Student Highlights
Meet our students and explore the inspiring projects they're working on across various degree paths. Discover their unique interests, backgrounds, and the innovative work they're creating.
Emmanuel Adediran, MPH
Emmanuel Adediran, MPH, is a final year doctoral student in public health at the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Emmanuel also earned his master's in public health degree at Saint Louis University in Missouri. His scientific focus and research area are broadly described as improving hypertension management and prevention with an emphasis on leveraging primary care institutions, electronic health records (EHR), and community-capacity building. His research also addresses hypertension disparities in racial and ethnic minority populations, in particular, hypertension management in Black/African American individuals. Emmanuel is currently involved in several research projects at the institution, including investigating culinary medicine interventions for improving chronic health outcomes in racial and ethnic minority populations, exploring postpartum blood pressure screening in primary care, investigating hypertension management challenges in Black/African American adults with hypertension, and understanding the relationship between cancer and new-onset diabetes mellitus. For future career work, he will continue to develop innovative primary care-focused approaches to address hypertension disparities. His research will build upon strategies such as mobile health, barbershops, faith-based institutions, grocery store establishments, and community support groups.
Skyler Crouch, MPH, CPH
Skyler is a public health PhD student who is interested in incorporating health equity principles into epidemiology. He is currently a graduate research assistant for the ForeSITE Center and the instructor for the Public Health Nutrition course. Previously, Skyler has served as a health equity epidemiologist for the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, a manager for the U of U COVID-19 Contact Tracing Team, and the COVID-19 vaccination coordinator for the main U of U campus. He has a B.Sc. in Nutritional Science from Brigham Young University and an MPH from the University of Utah. Skyler is actively involved with the Utah Public Health Association and has served the organization in many roles, including Board President, Conference Chair, and President of the Student Assembly. He is also an LGBTQ+ subject matter expert for the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center and an active member of the Healthy West Jordan Committee. He is an avid gardener and amateur botanist, a classical music fanatic, and an advocate for xeriscaping and incorporating native Utah plants into landscapes.
Md Imdadul Haque, BSS, MSS, MPH
Md Imdadul Haque is a current PhD student in the Division of Public Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. His research is focused on understanding tobacco use in the context of mental health. Specifically, he is interested in understanding how tobacco use disorder (TUD) differs across psychiatric conditions by understanding patterns of use (frequency/intensity) and options for treatment. While pursuing his MPH at Daffodil International University (DIU), Bangladesh, he developed skills in mixed methods research. His thesis focused on familial and sociocultural barriers to establishing tobacco-free homes. He also obtained a prestigious International Tobacco Control Research Grant from the Institute of Global Tobacco Control (IGTC), USA. Before joining the University of Utah, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health, DIU. He has seven years of job experience as a Senior Public Health Professional for both governmental (NIPORT) and international organizations (BRAC).
Rachel Myrer
Rachel Myrer is a doctoral candidate in public health at the University of Utah, specializing in reproductive epidemiology. Her research focuses on conditions such as infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Brigham Young University. Prior to her doctoral studies, Rachel gained extensive experience in public health program design, implementation, and evaluation, working with schools, universities, worksites, and nonprofit organizations. Her work has addressed a wide range of public health concerns, including physical activity promotion, chronic disease prevention, opioid harm reduction, and healthcare analytics using real-world data (RWD). Throughout her doctoral program, Rachel has collaborated with faculty in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine on projects examining environmental influences on child health, antimicrobial resistance through wastewater monitoring, and the connection between endometriosis and cardiovascular disease. In addition to her research, Rachel teaches courses in program planning and evaluation, health policy, and research methods at Westminster University. Upon completing her doctorate in 2025, she plans to continue teaching and conducting research on women’s and reproductive health.
