Newsmakers: November/December 2023

Minoli Ediriweera

Brindis appointed chair of reproductive health committee

APHA member Claire Brindis, DrPH, will chair the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s new Standing Committee on Reproductive Health, Equity and Society. Brindis, a professor of pediatrics and health policy at the University of California-San Francisco, was appointed to the position in September. The committee will work to address national economic, social and political barriers to equitable reproductive health care resources.

Holden selected as fellow

APHA member Richard Holden, PhD, MS, a professor in the Department of Health and Wellness Design at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, was elected a fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in September. Holden’s work includes research on human factors engineering, technological innovation and psychology.

Porter appointed deputy epidemiologist

APHA member Austin Porter, DrPH, MPH, was named deputy state epidemiologist of Arkansas in September. Porter, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, will be using his experience working for the Arkansas Department of Health to help provide guidance and support to the state’s epidemiology team.

Fried receives Legion of Honor Award

APHA member Linda Fried, MD, MPH, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, received the Legion of Honor Award from France’s ambassador to the U.S. in September. Fried was given the award for her work in population health, as well as her contributions to advancing working relationships between U.S., French and European government agencies and scientific organizations.

Radix to be honored at research awards

Asa Radix, MD, PhD, MPH, will be an honoree at the 2023 Treatment Action Group Research in Action Awards in October. Radix, a transgender health researcher and clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, has spent their career working on expanding LGBTQ+ research, especially around health disparities and inequity. Radix’s current research focuses on addressing HIV prevention in LGBTQ+ communities.

Lewis joins working group

Melissa Lewis, PhD, was selected to join the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s College Working Group in September. Lewis is an associate dean for research in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, where she has researched the dangers of alcohol misuse among college students.

Malin named public health director

Christina “Kiki” Malin, MPH, was appointed the new public health director of Amherst, Massachusetts, in September. Malin previously served as prevention team director and public health excellence grant administrator for Northampton’s Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Cross receives career award

Dori Cross, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, received the Early Career Achievement Award from the Academy of Management in August. Cross’ work focuses on the digital transformation of the health care field, specifically on improving health care delivery by maximizing digital information resources.

Harvard public health students selected as fellows

Ivan Hsiao and Collins Oghor, MPH students at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, were selected as Adrian Cheng Fellows in September. The fellowship allows students to come up with innovative strategies to tackle prominent social issues. Hsiao will be working to address health inequities that are commonly faced by members of the transgender and nonbinary community. Oghor will be working on digital health care management resources for people with chronic kidney disease.

Tripp receives hero award

Kamaile Tripp, a community health care worker at the University of Utah Division of Public Health, received the 2023 Health Care Hero Award in September. The University of Utah award recognizes someone who makes an exemplary impact in their respective health care field or community. Tripp has worked to address inequities in Utah by making health care resources more accessible for community members.

Kaur named interim health officer

Parveen Kaur, MD, was named the interim health officer of Pasadena, California, in September. Kaur is a physician with over 20 years of experience. She works for Pasadena’s Public Health Department Tuberculosis Chest Clinic, and also is the department’s backup health officer.

Shaikh selected as nutrition chair

Raz Shaikh, PhD, was named the chair of the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health in August. Shaikh is the department’s associate chair for research, where he specializes in studying the biochemical responses that contribute to obesity.