PHEP Project Team

Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH
 

Kimberley Shoaf, DrPH is Professor in the Division of Public Health where she directs the Office of Humanitarian Leadership and Emergency Health and oversees the graduate certificate in Emergency Health. During her academic career, she has focused her research, teaching, and service in two inter-connected areas of public health: emergency public health and public health workforce development. Her research encompasses the health impacts of disasters as well as preparedness of the health sector for public health emergencies and disasters.

Elaine Scallan Walter, PhD, MA
 

Dr. Scallan is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Her research focuses on estimating the burden of foodborne disease and attributing foodborne illnesses to specific sources. She teaches a number of practice-based courses including Disease Outbreak Investigations and the Epidemiology of Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases.

James A. VanDerslice, PhD
 

Jim VanDerslice, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health. His research focuses on evaluating human exposures to chemical and microbiological hazards in the environment. Several of his studies have examined contaminants in drinking water and foods, and their effects on infants and children. He utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool to assess spatial patterns in exposures. He has recently become interested in the effects of the built environment on physical activity and obesity, and is using GIS to classify the built environment of SLC neighborhoods using spatial data and aerial imagery.

Lisa Gren, PhD
 

Lisa Gren, PhD, MSPH is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health at the University of Utah. Dr. Gren has earned a BS degree in microbiology, MSPH in Public Health, and PhD in Public Health. She teaches Introduction to Biostatistics (PBHLT 6100) and Public Health Systems and Services (PBHLT 6500). Dr. Gren is the Director for the University of Utah Primary Care Research Network, and Associate Director for the Center for Research on Migration and Refugee Immigration.

Christina A. Porucznik, PhD, MSPH
 

Dr. Christina A. Porucznik is a Professor in the Division of Public Health. She is a doctoral-trained epidemiologist who served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the Utah Department of Health before joining the faculty in 2005. She has worked in nonprofit, government, academic, and corporate settings with scientists, engineers, and policy makers. Dr. Porucznik received her Master of Science in Public Health and PHD in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

Joel Hartsell, PhD
 

Dr. Joel Hartsell, President and Principal Consultant at Epi-Vant, is an infectious disease epidemiologist and informatician with over a decade of experience spearheading data-driven health initiatives in both public and private sectors. Dr. Hartsell's contributions have been pivotal in advancing infectious disease surveillance and enhancing the field of public health informatics. He earned his Ph.D. in Population Health Sciences with an emphasis on Clinical and Translational Epidemiology from the University of Utah, an MPH from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bethel College.

Lindsay T. Keegan, PhD
 

Lindsay Keegan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology within the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah. Currently, Lindsay is interested in understanding transmission dynamics of healthcare associated infections how to determine ‘who infected whom’. Additionally, Lindsay has been working to develop and apply models of the COVID-19 pandemic to support public health decision-making at the state and hospital levels.

Jill Jim, PhD
 

Dr. Jill Jim is the Navajo Department of Health Executive Director and was a member of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board. Dr. Jim’s educational background centers on community health promotion and health care administration. She earned a Doctorate in Public Health from the University of Utah in 2017. Dr. Jim is a member of the Navajo Nation and a fluent Navajo speaker.