CHOT Site Co-director/Co-Principal Investigator

J'Aime Jennings, PhD

Dr. Jennings' CV

Collaborating Principal Investigator

Demetra Antimisiaris, PharmD, BCGP, FASCP

Dr. Antimisiaris' CV

Collaborating Principal Investigator

Theo Edmonds, JD, MHA, MFA

Collaborating Principal Investigator

Bob Esterhay, MD

Collaborating Principal Investigator

Judah Thornewill, PhD

Naiya Patel, Second-year Doctoral Student, M.P.H., B.D.S., is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Health Policy at the University of Louisville, Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences. She is a research assistant at the National Science Foundation Funded Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT) and The Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky (C.I.K.). She has diverse work experience in Pharmaceuticals as a Clinical Trial  Feasibility Specialist and higher education as a Graduate Research Assistant. Naiya also served as a general dental practitioner in the clinical setting for a couple of years. She graduated with an Academic Excellence award in Master of Public Health from Long Island University Brooklyn and is an honored member of the Alpha Eta honorary society. Naiya’s research interests are Health Economics and Outcomes Research in Lung Cancer and Oncology in general, Medicaid Capitation Payment and its impact on Health Care Utilization, Impact of Health Policies on Lung Cancer Outcomes, and Cost-effectiveness analysis in general. She has published in reputable journals while serving as a reviewer for reputed journals like B.M.J., Elsevier, Health Affairs, and Organizations like AcademyHealth and ISPOR.

COVID-19 relevant services:  Naiya has  Co-edited a book titled  “Economics of COVID-19: Digital Health, Education and Psychology”  with Indian presidential award-winning  Health Economist. She is actively involved in conceptual research modeling and projections with a group of COVID-19  research taskforce led by Dr.Seyed Karimi and jointly created at the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and The University Louisville School of  Public Health. The reports of weekly COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations projections have been highlighted in several press briefing at the local and state level and has also been mentioned by Governor Beshear in his press briefings on COVID-19. The COVID-19 projection research paper was selected as one of the top 5% student research abstract at the ISPOR 2020 Europe international conference and earned a golden badge. Her other research paper on the impact of COVID-19 in the Dental sector is published on the WHO COVID-19 research repository website. Naiya's CV

Sahal Alzahrani is a second year Ph.D. student at the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville. He completed his Master in Healthcare Administration from the University of New Haven, Connecticut. Sahal has worked as a physical therapist for two years in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, he has worked as lecturer for two years at Saudi Electronic University. His research interests are rehabilitation care and healthcare management for the elderly and disabled population. Sahal's CV.

Emmanuel Ezekekwu is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Management & Systems Sciences at the University of Louisville and earned a Master of Health Administration at Western Kentucky University. He has a background in Pharmacy and has several years of experience in the pharmaceutical and health fields. Emmanuel has published and co-authored in several outlets. He has presented and served as a peer-reviewer for several prestigious journals and professional organizations such as the CDC-Preventing Chronic Disease, Journal of Healthcare Management, American Public Health Association, AcademyHealth, and Academy of Management. Also, he is a co-convener, investigator, and founding member of the RAPID Alliance - a multi-stakeholder research consortium. His research interests include Healthcare Emergency and Risk Management, Patient-Centered Outcomes, and Health Care Disparities.

Sonali S. Salunkhe, MD, MPH is a doctoral student in Health Management and Policy with a concentration in Health Policy Research at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences and a graduate research assistant for the University of Louisville’s Center for Health Organization Transformation. She is an overseas-trained physician with over five years of clinical experience in a hospital setting and has also worked as a research assistant for a year at the Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville. She is an inductee of the prestigious Beta Pi Chapter of Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, inductee of the University of Louisville Chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, inductee of Golden Key International Honor Society, a recipient of Dean’s Award, a four-time recipient of the International Student Tuition Scholarship Award, and a recipient of University of Louisville Fellowship Award. She is also a winner of 2020 National Delta Omega Student Poster Competition. Her research interests include analyzing Medicaid-related health policies, maternal and child health policies, health economics, and culturally responsive public health solutions. 

Kelsey White, MDiv, MSc, BCC, is an experienced healthcare chaplain, a PhD candidate, and a CHOT Research Assistant. Kelsey’s research interests include healthcare chaplaincy, the role of religion and spirituality in the social determinants of health, and ensuring a diverse healthcare workforce. She co-edited Evidence-Based Healthcare Chaplaincy: A Research Reader (2018) and was one of sixteen chaplains to receive a Transforming Chaplaincy and Templeton Foundation Research Fellowship. She’s worked in a variety of healthcare delivery settings such as a large outpatient center, trauma hospital, and hospice organization. Kelsey has taught research methods courses to seminary students and research literacy to chaplaincy students. Kelsey White's CV

Zoë N. Resmondo, MSHA, is a second year MSHA student in the University of Louisville's School of Public Health and Information Sciences and a graduate research assistant for the Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT). She is also a clinical effectiveness intern at Norton Healthcare. Zoë's main research interests include the impact of social connection on the social determinants of health, the structure and performance of value-based purchasing programs, and the current state of the culture of well-being across ranges of health management and health systems. After graduation, she plans to undergo an administrative fellowship at MUSC Health and ultimately pursue a career in hospital operations.