The Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR) is dedicated to working with our partners to collect, analyze, and use data and information for health system and population health improvement. Our team of evaluators, researchers, statisticians, and health information specialists can design a project from start to finish, or contribute specific roles. We have expertise in grant writing, evaluation design, survey research, focus groups, using large administrative data sets, geographic information systems, data visualization, analysis, and provision of technical assistance. Our work is interdisciplinary and intersectoral – grounded in the understanding that health and well-being are products of interacting social systems, community collaboration, policy, economics, relationships, and behavior.
Chris Wojcik, MPH
Associate Director
Mr. Wojcik has over 20 years of experience in designing and conducting community research and evaluation projects, and is well-versed in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. He currently serves as the evaluator for the Detroit Pediatric Asthma Demonstration Project and contributed to the development of the Asthma Demonstration Workbook. Mr. Wojcik received a Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health and Epidemiology from the University of Michigan.
Beenish Kamran, MPH, CHES
Research Associate
Beenish Kamran is a Research Associate based in Jackson, Mississippi supporting research, evaluation, and learning at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR). She brings with her a background in public and community health, passion for collaborative and community-driven systems change, experience in project coordination, and a special interest in food sovereignty. Currently, her work centers around understanding and translating community-driven multi-sector data sharing efforts through qualitative methods and storytelling with a health equity lens. Beenish received her bachelor’s in public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Master’s in Community & Behavioral Health at East Tennessee State University. She believes in the power of relationships and communities rooted in deep understanding of historical context and cultural values. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, playing strategy games, and spending time outdoors on a hike or in her garden.
Brianna Foley, MA
Research Assistant
Brianna Foley is a research assistant at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. She has experience in topics such as behavioral health, social inequalities, and policymaking and evaluation. She earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science in 2020 and a Master’s in Public Policy in 2021, both from Michigan State University. In her free time, Brianna enjoys spending time with her loved ones, taking care of her dog, and reading.
Cheribeth Tan-Schriner, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Cheribeth Tan-Schriner, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. She has over 25 years of experience in designing and conducting community research and evaluation projects, and is well-versed in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. She has been with MPHI since 1999 where she has honed her skills in managing and analyzing large secondary databases, including Medicare and Medicaid claims data, for health care research. She also has had a wide range of experience working with diverse populations in a multitude of settings both here and abroad – from marginalized communities in economically depressed areas, refugees in camps and processing centers, parents and school staff in far-flung small towns, immigrants with limited English proficiency in urban areas in USA, to clients and providers/policy-makers in healthcare facilities, academic institutions, and government settings.
She received her Ph.D. in Ecological-Community Psychology from Michigan State University with a cognate in International Development.
Issidoros Sarinopoulos, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Issidoros (Sid) Sarinopoulos is a Senior Research Scientist in the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR). His research and evaluation experience spans brain sciences to public health sciences and focuses on generating data-driven insights to promote a positive construct of health in clinical, public health, and human services settings. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, with his work receiving over 4700 Google Scholar citations. His work has also been featured in media outlets such as ABC News Online and Freakonomics Radio. Dr. Sarinopoulos earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a B.S. from the University of East London.
Juhee Prakash, MA, MPH
Project Coordinator
Juhee Prakash is a Project Coordinator working for the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. Her current work involves project coordination activities and research for various projects. Juhee earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Nutrition and Food Science, a Master of Arts degree in Nutrition and Food Science, and a Master of Public Health degree from Wayne State University. She has a background in maternal and early childhood nutrition, nutrition counseling, and food insecurity. In her free time, Juhee enjoys watching movies, cooking, and spending time with friends and family
Karie Morgan, PhD
Research Scientist
Karie Morgan is a Research Scientist in the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR). At MPHI, she has supported a number of equity and social justice-oriented research and evaluation projects, and she has strong expertise in qualitative and participatory research methods. Previously, she enjoyed many years of work in evaluating global health interventions, especially HIV prevention and care for underserved communities and vulnerable populations in southern Africa. Her prior work also largely focused on understanding the historical processes that have created and continue to produce lived inequalities and oppression today as well as the practice of restorative justice. Dr. Morgan earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Environmental Policy and Behavior from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Katie Larder, MA
Research Associate
Katie Larder is a Research Associate at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. Katie is an passionate researcher, who strives to improve health equity through data collection, analysis, and evaluation. Katie has a passion for improving processes for collecting data on local and state health disparities, with a focus on mental health and youth development. She also has a passion for using data visualization software such as PowerBI, to present data that is meaningful and practical. Katie earned her Master’s degree of Applied Research in Sociology at Eastern Michigan University. She spent six years working in program evaluation, data reporting systems, analysis, and reporting at local non-profit agencies in Southeast Michigan. Katie has additional expertise in training program staff to input and interpret data, as well as distributing progress reports to stakeholders. She also has knowledge and skills in curating data for long-term use using scripting and a variety of statistical software packages including SPSS, R, SAS, and Stata.
