The Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has named 14 nurse scientists and interdisciplinary researchers across the nation as Advanced Research Training in Social Determinants of Health Fellows.
The 14 early-career and mid-career researchers gathered at the school June 2-6, 2025, for a training event to cultivate skills in integrating social determinants of health (SDOH) into their research agendas.
Faculty from the School of Nursing led the training, covering topics such as conceptualizations of SDOH, conceptual models, community-engaged research, and cutting-edge methodologies. Content focused on critical research areas including cancer, cardiovascular disease, aging and cognition, environmental toxins, and behavioral health, leveraging resources from the School of Nursing’s Center for Data Science and Office of Nursing Research.
“The program is designed to cultivate a new generation of researchers who understand the ways social determinants influence health outcomes across varied populations on individual, family and community levels,” says program director Jill Hamilton, PhD, MRPL, RN, who serves as a professor at the School of Nursing. “By exposing trainees to new methodologies and providing robust research training, we will create a cadre of experts who will lead the way in improving the nation’s health outcomes.”
The program is made possible by a R25 grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research in alignment with its strategic plan to facilitate the integration of SDOH into research. Emory University President Emerita and Charles Howard Candler Professor Claire E. Sterk, PhD, and Emory School of Nursing Associate Dean for Research Drenna Waldrop, PhD, are co-multi principal investigators on the grant.
Meet the Fellows
- Emefa Awo Adawudu, MSN, RN – A PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Adawudu’s research focuses on the intersection of psychosocial aspects of type 2 diabetes, social determinants of health, and self-management practices among Black and African Americans.
- David Chinyeaka Agor, DNP, PMHNP-BC – Agor is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. A triple-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, HIV primary care provider, and nutritional psychiatry specialist, he integrates clinical expertise with advanced analytics to address SDOH and strengthen health care access to improve outcomes for marginalized populations.
- Natalia Babenko, MPH, MS Chem, CPH – A doctoral student in aging studies at the University of South Florida, Babenko is dedicated to aging-related initiatives, serving as a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association and leading public health education efforts. Her research focuses on improving the well-being of older adults.
- Rajib Kumar Biswas, RN, MPH – Biswas is a PhD student at the Emory School of Nursing that specializes in injury prevention among patients with cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With over a decade of experience in clinical practice and research, he focuses on the role of SDOH in shaping health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
- Yanjun Dong, MSW – Dong is a PhD candidate at the University at Albany, SUNY. Her research examines health care disparities among older adults, particularly how socioeconomic, environmental, and policy factors affect access to care.
- Aisha Ellis, MSN, RN, ANP-BC – A PhD student at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Ellis investigates the relationship between SDOH, health care utilization, and outcomes in formerly incarcerated adults with mental illness.
- Taleah Frazier, BSN, RN – A PhD student at the University of North Carolina, Frazier examines multilevel factors driving stress-related cardiometabolic risk in reproductive-aged Black women, aiming to shape maternal health policy and interventions.
- John A. Fuller, BS – Fuller is a PhD student at the Emory School of Nursing whose research explores how intersectional stigma, social support, and psychosocial determinants influence health outcomes among Black LGBTQ+ people living with HIV and cancer.
- Laura Mata López, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP – Lopez is a PhD candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and psychiatric nurse practitioner. She focuses on accessible mental health and substance use care for Latino(a) immigrants in under-resourced communities.
- Andrew Lu, MSc, RN – Lu is a PhD student in Emory’s nursing-AI track who specializes in nursing informatics and data science, investigating coding bias in ECG algorithms based on SDOH.
- María José Baeza Robba, PhD, BSN – A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, Baeza Robba researches gender-based violence and help-seeking behaviors among women from various cultural backgrounds.
- Dalton Scott, MPH, RN – Scott is a PhD candidate at the University of Miami. He applies an intersectional approach to the ecodevelopmental model to prevent and mitigate the intergenerational effects of adverse childhood experiences, particularly within immigrant communities.
- Curisa Tucker, PhD, RN – A nurse scientist and former postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, Tucker’s work addresses social determinants of health that impact maternal health, including severe maternal morbidity and postpartum readmissions.
- Caitlin Webster, BSN, RN – A PhD candidate at the Emory School of Nursing, Webster studies the relationship between SDOH, the microbiome, and treatment-related toxicities in pediatric oncology patients.
About the Emory School of Nursing
As one of the nation’s top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Ranked the No. 1 master’s, No. 1 BSN, and No. 8 DNP programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the school offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and non-degree programs. It brings together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences, and access to leading health care partners to shape the future of nursing and improve health and well-being. Learn more at nursing.emory.edu.