Advisory Board

The UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center is guided by the Advisory Board, comprised of the Community Advisory Board with leaders from partnering community organizations, the Worcester Division of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; and UMass Medical School Faculty and staff.

Community Advisory Board

Martha Assefa, MPA
Manager, Worcester Food Policy Council

Eric Batista, MBA
Director, Office of Urban Innovation
City of Worcester

Louis Brady, MBA
President/CEO
Family Healthy Center of Worcester

Casey Burns, MA
Director, Coaltion for a Heathy Greater Worcester

Joanne Calista, MSW
Director, Center for Health Impact

Suzanne Cashman, ScD 
Professor
Family Medicine and Community Health
UMMS Worcester

Kelsey Hopkins, MA
Academic Health Collaborative of Worcester 
Worcester Division of Public Health

Stephen J. Kerrigan
President & CEO
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center

Judi Kirk, MSPE
Director of Community Impact, Boys & Girls Club of Worcester

Mónica Escobar Lowell
Vice President Community Relations
UMass Memorial Health Care

Paul Matthews
Executive Director
The Worcester Regional Research Bureau

Jean G. McMurray
Executive Director
Worcester County Food Bank

Nikki Nixon, MS
Chief of Epidemiology, Worcester Division of Public Health

Shelly Yarnie, MPH
Director of Local Public Health Initiatives, Office of Local and Regional Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Central Regional Health Office

UMass Worcester PRC Faculty and Staff

Directors
Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD, Co-Director, UMass Worcester PRC
Professor and Chief, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Milagros C. Rosal, MS, PhD, Co-Director, UMass Worcester PRC
Principal Investigator, UMass Worcester PRC Core Research Project BP Control
Professor, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Faculty
Karen Clements, MPH, ScD, Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC Core Research Project BP Control
Assistant Professor, Center for Health Policy and Research
Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMMS Worcester

Judy Ockene, PhD, MEd, MA, Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC
Professor, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Lori Pbert, PhD, Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC
Professor and Associate Chief, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Sharina Person, PhD, Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC Core Research Project BP Control
Professor and Vice-Chair, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMMS Worcester

Rajani Sadasivam, PhD, Affiliated Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC
Associate Professor, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMMS Worcester

Michelle Trivedi, MD, Affiliated Faculty, UMass Worcester PRC
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, UMMS Worcester

Staff
Amy Borg, MPH, MEd, Deputy Director, UMass Worcester PRC
Project Director, UMass Worcester PRC Core Research Project BP Control
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Christine Frisard, MS, Statistician, UMass Worcester PRC
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Karin Valentine Goins, MPH, Physical Activity Lead, UMass Worcester PRC
Research Project Director, PAPREN (Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network)
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester

Karen Ronayne
Research Coordinator, UMass Worcester PRC
Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, UMMS Worcester