Team Leader, Nurse Family Partnership (she/her/hers)

I graduated from NYU in 2021 where I studied biomedical engineering. I am now in medical school at Chicago Medical School. I joined the lab because of my interest in mental health, specifically that of mothers and children, and how adverse childhood experiences and their effects find a way through genetic lines. In the future, I aspire to use my work as a physician to empower and support women and children to break free from cycles of trauma to lead fulfilling lives.

Fun Fact! One of my passions is photography! I've photographed wedding events and graduations. I also am the biggest coffee drinker and love visiting/finding new coffee shops to study at.

Team Leader, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

I hope to be a doctor in the future and I'm very interested in learning how we can best support patients who have experienced trauma. I also have a strong interest in women's health and hope to specialize in gynecologic oncology. I hope continue doing research so that I can use knowledge to best support patients.

Fun Fact! I am obsessed with orangutans and other apes.

Research Assistant, Mechanisms of Intergenerational Transmission (she/her/hers)

I am a career changer post-bacc premed student at Columbia University. I am passionate about holistic approaches to healthcare, which is what drew me to Dr. Scorza’s lab. I am grateful to be contributing to research that benefits marginalized communities in the Global South and addresses the intergenerational transmission of health risks, and the effects of childhood origins on mental health. In the future, I hope to pursue research in global health and the social and environmental determinants of health. Prior to the post-bacc program, I worked for Conservation International’s Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

Fun Fact! I enjoy being in nature, cycling, music, writing, and visual storytelling.

Research Assistant, Trauma-Informed Care (she/her/hers)

Hazel T. Salunga, B.S., graduated from San Diego State University in 2015 with a degree in Biology, and went to further her education with a Post-Baccalaureate certificate in Health Professions from UC Berkeley, and completed two years of medical school training at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She currently volunteers with Dr. Scorza, and is interested in how adverse childhood events and experiences can cause intergenerational transmission risk of poor mental health. She would love to assist with design of TSOC interventions at the healthcare provider level. She is a certified birth doula with DONA International, trained to emotionally support and advocate for new mothers through their experience. In the future, Hazel plans to combine mental health research and doula work in her service to her community and eventually pursue a PhD in Global Health with an emphasis on Women's Reproductive Health.

Fun Fact! Outside of maternal mental health, I am passionate about all things in our natural world! I am fully immersed in it as a climber, surfer, and forager of California natural herbs.

Research Assistant (she/her/hers)

Francess Odibo is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. Following her graduation from Berkeley, she completed a research fellowship as a scholar within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP). At the NIH, Francess engaged in epidemiological research investigating the epigenetic mechanisms underlying maternal and child health outcomes at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); as well as pediatric 
clinical research pertaining to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Her research interests include maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and infant development, intergenerational transmission of trauma, social determinants of mental health, trauma-informed psychiatric care, and perinatal mental health interventions in the context of underserved communities— especially those in low- and middle-income countries in the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. As an aspiring psychiatrist and public health practitioner, Francess aspires to pursue a career in medicine with a special focus on global health and community health advocacy.

Fun Fact! Francess enjoys music, dancing, traveling, trying new cuisines, long conversations with friends, and hanging out on the beach!

Research Assistant (She/Her/Hers)

Christine Mai, B.S., graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 with a degree in Science Preprofessional Studies and Spanish. She currently collaborates with a team from Argentina to examine the association of maternal childhood adversity with prenatal distress, DNA methylation, and infant attachment. She is interested in the effects of maternal trauma and mental health on intergenerational health outcomes. She is currently on track to obtain her MD-MPH from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2025. She hopes to pursue a future career in Social Emergency Medicine with a special focus in public health, women’s health, gender-based violence, and human trafficking.

Fun Fact! I love to be outdoors and have taken up rock climbing and backpacking within the past few years.

Team Leader, Mechanisms of Intergenerational Transmission (she/her/hers)

I took an Epigenetics course my sophomore year and enjoyed learning about the effect ACES (adverse childhood experiences) had on development and likelihood of developing chronic diseases later on. The lab’s work surrounding maternal ACES and the role it plays in accelerated epigenetic aging in children was incredibly fascinating. In the future, I hope to become a pediatrician and aspire to apply the lab’s research in my work.

Fun Fact! In my free time, I love to go fishing with my family!

Research Assistant, Nurse Family Partnership (she/her/hers)

I've always been interested in contributing to more interdisciplinary approaches to medicine and clinical research. Social determinants of health are so important and so often overlooked in the medical field today, especially when it comes to women and women of color. I'm really excited to be part of the lab as we work to understand the complex relationship between social adversity and mother/child health, especially as an aspiring physician-scientist. I hope to use what I learn in the lab in my future career in medicine to create a more equitable future for everyone.

Fun Fact! I love to play/watch soccer and have been an Arsenal supporter my whole life! I got to see them play live at the Emirates last spring which was super fun :)