Our Team

Dr. Jerel P. Calzo (he.him) is a Professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at SDSU, School of Public Health. Dr. Calzo is a developmental psychologist and social epidemiologist with expertise in community-based participatory research and the application of longitudinal and mixed-method approaches to examine social determinants of adolescent and young adult health and health disparities, particularly among LGBTQ+ youth. Dr. Calzo’s current projects focus on three distinct yet often overlapping lines of research: (1) determinants of health disparities in adolescent and young adult disordered eating and substance use; (2) promoting health and positive social development among LGBTQ+ youth; (3) the promotion of sanitation justice (i.e., access to safe, clean, public restrooms).

Dr. Jennifer Felner (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science and the Undergraduate Program Director in the School of Public Health at SDSU. She is trained in health education, community health sciences, and social epidemiology. In her research, Dr. Felner leverages multiple methods (especially qualitative methods), critical epistemologies, and participatory research approaches to examine and intervene on the upstream determinants of health inequities among youth experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and LGBTQ+ youth. Dr. Felner’s primary research aim is to build community power to develop sustainable community health improvements that will mitigate and prevent health disparities and inequities. Prior to beginning a research and teaching career, Dr. Felner developed and implemented child maltreatment prevention programs in community-based and clinical settings.

Daniel Kellogg (he/him) is an epidemiologist and an MPH alumnus from SDSU. Daniel is an experienced public health professional with a well-rounded background in Epidemiology and Health Behavior. He hopes to advance health equity and social justice for historically underserved communities through research, education, and action.

Jacob Carson (he/him) is a 2nd Year Doctoral Student in Health Behavior. Jacob is interested in public health promotion and research through the lens of place and space, particularly in historically resilient and marginalized communities. This includes community capacity building, participatory research methodologies, and health promotion research. He aspires to be a professor and contribute to his community as much as possible.

Linda Salgin (she/her) is a 4th year Doctoral Student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health at SDSU and UC San Diego with a concentration in Health Behavior. In addition to being a Doctoral Student, Linda is a Sr. Program Manager at San Ysidro Health, the 2nd largest Federally Qualified Health Center in San Diego, and serves as the Deputy Principal Investigator for the All of Us Research Program. She has 15+ years of experience leading various service and research-oriented projects with a focus on advancing health equity among underrepresented communities. Linda’s expertise cuts across a diverse range of health topics including HIV prevention among young gay men of color, breast cancer screening and mammogram referrals among Latina women, chronic disease prevention and control among Chaldean & Middle Eastern communities, COVID-19 testing and access among Hispanic/Latino communities, and precision medicine & genomics among underrepresented in biomedical research populations. With her doctoral studies, she has specific interests in Dissemination and Implementation Science where her goal is to continue bridging the gap that exists between academic research and the sustainable implementation & dissemination of research programs among vulnerable populations.

Andy Catalan Lim (they/them) is a 1st year JDP student in Public Health on the Health Behavior track. Andy’s interests include adolescent health, sexual health promotion, and LGBTQ+ health. They have a special interest in using community-based participatory research methods. 

Alana Lopez (she/her)

Jada Blair (she/her) is a 2nd year graduate MPH student in Epidemiology. Jada wants to work with infectious diseases, and maybe one day lead her own research study.

Malaya Cilley (she/her) is a 2nd year graduate MPH student in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science. Malaya hopes to pursue a career focused on adolescent health, homelessness, or behavioral health.

Emily Miller (she/her) is a 2nd year graduate MPH student in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science. Emily is interested in community-based research as she is able to work with communities to promote health equity. Specifically, she is interested in working with housing-insecure youth. In the future, Emily intends to work in higher education. 

Hannah Reynolds (she/her) is a 2nd year graduate MPH student in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science. Hannah is passionate about working alongside community members to explore research topics pertinent to their health and well-being. She hopes to continue her education to be able to better help communities and advocate for health equity, especially for youth and queer communities.

Khushi Shah (she/her) is a 3rd year BS Public Health student. After completing her BS in Public Health, Khushi hopes to obtain a Master’s in Health Administration.

Aona Shigemori (she/her) is a 4th year BS Public Health student. Aona would like to pursue an MPH in Epidemiology after her undergraduate study. Her future career goal is to contribute to Global Health fields by conducting research, analyzing epidemiological data, and implementing strategies to improve overall population health on a global scale.

Lexie Shorter (she/her)