TORCH Team
Executive Team
Mary Jo Pugh Ph.D., R.N., is a retired Air Force nurse and Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She is an investigator at the Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation (IDEAS COIN) and the VA Salt Lake City where she leads the COIN focus area that aims to identify and mitigate health risks in Veterans across periods of vulnerability. Integrating her training as a Veteran, a nurse and a developmental psychologist, she has developed an epidemiological research program to examine the long-term sequelae and outcomes of military exposures. Early in her career she focused on outcomes associated with suboptimal quality of care in older Veterans. Over the past decade she has targeted her work using VA data to identify phenotypes in populations with complex comorbidity such as those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and complex multi-symptom illness in Gulf War era Veterans. Dr. Pugh’s current work related to TBI includes longitudinal observational and prospective studies to identify the emergence of distinct neurodegenerative conditions such as cognitive impairment and epilepsy, and clusters of multimorbidity that may have similar or networked biological underpinnings.
Erin Bouldin, PhD, MPH is trained as an epidemiologist and health services researcher and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah and an Investigator at the Health Services Research & Development Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center at the VA Health Care System in Salt Lake City. Her research is motivated by an interest in identifying factors that influence disability and function and intervening to reduce impairments and improve health and participation in an equitable way. Her work with the TORCH lab focuses on the experiences and service needs of people living with disabilities, injuries, amputations, and cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. She has a particular interest in services and programs that are delivered in home- and community-based settings and to Veterans living in rural areas.
Eamonn Kennedy is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the TORCH lab. He is passionate about using innovative new methods to improve Veteran’s lives and long-term outcomes following military experiences. His specific research interests include investigations of behavioral health and chronic complex comorbidity following Traumatic Brain Injury. After completing his PhD in Physics at University College Dublin, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Notre Dame from 2014 to 2017. From 2017-2020, Eamonn served as a Senior Research Scientist at Brown University, where he applied statistical learning to computational questions in metabolomics and molecular information systems. He is honored to have the opportunity to apply his knowledge of biomedical imaging and statistical learning to questions in military health. He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, and has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications.
Ace Adamson is a new Research Scientist for the TORCH team. He has a background in physical rehabilitation with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Utah Valley University and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Duke University. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah with an emphasis on Health Systems Innovation and Research. He has interests in healthcare economics, implementation, and access for underserved populations as well as social determinants of health. In his free time he enjoys playing sports with his sons and exploring the outdoors throughout the Southwest.
Megan Amuan is a Health Statistician and Data Analyst with 18 years of research experience at the VA. Her work encompasses many areas including the epidemiology, risk factors, outcomes and health services utilization of Post-9/11 Veterans. She has experience in sampling, collecting and compiling datasets, computing and analyzing statistical data, and applying statistical techniques such as ANOVA, Logistic Regression, Survival Analysis, GEE analysis, cluster analysis, hierarchical modeling and other statistical methods. Megan is motivated to work on research benefiting Veterans. Her father served as an Air Force pilot and was killed in the line of duty in a joint training mission with Green Berets in 1989.
Sreekanth Kamineni is a Database Analyst for the TORCH Lab in Salt Lake City in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine. Sreekanth started his career as a programmer analyst in 2011 in Cognizant Technology Solutions company and later in 2014 moved to the USA to pursue an MS degree in computer science. In June 2015, Sreekanth completed his MS degree in computer science and graduated from Texas A&M Commerce University. He then joined the analytics team at Valley Behavioral Health in 2016. Sreekanth made significant contributions to Valley Analytics infrastructure. His skills and experiences are in database design and development, data analysis, SQL and ETL development, and scripting programming. He is honored to have the opportunity to join the TORCH team's research efforts to improve the lives of Veterans.
Dr. Helal Mobasher is a Data Scientist at the University of Utah Department of Epidemiology. He received his Ph.D. in quantitative Sociology from Utah State University. His passion for data analytics, specifically healthcare analytics, led him to have a long-lasting career in Healthcare. Dr. Mobasher specialties are in managing large scale data, data modeling, data integration, data visualization, and data analysis. He has recently led a team of data analysts and developers to build an analytics department at Valley Behavioral Health. His current interests are in predictive analytics and machine learning using both data science programing languages and data visualization tools with advanced technological modules.
