Trainees
Predoctoral Trainees
Hamdi Adam, MPH
Hamdi is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Hamdi holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. His research interests are in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and dementia. He is especially interested in the human microbiome and its role in the development, progression, and risk of systemic diseases. His work focuses on the oral microbiome and periodontal health as potential risk factors for diabetes and preclinical indicators Alzheimer’s disease.
Habibat Oguntade, MSPH
Habibat is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Habibat holds a Master’s of Science in Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her public health practice is focused on applying a health disparities lens to understanding structural and social determinants of health among historically disenfranchised groups. Currently, she is investigating whether skin color is associated with measures of pregnancy-related cardiovascular conditions among black women. She plans to use her research to inform the development of culturally informed solutions to improve health equity and reduce health disparities among underserved populations.
Katherine Copp, MPH
Katie is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota and a Graduate Scholar in the Institute on the Environment’s 2022-2023 Agriculture/Climate cohort at the University of Minnesota. Katie holds a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of Vermont and a BS from Saint Michael’s College. Her research focuses on the intersection of nutrition and cardiovascular disease. She is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in process improvement and has previously worked in quality improvement for pediatric healthcare.
Rebecca Molinsky, MPH
Rebecca is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Rebecca holds a Master’s of Public Health degree from Columbia University and a BS in Anthropology from Emory University. Her research focuses on the intersection between infectious and chronic diseases, specifically microbial etiology and heart failure. Her dissertation work aims to evaluate the relationship between infection related hospitalization and incident heart failure in a large community-based population (ARIC) and in MarketScan. In addition, she is also assessing infection related hospitalization predicting mortality among those with heart failure.
Ethan Cannon, MPH
Ethan will be starting his PD in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Ethan holds a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University. He is passionate about improving population health through research on modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and is specifically interested in investigating the role of dietary components and patterns.
Ryan Avenido, MPH
Ryan is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Ryan holds a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. He is interested in both the impact of physical activity and genetic factors on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Furthermore, he is interested in applying his research towards improving CVD prevention strategies.
Postdoctoral Trainees
DJ McDonough, PhD, MS
Dr. McDonough received his PhD in Physical Activity Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota and his MS in Exercise Physiology at Boise State University. His research aims to examine the interplay of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity, sedentary behavior, and diet composition in the etiology of cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). He is also interested in examining novel physiological intermediates (e.g., the human gut microbiome and proteome) connecting these exposures and outcomes.
Wendy Wang, PhD, MPH
Dr. Wang received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Boston University. Her primary research interests include atrial myopathy, atrial fibrillation, and identifying risk factors for neurocognitive outcomes using data from population-based cohorts and administrative datasets.
Brittanny Polanka, PhD
Dr. Polanka received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Health/Medical Psychology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Her program of research centers on understanding the role of sleep disturbances, eating behaviors, and depression as risk factors for and exacerbators of cardiometabolic conditions.
