Abhijit Banerjee is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research focuses on development economics, public health policy, and social protection programs, particularly addressing poverty and inequality in low- and middle-income countries. He has conducted large-scale experiments evaluating interventions such as conditional cash transfers, universal basic income, and healthcare policies. Key areas of interest include the design and implementation of anti-poverty programs, behavioral economics, and the long-term health impacts of infectious diseases like COVID-19. His work often integrates experimental methods to assess policy effectiveness, with contributions to global health studies and economic development strategies. Notably, his research on the RECOVERY trial evaluates treatments for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while other studies explore financial spillover effects of electronic government transfers in Indonesia and savings behavior interventions in Chile. Banerjee has collaborated on projects analyzing post-COVID-19 health outcomes, labor market dynamics in India, and the role of trusted messengers in public health communication during crises. Despite the breadth of his contributions, specific details about his educational background, grants, or lab affiliations are not explicitly provided in the source text.
Maja J Matarić is the Chan Soon-Shiong Chaired and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering, with courtesy appointments in Neuroscience and Pediatrics. She serves as founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center, co-director of the USC Robotics Research Lab, and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. Previously, she held leadership roles as USC's interim Vice President of Research (2020-2021) and Vice Dean for Research (2006-2019). Her educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from MIT (1994) MS in Computer Science from MIT (1990) BS in Computer Science from University of Kansas (1987) Matarić pioneers Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) , a field her lab named, focusing on human-robot interaction that provides assistance through social rather than physical support. Her research targets critical health and wellness challenges including post-stroke rehabilitation, autism spectrum disorder therapy, cognitive exercises for Alzheimer's patients, ADHD academic support, and mental health interventions. She develops systems modeling user engagement, personality, and motivation, with extensive real-world deployments in schools, rehabilitation centers, and homes. Analysis of her recent publications reveals dominant themes in cognitive health robotics (2025 CHI paper on LLM-powered elder care), pediatric assistive technology (2025 IDC speech therapy review), and adaptive preference modeling (2025 HRI contrastive learning work). Her research consistently bridges machine learning with human-centered design for vulnerable populations. Major scientific recognition includes: ACM Athena Lecturer Award (2024) ACM Eugene L. Lawler Humanitarian Award (2024) ACM Fellow (2020) Presidential Mentoring Award (2011) Multiple society fellowships (AAAS, IEEE, AAAI) As a dedicated mentor, Matarić has championed underrepresented groups through CRA-W, placing numerous women in faculty positions. She leads USC Viterbi's K-12 STEM Outreach Program serving low-income Los Angeles schools and authored The Robotics Prime for student education. Her research has secured significant funding enabling real-world technology transfer, with documented impact in rehabilitation centers and homes through deployable SAR systems. Her Robotics Research Lab at USC drives innovation in embodied AI, with current projects spanning LLM-integrated elder care robots, ADHD academic companions, and autism therapy systems. The lab emphasizes co-design with end-users and rigorous real-world validation across diverse populations.
Emily Hannum is a Professor of Sociology and Education at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts & Sciences, where she also serves as Associate Dean for Social Sciences. She is affiliated with the Population Studies Center, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Graduate School of Education, and Penn Development Research Initiative. Education: PhD in Sociology from University of Michigan (1998) Research Focus: Poverty and child welfare, gender and ethnic stratification, sociology of education Projects: Gansu Survey of Children and Families, climate-environment-childhood inequalities in LMICs Workshops: Co-organizer of Penn Education and Inequality Workshop Her research explores childhood poverty in China, demographic impacts on education systems, and climate risks affecting children's welfare. She investigates environmental hazards, educational disparities, and family separation effects across China, India, and low/middle-income countries. Recent publications analyze educational expansion in East Asia, climate crisis impacts on child health, and gender disparities in Latin America. She directs longitudinal studies on rural poverty and collaborates on cross-national projects related to environmental and educational equity. Scientific awards include the Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professorship in Social Sciences.
