Yale Network for Global Non-Communicable Diseases

Dr. Hsieh’s research integrates biomedical and behavioral methods to improve outcomes for rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease in countries in economic transition. This body of work includes mechanisms, epidemiology, and prevention strategies for osteoporosis, fractures and sarcopenia among individuals aging with HIV in China and Peru. In addition to serving as Network Lead for NGN, she chairs the Global Engagement Committee of the American College of Rheumatology and is Program Director of the Yale-CMB Global Health Leadership Development Program.

Sumaiya serves as NGN Research Fellow, where she plays a vital role in collaborating with the core NGN team to ensure the efficient coordination of faculty network activities and provides valuable support for ongoing research projects.

Dr. Achhra’s research interests are in epidemiological studies in HIV/AIDS. Some of his notable work has focused on the impact of BMI and weight gain from antiretroviral therapy on diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes, dual-drug therapies for HIV/AIDS, inflammatory markers and clinical outcomes in HIV, and implementation research on improving HIV treatment outcomes in Asia-Pacific, amongst others.

Dr. Beasley is a cardiologist specializing in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. He completed his medical training in 2020 and has since become known for his medical education efforts and compassionate patient care. He concentrates on improving outcomes for patients with advanced heart failure and fostering palliative care approaches suited to this demographic. Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Beasley is committed to educating future physicians, mainly assisting medical students in honing essential clinical skills. Dr. Beasley co-hosts the Heart Failure Society of America's monthly podcast, "Heart Failure Beat," where he interviews prominent experts and addresses key issues in managing heart failure patients. Additionally, he organizes a virtual lecture series aimed at Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellows and others who support this unique patient group. Before beginning his medical career, Dr. Beasley volunteered with the Peace Corps, where he taught science and math in Tanzania. He has also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Medical Corps, using his medical expertise to serve his country.

Dr. Bilsborrow completed his MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 2016. Dr. Bilsborrow then joined the section of Yale Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology for his fellowship training in 2016 and is currently doing research with Dr. Richard Bucala. His current research involves the isolation and characterization of the memory T cell subsets involved in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. He is also interested in global health and rheumatology education and expansion in developing countries in particular.

Dr. Diego M. Cabrera finished medical school at Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru. After graduation, he was awarded by a NIH Fogarty International Center/NIAMS Global Health fellowship to conduct research focused on the musculoskeletal outcomes of Peruvian women aging with HIV, including osteoporosis, sarcopenia and fractures. After his Global Health fellowship, he joined the Yale Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology as a post-doctoral fellow and associate with studies related to the musculoskeletal outcomes after COVID-related hospitalization in elderly population among the Yale-New Haven Health System. He later finished Internal Medicine Residency at the Yale-Waterbury Internal Medicine Residency Program and recently joined the Yale Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology as a Rheumatology Fellow. He is interested in the intersection of Rheumatic and Infectious Diseases and Global Health.

Drew Cameron is an Assistant Professor of Public Health (Health Policy) in the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Center for Methods in Implementation and Prevention Science (CMIPS) at the Yale School of Public Health. He is a health economist whose research focuses on the evaluation of health and development programs in resource-poor and low- and middle-income country settings. In these settings, he studies the role of targeted subsidies to increase the future demand for goods associated with health benefits, the use of 'nudges' to improve health seeking behavior, and costing and cost-effectiveness analytic methods that address demand- and supply-side constraints. His work has typically focused on child growth and early childhood development, water sanitation and hygiene, HIV/AIDS, health in carceral settings, rural development and the quality of primary care. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Puget Sound, an MA in International Development from the American University School of International Service and a PhD in Health Policy from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

Dr. Chang is an Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine with clinical expertise in cardiology and echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound), and research interests in environmental health. His clinical activities include general cardiology, cardiac imaging, and the use of echocardiography for minimally-invasive structural heart procedures. His investigative work focuses on understanding how environmental factors and climate change impact heart health, and how we may leverage digital data sources to detect such harms while exploring risk mitigation strategies for their effects. He completed his undergraduate training at Yale University, then attended Stanford for medical school and internal medicine residency, where he served as Chief Resident. He undertook graduate research training with a Masters degree in Epidemiology there, which he extended to a PhD in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Stanford, then pursued an advanced fellowship in echocardiography at the University of California San Francisco.

Dr. Chekijian’s research interests lie in global emergency medicine and include emergency care systems development in LMICs, unintentional injury prevention in LMICs, as well as stroke and cardiac care in LMICs. Dr. Chekijian has led and participated in projects in the Republic of Armenia, Uganda, and Iraq. She has consulted for the World Bank and the US Department of State and USAID. She is active member of the Stroke Initiative Advisory Task-Force for Armenia and was recently inducted into the Armenian Stroke Council.

Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering in 2016 from Nanjing University in China. During 2014-2015, he served as a Visiting Scholar at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to joining the Yale School of Public Health faculty in July 2019, he was an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoc Fellow at Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Center for Environmental Health.Dr. Chen’s research focuses on the intersection of climate change, air pollution, and human health. His work involves applying multidisciplinary approaches in climate and air pollution sciences, exposure assessment, and environmental epidemiology to investigate how climate change may impact human health. Much of this work has been done in China, Europe, and the U.S.