Melissa Moorehead, BA
Project Manager
Melissa Moorehead is a project manager in the Center for Data Management and Translation Research, a proven leader in complex organizations, both in-person and virtually. She finds ways to collaborate and learn from others for collective impact on individual wellness and systems change. She is passionate about causes where nonprofit organizations can make an impact, including the environment, health, and social justice. With over 15 years of experience in program and evaluation management, policy analysis and strategy, and program and project management, she delights in developing diverse teams which work together to develop a data-driven approach to doing good, well. Subject matter expertise includes the Affordable Care Act, particularly Medicaid innovations, health information technology and exchange, and evaluation of prevention interventions and social services care management.
Michelle Fejedelem, MSN, RN-BC
Nurse Informaticist and HIT Project Manager
Michelle Fejedelem is a Nurse Informaticist and HIT Project Manager. She was a specialist with M-CEITA, Michigan’s Regional Extension Center from 2011-2021. During that time, she assisted hundreds of providers to secure funding through the EHR Incentive programs. She is Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Before M-CEITA, Michelle was a Public Health Nurse at a local health department in Michigan, with experience in Family Planning, Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR), and Community Health Nursing. Michelle was able to utilize her combined experience to be instrumental in training Community Health Workers and building a data collection system for the Michigan Pathways to Better Health project.
Shaohui Zhai, PhD
Statistician
Dr. Zhai has been a statistician at MPHI for more than 10 years. She has worked and consulted on projects across several programs at MPHI, as well as on projects outside MPHI. Her expertise includes healthcare cost, utilization, and quality analysis using mixed models; comparison groups selection and balancing; probabilistic matching; sampling design and extrapolation; survey development and validation; database development and validation; measuring and reporting health equity; GIS mapping. Shaohui Zhai received her Ph.D. in Statistics and Mathematics from Northeastern University in Boston in 2000.
Sonal Subhash Mandale, MBBS
Research Associate
Sonal Subhash Mandale, currently working as a Research Associate at CDMTR in Michigan Public Health Institute. I am working on Environmental Scan Project, Brain Injury Association of America Literature Review and Youth Tobacco Survey. My work comprises of applying research and evaluation frameworks within community-based settings to conduct studies from start to finish, including design, qualitative and quantitative methodology, data collection and analysis, and reporting. I also prepare project-related technical reports, presentations, and manuscript.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Medicine (MBBS) from Government Medical College and Hospital, Latur India. I have worked there as Medical Officer in Preventive and Rural Health care, to provide clinical health care and diagnosis, and develop interventions for disease prevention and promotion. I have a master’s degree in Public Health with Health Promotion emphasis from Grand Valley State University and I am also a Certified Health Education Specialist. During my career I have gained experience in designing and developing health programs and research study design, developing data collections instrumentations, conducting health program evaluation and policy analysis.
Stephanie Johnson, MPH
Research Associate
Stephanie Johnson is a Research Associate working with the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR) at the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI). Stephanie has experience with project coordination, online community management, facilitation and providing technical assistance. She is trained in the Technology of Participation (TOP) method of facilitation. She has experience with the aging and rural populations and is particularly passionate about advocating for health equity and social justice. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys running and playing with her dog, Luna.
Jessica Fritzler, MA
Research Associate
Jessica Fritzler is a Research Associate for the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. She is very passionate about data and how it can be visualized and used to implement program planning. Currently, her projects focus on quality of health and mental health, but she has passions in infectious disease and psychiatric epidemiology as well. She received her Master’s in Public Health Epidemiology from Grand Valley State University and has been with MPHI since 2018. She previously spent 3 years serving as the Cancer Genomics Epidemiologist before joining the CDMTR team. She has expertise in SAS statistical software, ArcGIS, SPSS, and some knowledge regarding Power BI Dashboard creation.