Dr Peninah Murage is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the Department of Public Health, Environments and Society under the Faculty of Public Health and Policy. She specializes in environmental epidemiology with a PhD in Health Geography and focuses on health impacts of environmental changes, particularly climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Affiliation: Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health Her research explores climate change effects on health outcomes like heat-related mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and cognitive development in children. She integrates GIS/spatial analysis with public health and policy frameworks to identify nature-based solutions for sustainable development. Current work examines systemic inequalities in heat risk exposure and interventions such as tree-based strategies in low-income settings. Key grants include: Health Protection Research Unit on Climate Change and Health Security (2025-2030, NIHR) Climate Change and Non-Communicable Diseases in Senegal (2024-2027) Pathfinder 2: Accelerating Climate Action for Health (2023-2026) She actively contributes to the Lancet Pathfinder Commission and serves on the Executive Committee of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (African Chapter).
Claire Célérier is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Household Finance. Her academic career spans prestigious institutions including the University of Toronto (where she advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor between 2016-2022) and the University of Zurich (2014-2016). She maintains an affiliation with the People's History Lab and actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization including 'Race, Equity and Public Policy' (2023) and 'Banks, States and the People' (2024). Dr. Célérier's research explores how finance can benefit households through multiple lenses including behavioral economics, asset pricing, and financial history. Her work investigates innovation in finance, diversity and inclusion impacts, and historical perspectives on financial systems. She has developed significant expertise in household finance, banking, and the intersection of finance with social issues, particularly racial disparities in financial markets as demonstrated in her award-winning research on the Freedman's Savings Bank. Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on security design and investor behavior toward increasingly socially relevant research on financial inclusion, racial equity, and household financial decision-making. Recent publications demonstrate her growing focus on historical contexts of financial systems and their contemporary implications, particularly regarding marginalized communities. Canada Research Chair in Household Finance (2024) Bank of Canada Governor's Award (2022) University of Toronto Top 5% Merit Award (2021) Petro Canada Young Innovators Award Program (2021) Multiple Rotman School of Management Teaching Awards (2019-2021) Ieke van den Burg Prize for Research on Systemic Risk (2015) Dr. Célérier has successfully secured substantial research funding including Insight Development Grants (CAD 54,500), Connaught Research Grant (CAD 10,000), and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation Grant (EUR 400,000). She mentors several PhD students including Andrada Bilan (2020), Alexey Vasilenko (2023), and Purnoor Tak (Expected 2026), and has supervised numerous master's theses at both University of Toronto and University of Zurich. Her service contributions include Rotman School of Management MBA program committee, executive committee, seminar coordination, and faculty recruiting committee.
Zaw Myo TUN is a Research Fellow (Adjunct) at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, and serves as Senior Manager (Research and Evaluation) at IRD Global Singapore. His academic career includes roles such as Postdoctoral Fellow (2022) and Research Associate (2013–2021) at the same school. He holds a PhD from NUS (2016–2021), an MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (2011–2012), and an MBBS from the University of Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar (2003–2008). His research focuses on epidemiology, global health, tuberculosis vaccines, and public health policy. Key interests include maternal vaccination coverage in low-resource settings, hospital-acquired infections (e.g., MRSA), antibiotic resistance, and the ethical implications of pandemic control measures. He has contributed to studies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics, road traffic injury patterns in Bhutan, and malaria drug policy compliance in India. His publications analyze public perceptions of health policies, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explore factors influencing healthcare behaviors in diverse populations. His work bridges clinical data (e.g., electronic medical records) and population-level health surveillance to inform evidence-based interventions. While no awards are explicitly mentioned, his research has addressed critical global health challenges like tuberculosis control in Myanmar and antimicrobial stewardship in Singapore primary care settings. Zaw Myo TUN’s career emphasizes translational research, linking academic findings to real-world health system improvements. His roles span academia and non-profit sectors, reflecting a commitment to addressing public health disparities through collaborative, policy-driven solutions.
