For further insight into student life at ISMMS, here are current student ambassadors you may contact:
MPH
General Public Health Track
Name: Sahiti Yarakala
Email: Sahiti.Yarakala@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: General Public Health
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergraduate Institution & Major: The University of Texas at Dallas, Biology
Previous Public Health Work: Internship with victims of domestic violence, mentor for AVID program, currently research assistant focused in prenatal exposures and neurodevelopment
Public Health Interests: Maternal health, mental health, global health
Hobbies: Portrait & food photography, weightlifting, hiking, badminton, exploring the city and traveling
Name: Wendy Barillas
Email: wendy.barillas@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: General Public Health with Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Concentration
Hometown: Whittier, CA
Undergraduate Institution & Major: California State University, Fullerton, B.S. in Public Health Global Health
Previous Public Health Work: I currently work at a non-profit community outreach organization as the program coordinator and internship supervisor in which I get to help organize and oversee various outreach efforts and try to bridge the gap between the community and the government or other health care agencies. I am also currently doing my applied practice experience, to help advocate for and educate on the importance of oral health in developing countries. As well as having previous experience doing various outreach efforts within the organizations I was involved in or the various internships I had held.
Public Health Interests: Advocating for the community, bridging the gap between the community and public health, breaking down the barriers to access to care, and reforming the injustice within the health care system.
Hobbies: Pre-COVID I loved to go out with my friends, go to concerts, and go on random adventures around Los Angeles. Now, I mostly read, paint, do calligraphy or other crafty projects, binge various TV shows/movies, and plan some post-covid adventures.
Epidemiology Track
Name: Justine Marcinek
Email: justine.marcinek@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Epidemiology
Hometown: New York City, NY
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Stony Brook University, B.S. in Human Evolutionary Biology and minor in Health, Medicine, & Society
Previous Public Health Work: As an undergraduate peer educator, I ran group trainings about how to be an active bystander in response to an alcohol overdose. As a research assistant, I studied the influence of environmental exposures (methylmercury, alcohol, and BPA) on fetal development using fruit fly models. I also conducted a research study on health literacy and ways to deliver effective and accessible information about COVID-19.
Public Health Interests: Environmental and occupational epidemiology, health literacy, Alzheimer's Disease, ALS
Hobbies: Drawing, reading, playing video games, cooking and baking, playing board games
Why did you choose to attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?
I chose Icahn because its location and network offer many unique opportunities for work, research, and internships, which can provide a strong foundation for the Applied Practice Experience and future employment. I was also intrigued by Mount Sinai's reputation regarding occupational healthcare. Plus, MPH program staff were supportive and attentive from the first time I inquired as a prospective student, which helped me feel secure in my decision to attend.
Name: Lokesh Patil
Email: lokesh.patil@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Epidemiology
Hometown: Jalgaon, MH (India)
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Iowa State University (Biology)
Previous Public Health Work: Volunteering at local Health care consulting organization
Public Health Interests: Community Health/Disease prevention
Hobbies: Cycling
Why did you choose to attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?
After doing a lot of research on grad school, I found that I will be able to meet the most prominent leaders in the public health field through taking courses, attending seminars, and networking through the department at Mount Sinai and I know all these connections will be valuable for years to come.
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Track
Name: Tania Chen
Email: tania.chen@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Hometown: Gujarat (India)
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Maharaja Sayajirao University [Baroda Medical College, M.B.B.S.]
Public Health Interests: Targeting clinical medicine interventions using public health tools to improve people's awareness about disease prevention
Hobbies: Skating and Dancing
Global Health Track
Name: Sonya Rusanov
Email: sonya.rusanov@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Global Health with Epidemiology/ Biostatistics concentration
Hometown: I am originally from Fair Lawn, NJ, but have lived in various parts of NYC for the last 6 years. I am currently living in the Bronx
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Queens College- CUNY and got my BS in environmental science
Previous Public Health Work: Before starting at Mount Sinai, I didn't have a lot of public health experience, but since then, I've volunteered in the Mount Sinai COVID-19 vaccine clinics for adults and children. I also did research with professors here at Sinai, studying the health effects of different household cleaning products and also working with community healthcare workers to build vaccine trust.
Public Health Interests: I am passionate about reproductive health, vaccinations, and ending injustices in health.
Hobbies: In my spare time (lol) I love reading and watching Netflix. I am also really into podcasts, gardening, and my cats.
