from Queens, New York. He is currently a rising senior majoring in biology and on the pre-med track at NYU. He has a strong interest in health and fitness and hopes to pursue and combine these passions with a career in the medical field. After graduation, he plans on taking a gap year to conduct research and then plans on attending medical school after that to obtain his MD. In the future, he aspires to become an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in either sports medicine or trauma surgery. During his free time, he enjoys playing sports, coaching younger children in basketball, traveling, and writing poetry.

Jinhee Chang
Research Assistant

Jinhee is originally from Seoul, South Korea. She is currently a junior at New York University on a pre-med track studying Global Public Health - Biology. Jinhee recently participated in Global Medical Brigades as a medical volunteer at a small village in Honduras and became even more passionate about serving people in underserved communities. In her free time, she likes to check out local coffee shops in different neighborhoods.

Juan Sebastian Carrero Munoz
Research Assistant

He is a student at Hunter College majoring in human biology and on the pre-med track. He is hoping to become a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine and hopefully be able to provide health care in impoverished communities. During his early twenties he ran some youth workshops at a community center and had the privilege of meeting many amazing individuals. During his time at the center he was able to see how workshops and talks were able to help individuals, which is where he realized he enjoyed providing help to the community. He is very excited to be part of the GEM study at the MOTIVATE Lab and possibly be able to help individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle. He is also excited about the study and learning how research can be implemented to create change within medicine.

Tuhina Persaud
Research Assistant

Tuhina is currently attending Hunter College, obtaining a BA in human biology with a concentration in body, mind, and health. Her interest in medicine started when she was only a child, and she has worked towards her goals since then. She has a love for helping others and hopes to become a physician assistant so she will be able to personally communicate with patients and help them. In her free time she plays with her pet parrot Sprite and reads books.