Student Profiles

FALL 2025

Andy MacKelfresh, MBA

Academic and Professional Background: Andy is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  His academic precursors include a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences – Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Business Administration degree from East Carolina University, and certificates in Management of Information Systems from East Carolina University, Clinical Research Conduct and Management from the University of California at Berkeley, and Cybersecurity Board Readiness from Duke University.

Professionally, Andy has collaborated to facilitate numerous translational clinical research projects by leading digital health and operational efforts.  He brings twenty years of experience as staff within academic medical research settings, complemented by tours at a pharmaceutical company, contract research organization, self-consultancy, and chief executive officer of multiple businesses.  He currently serves as Director of Data Management and Informatics for the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at the University of California at San Diego.  Andy’s vision is that a doctorate in Epidemiology will enable his progression into faculty leadership of research efforts and professorship.

Research Interests:  (i) Digital health literacy as an intervention within resource-limited settings to improve outcomes and promote equity; (ii) Clinical and lifestyle interventions addressing Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias; (iii) Full-service research operations to support randomized controlled trials.

Why You Chose UNC Charlotte:  Andy came to UNC Charlotte for its commitment to diversity, health equity, and the opportunity to study under the guidance of the esteemed faculty.

Kevin Carwile

Background: With a strong foundation in marketing, analytics and the social sciences, Kevin applies a multidisciplinary lens to the study of epidemiology. His professional experience encompasses roles in both research and analytics, with experience leading strategic insights and data-driven initiatives across industries. Kevin is passionate about using data to understand complex systems and drive impactful, evidence-based decisions. His academic background includes master’s degrees in business administration and sociology, which informs his interest in the connections between health, behavior, and society.

Research Interests: Kevin’s research centers on how social and structural factors shape health across the life course, with a particular focus on injuries as both acute events and chronic exposures that affect physical and perceived health. He is also interested in how environmental and contextual conditions contribute to cognitive and behavioral outcomes, and how these dynamics interact with broader patterns of inequality.

Reason for choosing UNC Charlotte: Kevin chose UNC Charlotte for the program’s strong research focus and the faculty’s diverse research expertise. UNC Charlotte’s urban setting also provides valuable opportunities to engage with community partners and public health agencies, offering a dynamic environment for applied, impactful research.

CHRISTA ROBERTS

Background: Christa is a Ph.D. student in the Epidemiology program at UNC Charlotte. She earned a Master of Public Health with distinction from the University of Edinburgh and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of the West Indies, Cavehill. Her academic and professional experiences span the Caribbean and the UK, contributing to a global perspective on public health and a strong commitment to health equity.

Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Roberts contributed to Antigua and Barbuda’s national COVID-19 response, collaborating with international partners to strengthen disease surveillance and reduce transmission. She also lectures in public health at the tertiary level, developing inclusive, student-centered curricula. During her time in public health practice, she volunteered on a national wellness committee, contributing to outreach and interventions focused on lifestyle modification for school-aged children. In addition to her academic and professional roles, she currently volunteers as an assistant to the mental health specialist at A Moment of Magic, supporting outreach and communications for mental health programming.

She aims to pursue a career in academia and research, with a focus on leading studies that inform equitable public health policy and mentoring the next generation of epidemiologists. She is especially interested in building inclusive research environments that amplify representation for minorities.

Research Interests: Chronic disease epidemiology (diabetes, obesity, mental health); environmental epidemiology (obesogenic and carcinogenic agents); health economics.

Why UNC Charlotte: I chose UNC Charlotte for its research expertise and the program’s strong emphasis on mentorship. The opportunity to work closely with experienced faculty and receive individualized guidance supports my professional development and long-term goals in the field of epidemiology.

