Meet the team
Stephanie Cook, DrPH
Principal Investigator and Director
Dr. Stephanie Cook is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Biostatistics and Social and Behavioral Sciences at New York University School of Global Public Health. Dr. Cook’s overarching research focus is to understand how structural- and individual- minority stressors (i.e., violence, discrimination, and hate) contribute to mental health, physical health, and health behaviors across the lifespan and the virtual and physical worlds. Further, she seeks to understand how features of close relationships can exacerbate or buffer the negative effects of minority stress on health. Her work primarily focuses on young adults who are at the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual orientation minority status. In addition, much of her work examines the links between minority stress (i.e., daily experiences of discrimination) and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., cardiometabolic health behaviors). Dr. Cook’s substantive methodological and statistical focus is in the development and application of longitudinal study designs (i.e., daily diaries and ecological momentary assessments) for determining the ways in which dynamic features of minority stress (e.g., daily and momentary discrimination events) are associated with changes in risk behaviors and physical health (e.g., substance use and preclinical cardiovascular disease) among racial/ethnic and/or sexual minority young adults.
Erica Wood
Graduate Research Assistant
Erica P. Wood is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Social and Behavioral Sciences at New York University’s School of Global Public Health. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University. Her primary areas of research include pathways of risk in resilience in the face of intersectional minority stress among sexual and gender minorities, particularly transgender women of color. She has training in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Her overarching research goal is to improve upon our understanding of health disparities within populations of sexual and gender minorities to promote health and well-being across the life-course.
Emma Risner
Research Analyst
Emma Risner is an incoming PhD candidate in Biostatistics at Boston University for Fall 2023 and has previously earned her Master of Science in Biostatistics at New York University and Bachelors in Mathematics at the University of Florida. Her research interests include clinical trial development and research, survival analysis, and joint modeling. In particular, she is interested in the analysis of recurrent adverse events and their effect on drug safety and efficacy.
Betty Cui
Graduate Research Assistant
Betty Cui is a passionate researcher specializing in Biostatistics. She recently completed her Master of Science degree in Biostatistics from New York University. Her research interests primarily lie in longitudinal data analysis, disease risk assessment, and exploring intersectionality. For her masters thesis, she studied the effect of retirement timing on the trajectory of cognitive impairment, with a specific focus on understanding racial disparities. She is dedicated to utilizing rigorous statistical analysis to address health disparities and promote equitable health outcomes.
Maxline Delorme
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Maxline Delorme is a senior majoring in Biochemistry. She has had the opportunity to experience research at the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab for 2 years, helping with the REDUCE and GEMA studies. She has gained interest in health disparities but still holds her love for biochemistry.
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Yesenia Sosa
Undergraduate Research Intern
Yesenia is a Research and Racial Equity (RARE) Scholar in NYU’s School of Global Public Health. She is an undergraduate student studying Public Health and Psychology with a concentration in Pre-Medicine at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Yesenia is committed to helping her community by analyzing data through research, to transform prevention, detection, and treatments for diseases and cancers. Her research interests include cardiovascular disease, health disparities, preventive healthcare, and epidemiology.
Natalie Green
Graduate Research Assistant
Natalie Green is a current PhD student at New York University. She previously received her MSW from NYU's Silver School of Social Work and has experience in healthcare consulting, psychiatric social work, and economic research. Her research interests include productive aging, mental health, health disparities and examining the relationship between social factors and biomarkers.
Mariana Rodrigues
Research Associate
Mariana received her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University in May 2023. Her research interests lie on the intersection of Clinical Psychology and Public Health, with a specific focus on intersectional stigma and discrimination's adverse outcomes on minority populations' mental health in the context of violence exposure (e.g., IPV, identity-based violence). In addition, Mariana is passionate about doing research that will inform the development of culturally- and gender-sensitive interventions for those who have been exposed to violence.
Antoneta Karaj
Research Analyst
Antoneta Karaj received her Master of Science in Biostatistics at New York University in May 2023. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 2021. Her research interests include LGBTQ+ health outcomes, women’s cardiovascular health, and the effect of minority identity on health outcomes. As a queer immigrant, Antoneta is committed to driving research with ethical perspectives that consider vulnerable populations at the forefront.
Anelfi Maria
Graduate Research Assistant
Anelfi is a Master's student at the New York University School of Global Public Health with a concentration in Biostatistics. Her research interests are understanding the underlying causes of health disparities among young sexual and racial/ethnic minorities. Anelfi has gained hands-on research experience working in the Attachment and Health Disparities Lab, and obtained transferable skills - which she plans to utilize throughout my professional career.
Janice Jachero Caldas
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Janice is a first-generation college student in my last year at NYU, studying Global Public Health with a Biology concentration. Her research interests lie in the area of minority health, particularly in the Latinx community. She is particularly interested in the health and wellness of Latinx women and immigrants. In the future, Janice is interested in pursuing minority health research and also aspires to become a doctor.
Stephanie Espinoza Perez
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Stephanie is a rising sophomore at NYU Arts and Sciences, majoring in Global Public Health with a concentration in Biology. She is interested in learning more about the social determinants on health, particularly among Latino youth. In combination with an interest in healthcare, Stephanie hopes these experiences will shape her outlook on various challenges facing the world. As she is still new to research, she plans on experimenting with the resources available to gain valuable skills and a further understanding of public health.
Stephane Labossiere
Graduate Research Assistant
Stephane Labossiere, B.S, M.Sc., M.S., aspires to become a public health researcher in the areas of cardiovascular disease prevention, health disparities, mixed methods, community-participatory research, and public policy. He has completed internships and research projects with the United Nations, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and for the American Federation for Aging Research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephane conducted many webinars and provided city agency resources to 2000+constituents in New York City. He has been featured in many media outlets for his outreach work during the COVID-19 pandemic.