Meet Our Medical College of Wisconsin MPH Program Team

Director

David Nelson, PhD, MA

Position: Director & Professor, MPH & DrPH Programs, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: PhD, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; MA, University of Northern Colorado
MPH Course: 18101 Foundations of Public Health
Research Interests: Increasing physical activity, food access, social support, process of community engagement, housing security

 

 

 

Christopher Simenz, PhD, MS

Position: Associate Director, MPH & DrPH Programs, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: PhD, Marquette University; MS, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
MPH Course: 18203 Public Health Administration
Research Interests: Policy and systems change focused on social determinants of health, community-engaged research, food and housing insecurity

 

 

Faculty  

Laila Azam, PhD, MBA

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin; MBA, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
MPH Course: 18209 Community Health Assessment & Improvement
Research Interests: Racial/Ethic health disparities, American Muslim health disparities, community health assessments, mental health, cultural humility in healthcare, and advancing workforce equity in healthcare

 

 

Jennifer Freiheit, PhD, MA

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; MA, Ball State University
MPH Course: 18230Community Health Program Planning, 18268 Leadership for the Public’s Health
Research Interests: Health department strategic planning, collaboration building, cost analysis, leading organizational change, racial and health equity, emergency preparedness and response, employee mentorship and succession planning

 

 

Lance Gable, JD, MPH

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: JD, Georgetown University Law Center; MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
MPH Course: 18150 Public Health Law & Ethics
Research Interests: Public health law, ethics and policy; international human rights; emergency preparedness and response; mental health; research ethics; and information privacy

 

 

John Meurer, MD, MBA

Positions: Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education: MD, University of Wisconsin Medical School; MBA, Northwestern University
MPH Course: 18223 Public Health Policy; 18232 Introduction to Population Health Management
Research Interests: COVID epidemiology, early childhood development, childhood lead poisoning, youth resiliency, and team science

 

 

Jennifer Peterson, PhD, MS

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW; Clinical Research Coordinator III, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinical Trials Office
Education: PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; MA, Purdue University
MPH Course: 18241 Health Communications
Research Interests: Public health communication, social support, HIV prevention communication, uncertainty management and health, interpersonal communication

 

Lyndsey Wallace, PsyD, ABPP

Positions: Associate Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW
Education:  PsyD, Illinois School of Professional Psychology
MPH Course: 18255 Public Health Theory and Practice; 18115 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Research Interests: Survivorship issues in oncology, cancer caregiver access to support

 

 

Julie Willems Van Dijk, PhD, RN

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity, MCW; Retired Wisconsin Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary
Education: PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; MSN, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
MPH Courses: 18260 Community Health Program Evaluation
Research Interests: effectiveness of community health improvement, prenatal care coordination, public health financing, population health trends

 

 

Kaija Zusevics, PhD, MPH

Positions: Assistant Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health & Equity; Researcher II, Center for Urban Population Health
Education: PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin; MPH, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
MPH Course: 18165 Principles of Public Health Data and Epidemiology; 18218 Racial and Ethnic Inequalities in Health
Research Interests: Education as a social determinant of health, positive youth development, genomics and ethics in the context of racism, community based participatory research