Kevin Andoh, PharmD, MPH

Kevin Andoh is a doctoral student in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology, with an emphasis on mathematical and computational modeling to understand transmission dynamics and evaluate intervention strategies. He is particularly interested in integrating social and behavioral determinants of health into modeling frameworks to inform equitable and data-driven public health decisions.
Kevin earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Ghana, where he practiced as a clinical pharmacist in pediatric care. His clinical experience with infectious diseases in resource-limited settings motivated his transition to population-level health research. He later obtained a Master of Public Health degree from West Chester University and got inducted into the Alpha Eta and Delta Omega Honor Societies.
His professional background includes serving as a graduate assistant in biostatistics and as a public health intern, contributing to research, program evaluation, and community-based health initiatives. At UNC Charlotte, Kevin aims to advance infectious disease modeling methods that address health inequities and strengthen disease surveillance systems.
Following his doctoral studies, he aspires to pursue an academic research career focused on infectious disease prevention and control, global health equity, and the development of data-informed public health policies.

FALL 2024

Md. Tanveer Faruk, MBBS, MPH

Academic and Professional Background: Dr. Tanveer is a public health researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the research institution. He is skilled in Clinical Research, Medical Education, Epidemiology, Interpreting and analyze the data and Medicine. Strong health care services professional with Master of Public health (MPH) focused on Epidemiology. His research interests focus on improving childhood pneumonia, maternal and child nutrition, vaccine trials and other infectious diseases. He was the Co-Investigator of multiple international clinical trials and had extensive experience in Randomized Clinical trial in Ethiopia. He has several impactful publications, among them his most recent publication in Lancet Global Health journal showed the effectiveness of bubble CPAP for the under five children with severe pneumonia and hypoxemia. Dr. Tanveer worked in International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) for nine years and for his excellent scientific achievements in global public health, he has been promoted to Assistant Scientist recently. Dr. Tanveer is currently a Ph.D. student at UNC Charlotte.

Research Interests: My research interests focus on improving childhood pneumonia, maternal and child nutrition, vaccine trials and other infectious diseases.

Why You Chose UNC Charlotte: I worked as a research physician in a low- and middle-income country where the death rate for children under five is very high. These elements really had an impact on my decision to focus my research on mother and child nutrition. I want to complete my PhD in Epidemiology in UNC Charlotte to strengthen my knowledge to become an individual researcher, therefore, I can design my own study individually. This is the way I would contribute to my field (Public Health and Epidemiology) more impactfully.

Helia hadavi

Background: I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from University of Maryland College Park in 2013 and my Master of Science degree in Biotechnology with a concentration in Molecular Targets and Drug Discovery Techniques from Johns Hopkins University in 2017. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a summer intern with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to research the biological characteristics, properties, and roles that Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Type 2 (HER2) over expression have in ovarian and breast cancer. After graduating with my master’s degree, I worked as a post baccalaureated fellow with the National Cancer Institute to help conduct two research projects: one focused on the signaling pathways of alpha synuclein involved in Parkinson’s development and the other focused on enhancement and testing of an immunotherapeutic treatment regimen in mice for treating melanoma.
Research Interests: The areas I would like to conduct research focus on infectious disease epidemiology, the roles lack of physical activity and obesity have in the risk of developing eating disorders, suicide prevention and interventions, mental health of LGBTQ+, collegiate, and military individuals, occupational risk factors of mental illness, and the role of health disparities in physical and psychological health.
Why You Chose UNC Charlotte: I chose UNC Charlotte because the Epidemiology faculty perform research on topics and issues that I find fascinating and valuable. In my opinion, this program will enable me to become proficient and expert in the foundational knowledge, skills, and tools for conducting research in any sector where epidemiology plays a critical role.

Md. Mashfiq Hossain Khadem

Background: I am an international Ph.D. student in the Epidemiology program from Bangladesh. I
completed my undergraduate degree in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from
Sylhet Agricultural University in 2021, followed by a Master of Science in Epidemiology
and Public Health from the same institution in 2023. I believe the COVID-19 pandemic
greatly influenced my decision to focus more on research rather than clinical practice.
During my master’s, I was involved in several projects as a research assistant, studying
the epidemiology of infectious diseases, particularly zoonotic ones. I was fortunate to
gain experience in field surveys, as well as wet and dry lab activities during this time.
My thesis focused on estimating the true prevalence and determinants of Bovine
Brucellosis using Bayesian analysis. Additionally, I was involved in studying diseases
like Babesiosis, Anthrax, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease in livestock populations,
especially in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. I am a big fan of cricket, love riding
bikes and enjoy watching movies.
Research Interests: My research interests center on infectious disease epidemiology and biomedical data
sciences. I am eager to develop my skills in machine learning, spatio-temporal analysis,
risk assessment, and modeling within the realm of infectious diseases.
Why I Chose UNC Charlotte: The multidisciplinary approach of the faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and
Community Health, particularly their efforts in combating infectious diseases through the
Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER)
research center, drew me to UNC Charlotte.