Nancy M. Wells is a Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. Her work bridges environmental psychology and public health, examining how built and natural environments impact human health and behavior across the lifespan. Dr. Wells received a joint PhD in Psychology and Architecture from the University of Michigan and completed National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) post-doctoral training at the University of California, Irvine. Her educational background uniquely positions her to investigate the intersection of physical environments and human wellbeing through both psychological and architectural lenses. Her research focuses on how environmental contexts—from homes to neighborhoods to schools—affect health outcomes, cognitive functioning, and resilience. A central theme examines nature's role in human resilience, particularly how natural environments buffer against adversity and challenge. She has conducted influential work on school gardens and their effects on children's physical activity, dietary habits, and learning. More recently, she has pioneered research on nature and autism, conducting a randomized controlled trial examining natural environments' effects on autistic youth wellbeing. Analysis of Dr. Wells' recent publications reveals consistent focus on nature's health benefits, with strong emphasis on experimental methodologies including randomized controlled trials and natural experiments. Her work spans environmental psychology, public health, and education, with particular attention to vulnerable populations including low-income communities and children of color. NSF Funding for environmental health research USDA Funding for school garden studies Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funding MacArthur Foundation Funding Senior Associate Editor of Environment and Behavior (4 years) Research Advisory Board of Children and Nature Network Board of Directors for reDirect Dr. Wells actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students through the Wells Lab, involving them in all research stages from data collection to publication. Her research has been supported by multiple significant grants examining housing quality effects on mental health, neighborhood design impacts on physical activity, and school garden interventions. She leads interdisciplinary research teams that integrate perspectives from environmental psychology, public health, landscape architecture, and education. The Wells Lab operates as an integrated research-teaching-outreach unit that develops practical yet rigorous studies to assess causal relations between environment and health, creates valid measurement tools, and identifies causal pathways. Current projects include examining nature's effects on autistic youth wellbeing in partnership with The Center for Discovery in New York, and investigating multi-sensory design in urban public spaces.
Nicholas J. Klein is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. His research focuses on transportation equity, urban mobility, and marginalized communities' travel behaviors. Klein holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University, an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. from Cornell University. He has taught at Columbia University, Temple University, and Pratt Institute. His work emphasizes how socioeconomic factors and life events influence transportation choices, particularly among low-income populations. Key research areas include car ownership dynamics, location affordability, and the intersection of transportation policy with social justice. Klein has led projects funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Cornell's Institute for the Social Sciences, exploring car donation programs' impacts on disadvantaged families. Grants: Principal investigator for studies on car donation programs (2018–2020) and immigrant access to public transit (2010–2013). Awards: Journal of Planning Education and Research Top Reviewer Award (2018). Teaching: Courses include quantitative methods for public policy analysis. His publications address topics such as transportation affordability, generational car ownership trends, and the role of life experiences in shaping travel behavior. Klein frequently presents at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting and contributes to high-impact journals like Transport Policy and Journal of Transport and Land Use .
Jae Eun Chung is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Howard University's School of Communications. Her research focuses on new media technologies, their psychosocial impacts, and health communication, with a particular emphasis on community engagement and digital discourse. Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California M.A. in Telecommunications from Indiana University at Bloomington Dr. Chung's work explores the intersection of social media and health, analyzing how digital platforms influence public health perceptions, patient-doctor interactions, and health equity. She has published extensively in journals like Journal of Communication , Computers in Human Behavior , and Health Communication , often employing community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address disparities in asthma care, maternal health, and HPV-associated cancer awareness. Recent publications highlight trends in leveraging social media for health interventions, examining misinformation dynamics during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and analyzing digital ecosystems. Her methodological approaches include network analysis, narrative studies, and assessments of digital engagement metrics. Howard University RCMI Grant: Enhancing recruitment of African-Americans and Hispanics in health research NSF HDR Grant: Collaborative research on data analytics for community enrichment PACRI Grant: Improving health outcomes for asthmatic children in public housing Bezos Earth Fund: Indoor environmental quality disparities in underserved communities Dr. Chung collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, including public health experts and data scientists, to advance health communication strategies. She has mentored students and researchers in projects analyzing social media's role in health promotion, digital privacy, and community-academic partnerships.