Robert George is a Research Analyst for the TORCH lab in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah's School of Medicine. Robert holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is a Marine Corps veteran. Robert's interesets include social psychology, machine learning and mental health counseling. Robert is excited to contribute to the TORCH team and to help advance research that can lead to a better understanding of the outcomes of military service and improve the lives of fellow veterans.
Amy Henion has a background in public health research and epidemiology. She has worked for the University of Utah, the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories, the American Cancer Society and the CDC. She attended college at the University of Rochester, earning a biology degree. Then she earned a Masters of Public Health in epidemiology from Emory University in Atlanta. Amy is a senior research analyst in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine. She works to improve Veteran health as part of the eclectic Trajectories of Resilience, Community and Health (TORCH) team. Amy is motivated to help improve the lives of Veterans by examining the long-term outcomes of military experiences.
Andrea Kalvesmaki, PhD
Research Associate, Division of Epidemiology and Associate Health Fellow at the SL VAMC
Andrea Kalvesmaki is a Research Associate with the TORCH lab in Salt Lake City in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine and an Informatics Fellow at the Salt Lake Veteran Affairs Medical Center. She holds degrees in psychology, medical anthropology, and educational leadership and policy. Her research interests are in understanding the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, or people who support persons with disabilities, family and societal roles in health outcomes, and the impact of policy to support individuals and communities. As a Research Associate for TORCH, she supports mixed-method primary data collection and analysis for a variety of projects. As an Informatics Fellow her primary role is to support research for the Elizabeth Dole Center of Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research. Andrea has a sibling who is a Veteran and a sibling with a severe TBI and is devoted to improving the day-to-day experience for Veterans and all people living with any chronic conditions.
Huong Nguyen is a Data Scientist for the TORCH lab in the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Miami. Before joining the team, Huong served as a Research Associate at the Utah Education Policy Center where she worked on research design, statistical modeling, data analysis, and data management for educational evaluation research. At the TORCH team, Huong works on the Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (CENC) project to study the long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injury, its diagnosis, and treatment among Veterans. Huong is excited to be part of the team that helps improve the lives of Veterans.
Krista Ocier is a Research Associate for the TORCH team. She holds an MPH and PhD in Public Health from the University of Utah, with an emphasis in epidemiology and gerontology. Prior to joining the TORCH team in mid-2022, her research in age-related diseases and cancer epidemiology at the Huntsman Cancer Institute cemented her interest in, ultimately, improving the lives of older adults from all walks of life. She is excited to expand her research portfolio at TORCH, including areas such as TBI, Parkinson’s disease, and caregiving. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and training puppies.
Michelle Orner joined the Torch team in February. She has a Master of Public Health with a concentration in biostatistics and epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health. She has over 22 years of experience working with both survey data as well as national VA databases, collecting, organizing, and managing the data and performing advanced statistical analyses. She has worked on research projects related to racial disparities in healthcare, oral health, provider-patient communication, and operations projects relating to the implementation of Whole Health. She is currently working on projects related to ALS and an evaluation of the VA Tele-EEG program.
Samin Panahi, PhD is a Health Science Specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Salt Lake City and a Research Scientist at the University of Utah. Her training is in Medical Sociology with a focus on Population Health Sciences and completed her postdoctoral training in Medical Informatics at the IDEAS Center of Innovation (COIN) and VA Salt Lake City. Samin's work focuses on epidemiology, employing multimodal approaches and mixed-method research to investigate complex health outcomes. She is committed to improving the well-being and quality of care for veterans with epilepsy and traumatic brain injury (TBI) by studying the long-term impacts of military service on their health and quality of life.
Shirin Saleh, a Ph.D. student in Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah and a Graduate Research Assistant in the TORCH Lab, specializes in epidemiology with a focus on neuropsychological outcomes following traumatic brain injuries, particularly in military settings. With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master's in Psychometrics from the University of Tehran, Iran, Shirin's expertise lies in cognitive impairments and psychological consequences of war-related neurotrauma. She is also deeply committed to advancing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in healthcare, aiming to enhance patient-centered care by understanding patients' health conditions, goals, and unique care-related factors. Her work is driven by a passion for improving life quality for those affected by brain injuries through scientific rigor and a nuanced understanding of patient experiences.
Contact Darren for help with: TORCH and SALIENT support.
