Our Team

Principal Investigator

Chris Lim

Chris Lim

Principal Investigator

Education:
Ph.D. Environmental Medicine, NYU School of Medicine
M.S. Biostatistics, Yale University
B.S. Environmental Engineering, Columbia University

Research Interests: My research interests include evaluating the health effects of environmental exposures and application of sensors for exposure assessment.

Postdoctoral Associates

Kylie Wilson

Kylie Wilson

Postdoctoral Associate

Education:
Ph.D. Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, Arizona State University, 2024

Research Interests: My interdisciplinary research explores how environmental and social factors influence behavior and health outcomes, aiming to promote active schools and communities through co-designed, sustainable strategies.

Maiya Block Ngaybe

Maiya Block Ngaybe

Postdoctoral Associate

Education:
Ph.D. Health Behavior Health Promotion, University of Arizona, 2024
M.P.H. Health Behavior Health Promotion, University of Arizona

Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding how neighborhood environments, particularly access to and quality of greenspace, influence cancer-related health outcomes and health inequities. I integrate mixed methods, community-engaged research, health behavior, and implementation science to examine how environmental interventions can be designed and implemented in communities experiencing disproportionate health and environmental burdens.

Doctoral Students

Jeonggyo Yoon

Jeonggyo Yoon

PhD Student

Education:
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Gachon University, S.Korea, 2017
M.S. Preventive Medicine, Gachon University, S.Korea, 2019

Research Interests: I aim to research the impact of environmental factors and their effect on chronic diseases with a major interest in public health using geospatial, machine learning and experimental approaches. I am also interested in evaluating health inequalities and disparities using Environmental Justice lenses to assess the disproportionate effect of environmental risk factors in minority groups.

Grace Chao

Grace Chao

PhD Student

Education:
B.A. in Public Health, University of Washington, 2018
MPH in Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, 2021

Research Interests: I am interested in exploring how changes in air quality and climate affect public health, and I use geospatial analysis to explore health impacts and climate-related disparities across communities.

Hassan Alzahir

Hassan Alzahir

PhD Student

Education:
MPH, University of Arizona

Research Interests: Heat exposure in occupational settings.

Mahdi Faraji

Mahdi Faraji

PhD Student

Education:
B.Sc. & M.Sc. both in Occupational Health Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University

Research: I am conducting research on integrating Air Pollution with Human Health Outcomes through AI and Big Data analytics, applying Machine Learning to develop EHS and ESG strategies to contribute to protecting vulnerable populations and promoting sustainable innovation in public health.

Ahmed Batobara

Ahmed Batobara

PhD Student

Education:
Medical Degree, Alexandria University, Egypt, 2012
Master of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2024

Research Interests: I am interested in the intersection of environmental exposures, social determinants of health, and chronic diseases, focusing on how air pollution, climate, and built environment factors influence health. I also explore spatial analysis and machine learning methods to better understand health disparities at both local and global scales.

Goeun Jung

Goeun Jung

PhD Student

Education:
B.A. Geography, Kongju National University, S.Korea, 2020
M.A. Geography, Korea University, S.Korea, 2022

Research Interests: My research applies spatial analysis and spatial statistics to environmental health problems. I am interested in using human mobility data to examine how activity patterns shape personal air pollution exposure. I am also interested in air pollution exposure modeling and in examining geographic and environmental determinants affecting cancer incidence.

Louise Biville

Louise Biville

Visiting PhD Student

Education:
Bachelor in History
Master in Geography and Water Management

Research Interests: I am a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology, working on the use of low-cost air quality sensors and the perceptions of air quality in Arizona.

MD Students

Logan Kenny

Logan Kenny

MD Student

Education:
B.S. Political Science, Arizona State University, 2021
B.S. Biology, Arizona State University, 2024

Research Interests: I am interested in getting a better understanding of how inequalities in our healthcare system, and society at large, impact different communities.

Rebecca Avila

Rebecca Avila

MD Student

Education:
B.S. Biochemistry with minor in Psychology, Arizona State University, 2021
University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (Expected May 2028)

Research Interests: I aim to research the health outcomes of underserved populations relating to the built environment, climate change, public policy, and resource access.

Arad Arasteh

Arad Arasteh

MD Student

Education:
B.S. Biological Sciences, Arizona State University, 2024

Research Interests: I am interested in leveraging data science and epidemiologic methods to study environmental exposures, health disparities, and population-level outcomes in public health.

Research Staff

Athira Satheesh

Athira Satheesh

Research Associate

Education:
MPH, University of Arizona, 2025

Research Interests: Occupational health, cardiovascular impacts of air pollution.

Andrew Weesner

Andrew Weesner

Research Associate

Education:
B.S. Economics, University of Arizona

Research Interests: Mobility, exposure disparities.

Alumni

Ian Estacio

Ian Estacio

Postdoctoral Associate

Education:
Ph.D. Environmental Management, Kyoto University, Japan, 2023
M.S. Geomatics Engineering, University of the Philippines, Philippines, 2019
B.S. Geodetic Engineering, University of the Philippines, Philippines, 2016

Research Interests: Expertise in developing geospatial tools for understanding and predicting Earth system dynamics and human-environment feedback loops.

Co-mentored with: Cristian Román-Palacios

Rhiannon Curtis

Rhiannon Curtis

MS in Epidemiology Student

Education:
B.S. Human Biology with minor in Statistics, North Carolina State University, 2022
M.S. Epidemiology, Georgetown University (Expected 2026)

Research Interests: My research interests include reproductive epidemiology, particularly reproductive cancers and the impact of environmental exposures on reproductive outcomes. I am also interested in the relationship between environmental factors and skin cancers, and have a special emphasis on applying geospatial methods to these areas.

Mojisola Ajayi

Mojisola Ajayi

Masters Student

Education:
B.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 2023

Research Interests: I am interested in air pollution, climate change, and global health. I am also interested in improving environmental awareness in underserved communities.

Aracely Esquer

Aracely Esquer

Masters Student

Research Focus: Environmental health research.

Background: Graduate student in environmental health sciences.