Meet the Impact Scholars

Akpene Takyi's global work focuses on environmental epidemiology, with interests in the impact of air pollution on metabolic health and how nutrition can help ameliorate adverse outcomes in resource-poor settings. Her work at the center is focused on mitigating toxic exposures in e-waste communities in Ghana.

Baeza Robba's global work focuses on promoting help-seeking behaviors and access to healthcare for women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Her work at the center explores barriers related to help-seeking that sub-Saharan African university students experience when they encounter intimate partner violence. 

Ludwig-Borycz's global work focuses on climate change and the linkages between climate variability and nutrition. Trained as a nutritional epidemiologist, she explores the disproportionate impact of food systems on health outcomes, especially in vulnerable communities. Ludwig's work at the center is investigating how environmental and nutritional stressors during pregnancy can affect newborns and their futures in Bangladesh and Ghana.

Uttam Sharma's global work focuses on the intersection of health and education in improving the lives of people from disadvantaged groups. Sharma is a development economist with a deep interest in education and health issues. His work at the center contributes to the Chitwan Valley Family Study in Nepal. 

Heather Tucker's global work focuses on feminist ethnography and participatory research with persons with diverse sexual orientation, gender identities and expressions and sex characteristics in sub-Saharan Africa. Tucker has a strong interest in intersectional data and social equity in public health. Her work at the center is focused on feminist participatory research projects in Kenya.

Martinez-Folgar's global work focuses on chronic disease epidemiology and its intersection with urban environments in Latin America. Through the lens of multilevel and geospatial analysis, Kevin aims to identify and address healthcare access limitations and promote preventive measures through policy, especially in underserved communities.

Mentor team: David Flood, MD; Manuel Ramirez-Zea, MD, PHD; Larissa Larsen, PhD; Lindsay Kobayashi, PhD; Joe Kolars, MD

Lee joined the inaugural cohort of Impact Scholars after earning her PhD from the University of Michigan School of Nursing, where she researched the effectiveness of microfinancing programs in improving healthcare access for pregnant women. As an Impact Scholar, she worked with rural communities in Uganda to enhance healthcare governance and accountability and studied how microfinance participation affected women’s decision-making, empowerment, and health. Lee is currently a faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

As an Impact Scholar, Rego worked with colleagues to study the impact of data science on health equity and to better understand drivers of vaccine hesitancy globally, with a focus on displaced populations in Bangladesh and Kenya. Following his Impact Scholar appointment, Rego went on to join the organization Social Impact as a research manager, supporting global development organizations and programs to be more effective at improving people’s lives.

Espira was part of the inaugural cohort of Impact Scholars, where his global work centered on defining cross-disciplinary impact and creating environmental metrics for impact evaluation. After his time as an Impact Scholar, he joined Gradient Environmental and Risk Sciences Consulting in Seattle, Washington.