Kelsee M. Stromberg is a PhD candidate serving as a graduate research assistant on the TORCH team. Her degree specializes in Clinical and Translational Epidemiology with a focus on the health outcomes of service members and veterans, particularly those affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her research explores the relationship between TBI and productive activity outcomes among Veterans, aiming to bridge the gap between research and real-world applications. With a background in epidemiological research and a commitment to improving veteran care, Kelsee is dedicated to translating complex data into actionable insights that inform healthcare policy and practice. As a military spouse, she brings a personal understanding of military culture, which enriches her approach to working with and advocating for service members and veterans. Kelsee is expected to complete her PhD in Spring 2025 and is committed to continuing her work in research, policy, and advocacy to improve health outcomes for those who have served.
Margaret Wells is a VA Health Science Specialist at South Texas Veterans Health Care Systems and a Research Associate on Dr. Pugh’s team. She holds a Bachelor of Science in communication disorders and sciences. She works on projects examining post-military health outcomes, mild cognitive impairment, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). She interacts directly with survey and interview participants in this role and as an associate for IMaP (“Improved Understanding of Medical and Psychological Needs in Veterans and Service Members with TBI”) and the San Antonio VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center TBI Model Systems a program of research for longitudinal assessment of rehabilitation and functional outcomes of Veterans with TBI.
Abba (Abigail) White is a new Research Analyst for the TORCH team. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Colorado Mesa University, and plans to pursue her Masters degree in Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience or Public Health at the University of Utah. She has worked as an intern for the TORCH team since the summer of 2020, and was a barista at Mountain Air Roasters. She greatly appreciates the TORCH team staff, and looks forward to furthering the understanding of the brain and quality of health care in Veterans. In her free time she enjoys downhill skiing, triathlon, playing the piano, and spending time with her friends.
Dr. Naranjo is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology at the Department of Internal Medicine within the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah (UU), and an early-career Investigator at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Informatics, Decision- Enhancement and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center of Innovation (COIN). She has been working in Health Services Research for 14 years; she has been at UU and the VA Salt Lake City since September 2021. Prior to joining UU, she completed her PhD in Health Services Research (Health Systems Science Concentration) at the University of Washington School of Public Health after serving as a Health Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation 2013-2016. She is experienced in both qualitative and quantitative methods, and the application of Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) Science theories and frameworks in conjunction with Systems Science. She uses mixed methodology as a tool to understand drivers of change in health care systems, specifically decision-making as it pertains to adopting practices and policies that improve care and reduce health inequities, across a variety of clinical domains.
Elise Vandersteen Bailey, PhD, MPP, is a Research Scientist for the TORCH lab. She holds a PhD in Population Health Sciences and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Utah. Her background is in health services research, health care disparities and social determinants of health, health geography, health policy, health economics, and mental health. Before joining TORCH, Dr. Bailey served as a research assistant for the Department of Population Health Sciences and, earlier, the Program of Public Affairs at the U. She researched immigration-based health care disparities, early childhood nursing programs, COVID-19 vaccine uptake, and mental health care.
Alisa Bedrov, PhD, is a Senior Research Analyst at the TORCH lab. She recently received her PhD in Psychological & Brain Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research background is in the psychology of close relationships, with a specific focus on how keeping and sharing secrets impacts well-being, trust, and interpersonal relationships. She is looking forward to applying her background in social psychology to better understand and improve the health and well-being of Veterans. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, volleyball, board games, and baking.
Sarah is a Research Scientist who has recently joined the TORCH team. She has a background in project monitoring and evaluation with a Master of International Public Health from The University of Sydney, Australia. For the last ten years she has worked in project monitoring and research on a range of public health issues in Appalachia including diabetes control and prevention, substance use disorder, and child well-being. Prior to that she worked in planning, monitoring, and evaluation of INGO projects in Nepal with a focus on women and children’s health. Her interests are in participatory development amongst disadvantaged groups and social determinants of health. She enjoys working with a team from a variety of backgrounds and is challenged by Veteran’s experiences living with a TBI. She loves to think outside the box and be in the mountains with her family and dog.
Mohammed Alshanbari is a Dentist and a Senior Research Analyst in the Division of Epidemiology with a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) in Health Policy and Management From New York Medical College. His research focuses on key public health issues, including the impact of oral health on systemic conditions, as well as the unique health challenges faced by caregivers and veterans. Alshanbari’s work aims to contribute to evidence-based solutions that improve health outcomes for diverse populations. With expertise in research design, data analysis, and health systems, he is dedicated to generating data-driven insights that inform public health policies and practices.