My academic interests pertain to applying new technologies to improve the care of acutely ill and injured children, both here in New Haven and across the globe.  To that end I have taught trainees from Africa and Asia, often with a portable ultrasound in-tow.

Dr. Desai’s work is in the application of epidemiologic methods to clinical and health services research. Most of his research effort is devoted to mentored, team-science projects in which he is leading or substantially contributing to the analytic and methodological aspects of the work. The overarching goal of his work – across various content areas – is to improve health equity in access, quality, and outcomes of care in a broad range of populations and settings.

Dr. Feder is an Associate Professor at the Yale School of Nursing and Co-Directs the Yale National Clinician Scholars Program. She received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Florida State University and her Masters and Doctoral degree in Nursing from the Yale University School of Nursing. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale University in 2019. Dr. Feder started her nurse practitioner career in 2010 working with a hospitalist service. She has been practicing as a palliative care nurse practitioner since 2013. She is an Advanced Certified Palliative and Hospice Nurse. Dr. Feder joined the Yale School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in 2019.

Dr. Hagaman is a qualitative methodologist who examines the complex collection of factors that influence depression and suicide in varying cultural contexts, particularly among vulnerable populations. She collaborates with several interdisciplinary teams around the world to develop and test innovative strategies to alleviate depression and enhance maternal health systems, with field sites in Nepal, Pakistan, and Ethiopia. She also contributes to the development of innovative qualitative and mixed methods to improve the study of evidence-based practices.

Dr. Harpaz-Rotem is a Professor of Psychiatry and of Psychology at Yale University. He is a clinical psychologist who, for many years, has conducted research and provided treatment to individuals exposed to trauma. Dr. Harpaz-Rotem serves as an investigator at the National Center for PTSD, and he also directs the evaluation of VA PTSD treatment programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Northeast Program Evaluation Center, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, VA Central Office. Research into how to modify traumatic memories and their associated emotions is one of the core questions that guide his work.

Dr. Hawley's expertise is in the impact of non-communicable disease (particularly obesity, and hypertension) on maternal and child health. Her research focuses predominantly on Pacific Islander populations, although she has ongoing collaborations in South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Mexico, and the US. Methodologically, Dr. Hawley employs a life-course approach that utilizes cross-sectional, cohort, and randomized controlled trial designs to address questions of causality and identify critical periods of susceptibility.

Dr. Malca Hernandez spent his fellowship year at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) in Lima under the mentorship of Patricia Garcia, PhD, MPH, MD and Evelyn Hsieh, PhD, MPH, MD. His research focused on exploring the interrelationships of aging expectations and quality of life, depression, stigma, and musculoskeletal health among middle-aged and older patients with HTV in Peru. Dr. Malca Hernandez received his medical degree from UPCH. He is a budding researcher whose career goal is to contribute to developing public health policies to reduce the impact of infectious and tropical diseases in Peru, South America, and globally. Also, he is interested in pursuing a Master of Global Health and maintaining the relationships formed at the NTH orientation and Yale in order to plan for future research collaborations.

Dr. Chul S. Hyun earned his B.S. from Johns Hopkins University and M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at Georgetown University Medical Center, followed by a Gastroenterology and Liver Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Additionally, he holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and an MPH from Columbia University. Dr. Hyun furthered his academic journey with a postdoctoral fellowship in Physiology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine. Board-certified in Gastroenterology, Dr. Hyun served as a faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Weill Cornell Medical College from 1996 to 2018. He has held numerous leadership roles, including Board Member of the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners (2017–2018), President of the Korean American Medical Association (2011–2013), and Founding President of the World Korean Medical Organization (2012–2015). Currently, Dr. Hyun is the publisher of NexBioHealth, a quarterly magazine dedicated to mentoring and fostering the next generation of medical students and young physicians worldwide. He has established several nonprofit health organizations, such as the Center for Viral Hepatitis (CVH) and the Stomach Cancer Task Force (SCTF). Additionally, he is an accomplished author whose work addresses community health and health disparities. As the inaugural director of the Gastric Cancer Prevention and Screening Program at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Hyun leverages decades of clinical expertise in gastric and gastrointestinal care. His mission is to advance the prevention, early detection, and management of gastric cancer, with a focus on reducing health disparities associated with the disease in the United States. A passionate marathon runner, Dr. Hyun has completed 120 marathons around the world. In his recently published memoir, I Just Came to See You, he writes, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” This poignant book chronicles his extraordinary journey from childhood in South Korea to a life of global achievements. It offers readers a compelling narrative about resilience, culture, and identity while inspiring them to pursue their dreams regardless of the challenges they face.

Avinash Ketwaroo, MD MSc, Director of Endoscopy at the West Haven VA, is an advanced endoscopist who specializes in Barrett's esophagus and pancreatic disorders. His current research focuses on ergonomics and quality of endoscopy. Originally from the Caribbean, he leads Global Health missions to enhance access to quality digestive care in this region.

Dr. Khoshnood is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Yale School of Public Health and executive committee member at Yale Council on Middle East Studies. He is the Founder of the Humanitarian Research Lab. Dr. Khoshnood is trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist and has more than three decades of domestic and international experience in HIV prevention research among people who use drugs and other at-risk populations. Dr. Khoshnood's research interests include: 1) epidemiology and prevention of HIV/AIDS, 2) research ethics and 3) humanitarian health.