Anisha Sudarshan, MPH
Research Associate
Anisha Sudarshan is a Research Associate at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. She has a background in disease surveillance, clinical research, healthcare quality improvement, social justice advocacy, and economic and policy analysis. She is also passionate about maternal and reproductive health, mental health, health technology, and global health. Anisha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at University of Michigan and Master’s degree in Health Policy and Management at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, checking out local farmer’s markets and coffee shops, reading, writing, and enjoying the outdoors.
Cassie Harter, RDH, BSDH, MPH
Project Coordinator II
Cassie Harter is a Project Coordinator at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research. At MPHI she is supporting the management of two large multi-center projects, including the Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) and the Strategies to Repair Equity and Transform Community Health (STRETCH). Each of these projects works with national partners to provide technical assistance to state health departments and their communities to increase the capacity of the workforce, strengthen relationships, and embed equity principles into the work. Additionally, she is supporting the management and development of an evaluation project of the Midwest Network for Oral Health Integration (MNOHI) to understand how health outcomes and health care utilization are impacted by primary care team interventions using this practice model.
Cassie started her career as a clinical dental hygienist after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2012 from the University of Michigan. She has since received her Master of Public Health from the University of Washington in 2020. Her prior work largely focused on access to oral health care, medical dental integration models, implementation of equitable programs, and using data and evaluation to make effective and informed practice decisions. Her previous experiences as a clinician, a research coordinator, and collective impact network manager combine to uniquely situate Cassie as an excellent communicator, team member, and collaborator in diverse teams.
Kadrianna Cohen
Research Assistant
Kadrianna Cohen is a Research Assistant at the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR). She graduated from Michigan State University in 2022 with dual degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice, along with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. Currently, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Michigan and planning to obtain a certificate in Applied Epidemiology. Afterwards, she plans to attend law school to fulfill her ultimate goal of becoming a public health lawyer.
Kadrianna is passionate about social justice and unwavering in her belief that everyone deserves equal access to opportunities. While systemic and racial inequities have resulted in differential access, Kadrianna believes that some remedy lies in using policies informed by population health data and the populations being affected. As a public health lawyer, she plans to advocate for improved health policies and a well-funded public health system by the federal government.
She has experience in qualitative research methods, facilitation, and project coordination. Currently, her work focuses on reducing the stigma of mental health in marginalized communities and advancing the field of multi-sector data sharing by equipping communities with the knowledge on how to use data to advance health equity. In her free time, she loves attending musicals, going on road trips, and baking for her friends and family.
Eduardo Najarro, PhD, MEd
Project Coordinator
Eduardo Najarro has more than a decade of experience in the fields of education, research, and non-profit services. His expertise lies in project management, academic leadership, and stakeholder collaboration, and he’s driven by data-informed decision-making. Eduardo holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction & Teacher Education from Michigan State University, where he also earned a Graduate Certificate in Urban Education. In addition to his doctorate, he holds an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of San Francisco. He currently serves as a Project Coordinator in the Center for Data Management and Translational Research (CDMTR). Dr. Najarro embodies a well-rounded professional with a deep passion for service, justice, and innovation for a more humane world.
Resources & Publications
- Learning Collaborative Events with Child Welfare and Health Care Providers Improve Systems Knowledge and Intent to Change
- Multi-payer Primary Care Transformation: Impact for Medicaid Managed Care Beneficiaries, American Journal of Managed Care
- Comparison of Methods of Initial Ascertainment in 58 Cases of Propionic Acidemia Enrolled in the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Information System Reveals Significant Differences in Time to Evaluation and Symptoms at Presentation
- An Exploration of Genetic Test Utilization, Genetic Counseling, and Consanguinity within the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Collaborative (IBEMC)
- Physician and Staff Acceptance of Care Managers in Primary Care Offices
- Patient Experience of the Patient Centered Medical Home in Michigan’s Statewide Multipayer Demonstration – A Cross-Sectional Study
- Effectiveness of an Adaptation of the Project Connect Health Systems Intervention Youth and Clinic-Level Findings
- 221 newborn-screened neonates with medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency Findings from the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Collaboration
Location & Info
Center for Data Management and Translational Research
2501 Jolly Road
Suite 180
Okemos, MI 48864
Phone: 517-324-7398
Email: CDMTR@mphi.org
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