David H. Sherman is the Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the College of Pharmacy (Department of Medicinal Chemistry), Medical School (Microbiology & Immunology), and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (Chemistry). He leads the Sherman Lab at the Life Sciences Institute and co-founded the Natural Products Discovery Core. His research focuses on natural product discovery, biosynthetic pathways, and drug development for infectious diseases, cancer, and neurological disorders. Education: PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Columbia University (1981), BA in Chemistry from UC Santa Cruz (1978). Postdoctoral research at MIT (1984). Research interests include microbial secondary metabolites, enzymatic catalysis (e.g., C-H functionalization, polyketide assembly), and high-throughput drug screening. He pioneered a microbial natural product library with over 50,000 samples. Current projects emphasize developing macrolide antibiotics and advancing compounds toward clinical trials through the Natural Products Biosciences Initiative. Collaborations span global institutions, with a focus on biodiversity conservation and capacity-building in low-income nations. He has mentored 67 PhD students, 60 postdocs, and 85+ undergraduates, fostering interdisciplinary training in chemical biology and microbial biochemistry. Labs/Teams: Sherman Lab (Life Sciences Institute), Center Member at Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Rogel Cancer Center.
Stephen Billings is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, where he holds the Global Real Estate Capital Markets Chair position. He serves as the faculty director of the MS in Real Estate program and research director for the CU Real Estate Center. His work spans multiple research centers including the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making and the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate. Billings received his PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado, a MS in urban planning from the University of North Carolina, and a BS in economics from Georgetown University. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2016, he was faculty at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with appointments in both economics and public policy, where he also served as faculty director for the real estate center. His research focuses on the intersection of housing, schools, neighborhoods and crime, addressing critical policy issues including the impact of public investment in light-rail transit on neighborhoods, school segregation's influence on academic achievement and crime, neighborhood gentrification causes, lead-based paint in low-income housing, and the effects of sea level rise and natural disasters on neighborhood sorting and household finances. Billings employs sophisticated analysis of large micro-datasets with studies based on data and policies in Charlotte, NC and Denver, CO. His work connects urban economics with public policy, demonstrating how neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes across multiple dimensions. Billings' recent publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on neighborhood effects, school choice impacts, crime economics, and housing market dynamics. His work frequently examines the intersection of race, housing, and economic outcomes, with particular attention to policy implications. He has developed innovative methodological approaches to studying residential amenities and neighborhood spillovers, with increasing attention to climate change impacts on housing markets. His research appears in top journals including The Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review: Insights, and Journal of Urban Economics. As an educator, Billings teaches undergraduate and masters classes in real estate finance and economics, as well as doctoral and masters level courses on cost-benefit analysis and statistical methods. He has extensive consulting experience conducting economic impact studies, including assessments of North Carolina's public higher education system, affordable housing needs in Colorado communities, and the economic effects of marijuana legalization on property markets. His practical policy work complements his academic research, creating a bridge between theoretical insights and real-world applications. Billings leads significant research initiatives through the CU Real Estate Center, where he directs studies examining the impact of business improvement districts and other urban development policies. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, making substantial contributions to our understanding of how housing, education, and neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes and community development. His December 2023 memo on the HUD Officer Next Door Program exemplifies his engagement with current housing policy issues.