Saeed Saadat

I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and a Master’s degree in Biostatistics from Iran. After completing my degrees, I worked for three years as a biostatistician at two medical universities and health research centers. Additionally, I earned an MPH with a concentration in healthy aging. Driven by my interest in machine learning modeling, I furthered my education in Germany by completing courses in data science. My research focuses on the application of machine learning algorithms and predictive models, particularly in the field of chronic disease epidemiology in older adults, with a special emphasis on cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. When choosing a PhD program, UNC Charlotte stood out to me for its robust curriculum in epidemiology and the diverse research interests of its faculty members. The accessibility and responsiveness of the faculty reinforced my decision that this was the ideal place to pursue my studies.

fall 2023

CHIDIMMA OKOLI

Chidimma Okoli, MPH, is a third-year PhD candidate in Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she also earned her MPH with a concentration in Epidemiology. She holds a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Covenant University, Nigeria. Her research interests span nutrition epidemiology, chronic disease epidemiology, and social epidemiology, with a particular focus on understanding how food access, security, and policy influence chronic disease risk and health outcomes among women, children, and young adults.

EKWONWA ESTHER C.

Academic Qualifications: BSc. Public Health; MPH (Epidemiology)

Professional Experience: Assistant Lecturer, Dept. of Public Health, Adeleke University Ede, Nigeria, Graduate Assistant, Dept. of Public Health, Adeleke University Ede, Nigeria

Research Projects: Awareness, knowledge and uptake of cervical cancer screening among women of reproductive age in Ede, Osun state. Determinants of Prostate Specific Antigen Testing among Men in Ede, Osun state

Research Interests: Chronic Disease Epidemiology: Cardiovascular Diseases; Cancer and Mental Health disorders

Reason for choosing UNC: The first attraction I had to UNC Charlotte was the beautiful campus and diverse community. I chose UNC Charlotte for its collaborative interdisciplinary approach to advancing Public Health.

Farzana RAHMAN

I hold dual degrees—an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and an MPH (Master of Public Health). My MD degree provides a strong foundation in clinical medicine, enabling a comprehensive understanding and management of patient health. In addition to this, my MPH degree equips
me with expertise in public health principles, and practices, focusing on population health. The combination of these degrees empowers me to integrate clinical insights with public health strategies, contributing to well-rounded healthcare solutions. As a public health enthusiast, I have worked on several research projects to identify the roots of the prevalent issues of society by working at the ground level. During the COVID pandemic, I worked with healthcare professionals, to measure sleep patterns associated with their job stressors, among those serving severely ill patients fighting for their lives. To continue the surge, I extended my work on evidence synthesis projects to assess the symptoms of long COVID-19 haulers. I also contributed to some projects on early childhood development, intimate partner violence, and some mental health issues. Apart from this, I was serving as a faculty in the Armed Forces Medical College, Dhaka. However, being a citizen of Dhaka, the third most polluted city in the world, the grievous health impacts of environmental pollution were not surprising to me, but undoubtedly, the number of annual deaths pertaining to environmental pollution triggered my conscience
miserably. Therefore, I developed an immense urge to work on environmental issues to ensure a better life expectancy for the people of my country. UNC Charlotte has piqued my interest because of its multi-disciplinary and research-oriented approach. The Ph.D. program at UNC Charlotte has a flexible curriculum to attract a diverse range of faculty members and students from different institutions and disciplines, which brings fresh perspectives and expertise to the program. Therefore, I believe, this program will equip me with enhanced knowledge to facilitate my learning experience and arm me with the skill sets to address specific health issues more elaborately. My goal of establishing health equity and my values also align perfectly with UNC Charlotte’s mission statement. I could not think of a
better place than the Department of Epidemiology at UNC Charlotte, for taking my first steps to fulfill my dreams and it is an absolute honor to be a part of UNC Charlotte.