Why did you choose to attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?
I chose Mount Sinai because I wanted to be able to do public health research. Because Mount Sinai is a major research institution and hospital system, there are a lot of opportunities for research, volunteering, and mentorship. I wouldn't have been able to have all the experiences and opportunities I have at Mount Sinai anywhere else. The public health program at Mount Sinai also has the strong social justice component I was looking for, especially focused on the health disparities between the 2 neighborhoods the campus straddles: East Harlem and the Upper East Side.
Name: Alex Albert
Email: alexandria.albert@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Global Health with Epidemiology/Biostatistics Concentration
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Emory University, Biology and Spanish
Previous Public Health Work:
- GlobeMed – Thailand
- Sustainable Health Enterprises – Rwanda
- Planned Parenthood
- Doctors Without Borders
Public Health Interests: Maternal and child health as it pertains to the social determinants of health and racial health disparities
Hobbies: Yoga, true crime tv, thrifting, collecting plants, exploring NYC
Healthcare Management Track
Name: Tasnim Bhuiyan
Email: tasnim.bhuiyan@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Health Care Management
Hometown: New Hyde Park, NY
Undergraduate Instituition & Major: Mercy College; Health Science
Previous Public Health Work: No previous public health work but currently working as an intern at Mount Sinai's Health Education Department Public Health and Racial Justice Program for my Applied Practice Experience
Public Health Interests: Health care consulting and minority communities
Hobbies: outdoor activities, reading, baking
Dual Degrees:
MD/MPH
Name: Abhishek (Abhi) Mogili
Email: abhi.mogili@ichan.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: MD/MPH Global Health
Hometown: Ashburn, Virginia
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Northeastern University, Biology and Political Science
Previous Public Health Work: Worked as an EMT on an ambulance and an ER Tech at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Boston. I currently work at GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis)’s testing center in Midtown as a research assistant focusing on at-home HIV testing, and also serve as a volunteer HIV/STI testing counselor.
Public Health Interests: Global Health, Military Medicine, Multinational Collaborations and Organizations, Care for Marginalized Groups, Disaster Medicine
Hobbies: Running, biking, traveling, flying, SCUBA Diving, and hiking! (Pretty much anything outside and/or has an adrenaline rush!)
Why did you choose to attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?
I choose to attend Mt Sinai for a variety of reasons, but the one that was most important to me was opportunity. Located in the center of Manhattan, Sinai is the perfect place to gain your foothold into public health due to the diverse patient population and unique intersection of social and cultural factors. Mt. Sinai as a health system has hospitals throughout the greater New York City area which makes it easy to find research, shadowing, and public health work opportunities as well as mentors. Outside of Sinai itself, NYC plays host to a variety of the world’s leading public health organization including the City’s own health department. These institutions provide us students the incredible opportunity of not only learning about public health but also allows us to give ack to the community that has provided us with these opportunities.
MSW/MPH
Name: Vanessa Rock
Email: vanessa.rock@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
Hometown: Hometown Harlem, NY (currently in Nanuet, NY)
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Stony Brook University, Health Sciences
Previous Public Health Work: Social Worker heavily involved with maternal health for underrepresented homeless women.
Public Health Interests: Women’s Health Issues, Mental Health & Maternal Mortality
Hobbies: Writing and binge watching good TV shows or movies.
Why did you choose to attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?
Mt. Sinai is a leading organization in healthcare and education in NY. I loved the idea of being a part of a diverse program, with diverse interests and opportunities in the heart of NYC.
Name: Tessa Engel
Email: tessa.engel@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Global Health
Hometown: Hamden, CT
Undergraduate Instituition & Major: Connecticut College, majored in International Relations and Hispanic Studies
Previous Public Health Work: I lived in Guatemala prior to graduate school and worked on some projects promoting child and maternal health, as well as violence prevention and gender equity
Public Health Interests: As a public health social worker, I am interested in the nexus between mental health and reproductive health, and providing trauma-informed care to asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants
Hobbies: I enjoy going on long walks around Brooklyn, finding the best taco trucks, running, and doing hot yoga
DPM/MPH
Name: Michelle Diaz
Email: Michelle.Diaz@icahn.mssm.edu
Specialty Track: Health Care Management
Hometown: Mahwah, NJ
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Loyola University, Biology
Previous Public Health Work: Volunteering at community health fairs and offering free diabetic foot screenings
Public Health Interests: Health Literacy