Past Students

Spring 2024

 
Priyanka Balamurali
 

Priyanka is a junior studying social research and public policy at NYUAD. Her interests lie in improving health equity and working to prevent non-communicable diseases. She has created public affairs strategies to tackle air pollution, advocated for children’s nutrition, and worked to design water sustainability practices for Sydney hospitals. Priyanka has joined the Urban Health lab to deepen her knowledge surrounding the built environments and work for international organisations pushing for quality healthcare.


 
Lide Echart
 

Lide Echart is a dentist and nutritionist from the Basque Country, Spain, with international training. Currently, she is enrolled in the Master of Public Health program, in the Global Health concentration at NYU. She loves traveling, a classic movie or a good book, and her interest in global health initially sparked during a pro-bono program while working in the Netherlands, which opened her eyes to the need for improved healthcare access in unprivileged communities.


Kayla Fennelly

Kayla is in her final year of an MPH in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her undergraduate degrees are in Biological Anthropology and Linguistics. Kayla has spent the last 6 years working in health advocacy, health education, and more recently in Policy & Program Evaluation research at NYU School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health. She is also involved as a program coordinator for the NYUSOM Community Service Plan. Through NYUSOM’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, Kayla does naloxone trainings for the community in a volunteer role. Her interests include urban and environmental health and programming planning and implementation. She joined the lab to learn more about creative solutions to address barriers to health equity. 
 

Anna Frye

Anna is a first year Masters in Global Public Health student and her focus is on the Sustainable Development Goals. Anna’s undergraduate degree was in Business Management and Operational Excellence and she has spent the last ten years working in hospital and health system operations in the continuous improvement and program management space. Anna is looking forward to continuing to grow in her education and ultimately, a profession in Global Public Health. Anna is particularly interested in the relationship between urban development and public health, reducing gender-based violence, and environmental public health and climate change. In her free time, Anna likes to travel, paint, run, and ride her bike.


Tania Hameed
 
Tania Hameed
 

Tania is a second-year dual MSW/MPH degree student at New York University. Hailing from Houston, Texas, Tania enjoys trying new cuisines, exploring her heritage through the visual arts, and spending quality time with her family. She is passionate about using her experiences in mirco-level social work to inform her work at a systems level. She joined the Urban Health lab in the Spring of 2022 as a way of expanding her understanding of how the built environment and urban policies impacts people’s health. 


 
Jane Kang
 

Jane Kang is a second-year MPH student with a concentration in Public Health Policy and Management. She is interested in controlling healthcare spending, promoting health equity, and drug pricing. She was a research assistant for the Opioid and Policy Safety Lab and was dedicated to removing barriers to improve public health and occupational safety practices among front-line policers, including using naloxone to reverse ODs, referring people who use drugs (PWUD) to treatment and other supportive services, and avoiding syringe confiscation.


Angeli Magdaraog

Angeli Magdaraog is a first year MPH student with a concentration in Policy and Management. She has dedicated the past few years to transforming the healthcare system through her work at the Philippine Department of Health, primarily through the development of foundational policies on Universal Health Care and COVID-19 response. She hopes to cultivate health equity, address social determinants of health, and promote environmental conservation by creating healthy, accessible blue and green spaces in urban and rural settings. Currently, she is a part of Philippine Parks and Biodiversity and spearheads the efforts to capacitate local governments in the Philippines to carve out and develop these spaces. Outside of the Lab, you can probably find her outdoors playing ultimate frisbee, going for a leisurely hike, or free diving.


 
Sarah Nemetz
 

Sarah Nemetz is a second-year graduate student at NYU pursuing a dual degree in public health and social work. She’s completed her first-year social work field placement as an intern at Brooklyn Defenders, and is currently completing her second year field placement at Morris Heights Behavioral Health Center providing outpatient therapy. She is excited to continue in her clinical, micro-level social work roles to improve the wellbeing of our communities – but she is passionate about the importance of addressing the loneliness and social isolation epidemic at the institutional and systemic levels in this work. Throughout her career, she hopes to promote the intersection of the social work and public health fields to improve the largely neglected social health of our communities particularly in urban settings. Outside of her professional interests, Sarah loves to read memoirs and historical fiction, stay active with fun fitness classes, and sing her heart out in karaoke!

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-nemetz-132b95158/ 


 
Faith Payson
 
Faith Payson is a first year MPH candidate with a concentration in Community Health Science and Practice. Faith graduated from Boston College as a Biology Major and then completed a year of volunteer service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps/AmeriCorps in Yakima, WA as a Homeless Outreach Specialist. Faith is passionate about the intersection between health and housing, maternal and child health, and health equity, especially in urban settings. Outside of the lab, you can probably find her on a hike, singing and cooking (usually at the same time), or watching a Marvel movie. 
 

 

Omary Perez

Omary is a 1st year MPH student at NYU School of Global Public Health with a concentration in Global Health. Omary’s undergraduate degree was in Biological Sciences and she was a volunteer for her university’s United Nationals International Children’s Emergency Fund
program. Her public health interests are urban health, environmental health, adverse health
effects present in her local urban community, and sustainability practices. Currently, she
enjoys advocating for sustainable projects on campus through the Student Government
Assembly Sustainability Committee at NYU. In her free time, Omary enjoys reading books,
traveling, and volunteering.


 
Varun Putta
 

Varun is a first-year Master of Public Health candidate specializing in Biostatistics at NYU. With a unique fusion of oral health insight and statistical analysis skills, Varun’s impactful research on tobacco-related behaviors underscores his commitment to advancing public health. His journey began with a volunteer internship at Union Gospel Mission in Seattle, where Varun addressed dental needs for those without homes, sparking a deep-rooted interest in accessible healthcare for all. Having worked as a Dentist and Process Improvement Analyst, Varun excelled in enhancing healthcare and patient care efficiency through innovative, data-driven methodologies. Varun’s passion lies in urban health research, delving into the intricate connection between policy and population health.


 
Avanti Shinde
 
Avanti is a Public Health Management student who worked as a dentist in India. Her interests in health equity and sustainability led her to pursue a Master’s in Public Health. She is eager to contribute to the lab with her experience in the health sector and also hopes to expand her understanding of complex urban health issues.
 

 
Jade Zan
 
Jade Zan is a third-year undergraduate student at NYU studying Psychology and Public Health. She has a strong interest in exploring educational and sustainable health initiatives. She hopes someday to promote health outcomes and societal well-being in educational settings. For the last two years, she has been dedicated to strategizing educational health content and coordinating events at an NGO to promote the health and well-being of college students. Outside of school, she enjoyed outdoor activities like dancing, skiing, and hiking.
 

 
Zhaoxi Zhang
 

Dr. Zhaoxi Zhang is an urban health strategist working as a postdoctoral associate at the Center of Urban Science + Progress, at the Tandon School of Engineering. With training in both architecture and environmental science, Zhaoxi works at the intersection of the built environment, human health, and technology. Her Ph.D. project, Urban Health Sensing, explored the relationship between urban features and human physiological responses using wearable sensors. She is passionate about applying interdisciplinary knowledge and data-driven strategies to promote a healthy urban future. Driven by a desire to address the challenges of climate change, disease and inequality, her goal is to unite collective efforts to create healthy living environments for all people.