Kristina Uban
Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Society & Behavior, Public Health kuban@uci.edu
My research interests are focused on early life exposures (primarily maternal substance use during fetal and early postnatal periods) on brain and endocrine development, and how alterations in these systems relate to risk/resilience to later mental health. When I am not conducting research, I enjoy spending time with family & friends, hiking with my dog, skiing, biking, going to the beach, camping, travel or watching my husband perform comedy.
PhD Students
Vida Rebello, PhD Candidate, Public Health vrebello@uci.edu
Vida studies the impact of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings in children exposed to certain prenatal conditions, including preeclampsia and maternal substance use, to understand subsequent effects on childhood developmental risks. Her interests also include using salivary biomarkers to elucidate endocrine/environmental disruptors in mother-child dyads. The overarching aim of her research is to help contribute to the strengthening of health systems globally on maternal and child health outcomes. Vida has previously worked with the United Nations Foundation to address global health issues, such as child vaccination coverage. She has also worked with health care institutions in the US and India as a physical therapist and patient safety specialist. When she is not working on her doctoral studies, she enjoys horseback riding, watercolor painting, and baking.
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Hawa Mariko, PhD Candidate, Public Health hmariko@uci.edu
Hawa has a passion for protecting the health of mothers and babies. Her current research interests include understanding the role of physiologic biomarkers of maternal allostatic load on birth outcomes and subsequent child development. In the long term she seeks to translate disparities in gestational circumstances that contribute to physiologic stress into tangible public health results. When she is not a PhD student, she enjoys being a dog mom (and dog auntie), West African dance, cooking from around the world, or cycling the Newport Bay.
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Minhazul Mohsin, PhD Student, Public Health minhazum@uci.edu
Minhazul’s current research focuses on understanding how maternal substance exposure during pregnancy alters the brain and endocrine development in children. He is a physician by training from Bangladesh. His interest in public health research ignited during his time of work in the International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh, where he explored several public health issues like childhood stunting, malnutrition and antimicrobial resistance. Prior to joining UC Irvine, he completed a Master’s in Nutrition from the University of Nevada, Reno with a research thesis on postmortem hypertensive human brain to disentangle the brain mechanisms of blood pressure regulation. When he is not studying, he likes watching movies and going out for hiking.
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Alec (Yingjinx) Xia yingjinx@uci.edu
Alec is a doctoral student in the disease prevention track in the program of public health. Their research focuses on how contextual factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, race/eth
nicity, maternal mental health) interact with the teratogenic effect of alcohol on children’s neurodevelopment. Their current work is informed by their past study in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, where they researched Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders utilizing both animal models and neuroimaging in humans. When they are not working in the lab, they enjoy cooking, hiking and backpacking, and indulging in queer literature.
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MD Students
Babette Steigelmann, MSc b.steigelmann@alumni.maastrichtuniversity.nl
Med student at Maastricht University
Babette has a passion about preventative health and interdisciplinary research which led her to the Developing Brains Lab in order to learn everything about salivary bioscience and how to use it as a method to investigate the relationship between behavior and biological changes. Her research interests are focused on how prenatal substance exposure interacts with prenatal stress. Taking a biopsychological perspective on key maternal factors, she hopes to identify risk and resilience factors that buffer teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. She calls Germany and the Netherlands home, but she loves exploring new places, might it be on land skateboarding, cooking in foreign kitchens or underwater while scuba diving.
Hiking in Indonesia
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Jamie Atienza, UCI Medical Student & GREAT Researcher
As a part of the GHREAT team, I will be conducting research on the dynamics of toxic stressors and adverse childhood events (ACEs) in both the US and Cape Town, South Africa. Driven by my passion for early childhood health and development, I will investigate how ACEs are understood and addressed in the clinical setting in order to decrease or inhibit negative social outcomes and disease processes. Outside of medical school and research, I am an avid LA Dodgers fan who also loves going on adventures to new museums, coffee shops, and events around the city with friends and family.
My research interest centers around the current attitudes and methods used to address prenatal exposures to alcohol, other co-occurring substances, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Through comparing knowledge held by physicians and healthcare workers regarding the risk of maternal alcohol consumption (and other co-occurring substance use) and subsequent actions taken to educate pregnant mothers in 2 different global regions (Cape Town, South Africa versus Orange County, CA, USA), my study aims to help health care providers in each region identify novel perspectives and expand current frameworks for addressing prenatal alcohol exposures. When I’m not studying, you can find me at the gym, binge-watching Netflix, or eating out with friends!
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Post-baccalaureate Students
Laila Nazarzai, UCI Student Researcher
I am currently working on assessing the effect of prenatal substance exposure on neuroendocrine hormonal levels and whether such exposure affects vulnerability/resilience to other diseases. When I am not conducting research, I enjoy binge watching all the Real Housewives series, running and spending time with family.
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Christian Black, UCI Student Researcher
Undergraduate Students
Salma Nazarzai
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Ian Ngo
Alumni
Nneoma Uba, UCI Student Researcher
Nneoma is a Winter 2021 graduate whose research interests include Maternal and Child Health on a global level. She is currently obtaining her MPH at Emory University where she studies Global Health while obtaining a certificate in MCH. Currently, she is working on a systematic review project on studies done on children born with an FASD published from January 2000- December 2020. When she is not researching or working full time, she enjoys traveling, watching Netflix/Amazon Prime, and baking.
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Hania Alim, Public Health Honors Student Researcher
Hania’s research is centered around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the health policies that are in place in the US for people diagnosed with FASD. She hopes to bridge the gap between health policy and the resources currently available for FASD. In the long term, she plans on using the skills learned from conducting a systema
tic review of policies in pursuing her MPH at University of Southern California. When she is not researching, she loves going for a hike or to the beach and loves spending time with family and friends. Also, she is currently on the hunt to find the best shrimp tacos in California.
Claudia Chavez-Sosa, BA
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Kathleen Carlos, PhD.
I received my PhD in Public Health and am completing my MD at UCI. My dissertation research focused on medical student risk for depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors using survey indicators and salivary bioscience. Broadly, I am interested in the role that biological markers play in depression and suicide risk profiles. My long-term research aims are to isolate biological markers that are associated with depression and suicide that will assist clinicians in arriving at a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for at risk individuals. On a personal note, I enjoy collecting artwork, crafting with resin and polymer clay, and traveling to interesting places when the opportunity arises.
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Dorothy Nguyen, UCI Medical Student & GREAT Researcher
My project examines assessment of nutrition and dietary recommendations by South African physicians for families affected by fetal alcohol syndrome.
For fun, I like to listen to and sing jazz; one of my favorite places to visit is New Orleans, its birthplace!
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Tyler Irani, UCI Medical Student & GHREAT researcher
For my research, I will be meeting with healthcare workers in the United States and South Africa to discuss what screenings, if any, they use to identify emotional/behavioral/cognitive developmental abnormalities in pediatric populations, especially those known to be at risk due to prenatal/early childhood substance exposure or adversity. We will discuss when and how they utilize these screening, their perceived benefit/utility, and if they see any need to increase/decrease utilization of these screenings. When I’m not studying, you’re most likely to find me at Disneyland. It’s the happiest place on Earth, why would I spend my time anywhere else?!
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Sophia Angelides, UCI Medical Student & GREAT Researcher
My research will focus on investigating continuity of care and use of known teratogen exposures in pediatric care in the United States and Cape Town, South Africa. When I’m not studying you can find me outdoors and may see learning to surf or reading by the pool.