
CCTST Leadership & Staff
CCTST Co-Directors

Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD, MPH
​
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Executive Associate Director, Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Associate Dean, Clinical & Translational Science & Training
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Jareen.Meinzen-Derr@cchmc.org

Jeffrey Strawn, MD
​
Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Research,
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Email: Jeffrey.Strawn@uc.edu

Achala Vagal, MD
​
Professor and Ben Felson Endowed Chair, Department of Radiology
Associate Dean, Clinical & Translational Science & Training
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Email: Achala.Vagal@uc.edu
CCTST Administrative Staff

Trina McFarland, BTAS

Michael Vierling, MBA
Business Director
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Michael.Vierling@cchmc.org

Christy Keller, BTAS
Hub Administrator (Program Manager)
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Christina.Keller@cchmc.org

Nicholas Hogan
Financial Analyst II
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Nicholas.Hogan@cchmc.org

Emma Jones, MA
Communication Specialist
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Emma.Jones2@cchmc.org

Connie Logan
Administrative Assistant
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Constance.Schenk@cchmc.org

William Weller
Program Management Coordinator
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: William.Weller@cchmc.org
CCTST Faculty & Staff

Brittany Rosen, PhD, MEd
Director of Evaluation
Director of Dissemination & Implementation
Research Associate Professor, Division of Adolescent & Transition Medicine
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Brittany.Rosen@cchmc.org

Michael Seid, PhD
Director of Learning Health Systems
Director, Health Outcomes & Quality Care Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
Member, James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence
Professor, Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Michael.Seid@cchmc.org​​​​

Taylor Groeschen
Program Management Specialist, Evaluation
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Taylor.Groeschen@cchmc.org

Jamie Tharrington
Strategic Management

Patrick Ryan, PhD, MS
Co-Lead, Workforce Development
Professor & Associate Director, Research, Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Patrick.Ryan@cchmc.org

Jackie Knapke, PhD
Co-Lead, Workforce Development
Assistant Professor, Interim Division Director
Research Division, Department of Family & Community Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Email: Jackie.Knapke@uc.edu

Jennifer Molano, MD
Director, Collaboration & Team Science
Professor, Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Email: Jennifer.Molano@uc.edu

Jason Blackard, PhD
Pipeline & Community Outreach, Workforce Development
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Email: Jason.Blackard@uc.edu

Laura Hildreth, MS
Program Director,
Collaboration & Team Science
University of Cincinnati
Email: Laura.Hildreth@uc.edu

Anna Johns
Program Manager,
Workforce Development
Collaboration & Team Science
University of Cincinnati
Email: Anna.Johns@uc.edu

Angela Mendell, MS, CCRP

Jennifer Veevers, PhD
Grant Development Specialist,
Workforce Development
University of Cincinnati
Email: Jennifer.Lowe@uc.edu

Lori Crosby, PsyD
Co-Lead, Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Co-Director, Innovations in Community Research
Professor, Pediatrics
Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Lori.Crosby@cchmc.org

Farrah Jacquez, PhD
Co-Lead, Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Assistant Vice President, Office of Research
Professor & Assistant Head,
Department of Psychology
University of Cincinnati
Email: Farrah.Jacquez@uc.edu​​​​
​
​

Monica Mitchell, PhD
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Senior Director, Community Relations
Co-Director, Innovations in Community Research
Professor, Pediatrics
Division of Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Monica.Mitchell@cchmc.org

Stacey Gomes, PhD
Senior Program Management Specialist,
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Stacey.Gomes@cchmc.org

Shaina Rose Horner, MS
Senior Research Associate,
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
University of Cincinnati
Email: Shaina.Horner@uc.edu

Alyx Cleveland
Research Associate,
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
University of Cincinnati
Email: Alyx.Cleveland@uc.edu

Julie Wijesooriya, MPA
Research Community Liaison,
Research Participant Advisory Group
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Julie.Wijesooriya@cchmc.org

Mo Kelly
Program Manager,
Research Participant Advisory Group
University of Cincinnati
Email: Maureen.Kelly@uc.edu

Nicholas Ollberding, PhD
Co-Lead, Resources & Services
Division, Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Professor, Pediatrics
University of Cincinnati
Email: Nicholas.Ollberding@cchmc.org

Jeffrey Strawn, MD
Co-Lead, Resources & Services
Co-Director, CCTST
Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Research, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Email: Jeffrey.Strawn@uc.edu
Resources & Services

Dennis McGraw, MD
Co-Lead, Pilot Grant Program
Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Director, Pulmonary Medicine
Cincinnati VA Medical Center
Email: Dennis.McGraw@uc.edu

Katherine Bowers, PhD, MPH
Co-Lead, Pilot Grant Program
Professor, Division of Biostatistics & Epidemiology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Katherine.Bowers@cchmc.org

Venois Peebles

Eneida Mendonca, MD, PhD
Co-Lead, Health Informatics
Director, Division of Biomedical Informatics
Rieveschl Chair of Biomedical Informatics
Professor, Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Eneida.Mendonca@cchmc.org

Umberto Tachinardi, MD
Co-Lead, Health Informatics
Senior Vice President & Chief Health Digital Officer, UC Health
Professor, Associate Dean & Chair, Department of Biostatistics, Clinical Informatics and Data Sciences
University of Cincinnati
Email: Umberto.Tachinardi@uc.edu

Elizabeth Kelly, MD
​Co-Lead, Integrated Health Model & Data Platform to Advance CTS
Medical Director, Community Women's Health, University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Professor & Executive Vice Chair, Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Cincinnati
Email: Elizabeth.Kelly@uc.edu

Carley Riley, MD, MPP, MHS
Co-Lead, Integrated Health Model & Data Platform to Advance CTS
Steward, Community Systems, Office of Population Health
Director, Mayerson Child Well-being Initiative
Fellow, The Nova Institute for Health
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Carley.Riley@cchmc.org

Anita Triggs, MS, MBA, CMP
Senior Specialist, Program Management, Integrated Health Model & Data Platform to Advance CTS
Michael Fisher Child Health Equity Center
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Email: Anita.Triggs@cchmc.org
Integrated Health Model & Data Platform to Advance Clinical & Translational Science

Meg Zeller, PhD
Director, K Scholars Career Development Award Program
Co-Director, Center for Child Behavior and Nutrition Research and Training
Pediatric Psychologist, Research, Behavioral Medicine & Clinical Psychology
Professor, Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Email: Meg.Zeller@cchmc.org

Moises Huaman, MD, MSc.
Associate Director, K Scholars Career Development Award Program
Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Cincinnati
Email: Moises.Huaman@uc.edu​​​​

Krista Metz
Administrative Program Director,
K Scholars Career Development Award Program
University of Cincinnati
Email: Krista.Newland@uc.edu

Sharon Watkins
Community Engagement Director
Community Action Agency​

Tamilyn Bakas, PhD, RN
Professor and Jane E. Procter Endowed Chair,
University of Cincinnati College of Nursing
Email: Tamilyn.Bakas@uc.edu

Melinda Butsch Kovacic, PhD, MPH
Professor & Associate Dean of Research, University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center
Director, Cancer Research Scholars Program
Director, We Engage 4 Health
Email: butschms@ucmail.uc.edu