Susan Bradley is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research at City St George's, University of London . Her work focuses on equitable access to maternity care in low-income contexts, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, using interdisciplinary approaches integrating postcolonial theory and organizational studies. Education: PhD in Health Services Research (2018), City, University of London MSc in Global Health (2007), Trinity College Dublin PGCE in Secondary Science (University of Reading) BSc (Hons) in Biology (University of Sussex) Professional Experience: Research Fellow at City St George's (2018–present) Researcher at Trinity College Dublin (2007–2014) Researcher/writer at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (2010) Her research examines power dynamics, organizational culture, and community-based care models in maternal health. She has extensive fieldwork experience in Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique, specializing in qualitative data analysis and capacity-building initiatives. Recent publications focus on group antenatal care, respectful maternity practices, and health workforce dynamics in low-resource settings. Key findings from her work include: Community-making in group care enhances health literacy and belonging Socio-spatial dynamics influencing maternal care access Structural barriers affecting midwives' ability to provide quality care
Dr. Jeremy Guest is the Levenick Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering (and courtesy appointment in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He serves as Associate Director for Research at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) and leads the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI). His research focuses on advancing circular bioeconomies through sustainable sanitation systems, resource recovery from wastewater, and biofuel/bioproduct development from lignocellulosic biomass. Guest's work emphasizes Quantitative Sustainable Design (QSD) methodologies to bridge engineering innovation with policy and investment decisions. Education: PhD in Environmental Engineering (University of Michigan, 2012); MS (Virginia Tech, 2007); BS (Bucknell University, 2005). Research interests include wastewater treatment innovation, nutrient recovery, bioenergy systems design, and sustainable agriculture practices. Key contributions include the EcoRecover phosphorus recovery process, the QSDsan modeling platform, and leadership in CABBI's $262.5M DOE-funded initiative. Guest has secured funding from NSF, US EPA, USDA, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Recognitions include the NSF CAREER Award, 2021 James J. Morgan Early Career Award, and the Paul L. Busch Award. He advises over 15 graduate students and leads multiple high-impact projects like the NEWgenerator sanitation system and oilcane biorefinery integration. Lab/Group: Guest Research Group focuses on experimental, computational, and policy-oriented research to solve global sustainability challenges. Current projects address algae-based wastewater treatment, fecal sludge management in low-income regions, and precision fermentation systems development.
Daniel Rodríguez is Chancellor’s Professor of City & Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and Director of the Institute for Transportation Studies. His research examines transportation-land development interactions and their environmental/health consequences, with focus on climate adaptation strategies, equity in urban mobility, and health impacts in Latin American cities. Current projects analyze behavioral responses to extreme heat, green space benefits, and low-emission zones. Education: PhD, University of Michigan (2000) MS, Transportation, MIT (1996) BS, Business Administration, Fordham University (1994) Rodríguez employs interdisciplinary approaches to study how physical urban attributes influence behavior and health. His work integrates transportation policy, environmental planning, and health geography, emphasizing low-income communities. Research utilizes geospatial analysis, epidemiological methods, and behavioral modeling to inform urban sustainability. Publications focus on transportation equity (45%), urban health (35%), and climate adaptation (20%), with strong emphasis on Latin America. Recent articles demonstrate innovative spatial analysis techniques including computer vision and multi-city ecological studies. Awards: Best Paper, Risk Analysis (2015) Excellence in Safety Research Award, RWJF/CDC (2015) Fred Burggraf Award, TRB (2000) Advises doctoral students and teaches sustainable mobility, transportation policy, and active transportation planning. Leads research teams on SALURBAL project analyzing urban health determinants across 11 countries. Future work focuses on climate-resilient infrastructure financing and mega-city mobility transitions.
Ashli Owen-Smith is a behavioral scientist affiliated with the School of Public Health at Georgia State University , where her research focuses on mental health disparities, suicide prevention, and integrative/complementary approaches for complex mental-physical health conditions. She works with underserved populations including refugees/immigrants, incarcerated individuals, and LGBTQ+ communities through community-based participatory research and mixed-methods frameworks. Her current projects are funded by CDC , DBHDD , and DPH . Education: Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences (Emory, 2009), S.M. in Public Health (Harvard, 2005), B.A. in Psychology (Smith College, 2001) Her research spans mental health , trauma , suicide prevention , and mindfulness-based interventions . Recent work examines telehealth adaptations for chronic pain and mental health, vaccine hesitancy in refugee communities, and social determinants of suicide . She leads studies on gender-affirming care and health disparities in LGBTQ+ populations. Key article trends include epidemiological analysis of suicide risk factors, COVID-19 impacts on mental health, ICD-10 coding for autism, and complementary medicine in trauma recovery. Subfields span telehealth , health equity , mental-physical comorbidity , and community engagement . Students she has mentored include C.A. Scarlett , T. Griner , and M.M. Sesay . Her work integrates public health policy , clinical research , and health systems analysis .
