Sophia Vallandingham - Research Assistant

Sophia Vallandingham is a senior at the University of Maryland pursuing a dual degree in Public Health Practice and Psychology. She is passionate about increasing access to evidence-based prevention, education, and treatment programs for individuals struggling with substance use disorders through health education and health policy. In January 2026, she joined CESAR/GMAP and works on a variety of substance use research projects. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and work in governmental public health in the future.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park  
B.A. Psychology (Expected May 2026)
B.S. Public Health Practice (Expected August 2026)

Maria Lukz - Research Assistant

Maria Lukz is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the University of Maryland pursuing a dual degree in Public Health Science and Geospatial Data Science. She is passionate about disease prevention, health equity, and epidemiology and will be working primarily with the Emergency Department Drug Surveillance (EDDS) project under CESAR. Maria has experience working in tobacco prevention, occupational health, GIS, and additionally works as a science communications intern at the Moore Lab.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park 
B.S. Public Health Science (expected May 2027)

B.S. Geographical Sciences -- Geospatial Data Science Specialization (expected May 2027)

Meghna Krishnan - Research Assistant

Meghna Krishnan is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the University of Maryland (UMD) pursuing a degree in Public Health Science with a minor in Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy. She is passionate about equitable health access, environmental health, and health education. She will be contributing to projects including Advancing Addiction Research and Treatment through Engagement with Rural Marylanders Impacted by PolySubstance Use (ARTEMIS) and Peer Behavioral Activation Utilization to Address Structural Racism and Discrimination and Improve HIV Outcomes in High-Risk, Substance-Using Populations (PUSH) under CESAR. Meghna has experience working at the National Cancer Institute with tobacco prevention research and at UMD’s School of Public Health’s Office of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement (OPHPE).

 Education:

 University of Maryland, College Park
 B.S. Public Health Science (expected May 2026)

Nicole Fortune Hernandez - Graduate Research Assistant

Nicole Fortune Hernandez graduated with a BS in Public Health Science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2021 and with a MSPH in Health Policy and Management from the Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2023. She joined CESAR in the Summer of 2025 as part of the MPower UM Scholars Summer Research Program. She is currently a medical student pursuing her MD at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. After graduation, Nicole hopes to become a physician advocate in her field of practice.

Education:

University of Maryland, College Park
B.S. in Public Health Science

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
MSPH in Health Policy and Management

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
M.D. (expected May 2028)

Hakima Hussaini - Research Assistant

Hakima Hussaini majored in biology and pre-med for her undergraduate degree. Initially, she wanted to pursue medical school and become a psychiatrist. After graduating with a B.S. during the pandemic surge, she began working in the biotechnology industry for about two years. Upon learning the medical field is more focused on the body as a collection of organs rather than having a holistic approach to human health, she decided to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Behavioral and Community Health (BCH) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Hakima became increasingly immersed in mental health and psychology during her MPH program. Before GMAP/CESAR, Hakima worked with Dr. Kirsten Stoebenau for two years at the UMD School of Public Health on a study of mental health and HIV status in sub-Saharan Africa. During her internship with Roberta's House in Baltimore, she recognized a deeper commitment to contribute to systematic changes that can reduce the prevalence of addiction, substance use, and overdose in Maryland and subsequently joined GMAP/CESAR.

Education:
University of the District of Columbia
B.S. Biology

University of Maryland, College Park 
M.P.H. Behavioral and Community Health

 Antonia Campbell - Research Assistant

Antonia (Nina) Campbell joined CESAR/GMAP in January of 2026, and currently contributes to research studies across both labs, including Khanya-Ekhaya, HEAL, ARTEMIS, PRISM, and RAISE. Nina is enthusiastic about increasing access to mental health care through peer-delivered interventions, integrating substance use treatment with mental health care, and exploring effective use of mindfulness- and nature-based therapies.

Before coming to University of Maryland, Nina worked at the Sheppard Pratt School in Rockville, a special needs day school serving students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. There, she supported high schoolers’ behavior and learning goals using evidence-based frameworks from Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Nina received a BA in Ethics, Politics, & Economics from Yale University in 2019, after which she spent a year in residence at Green Gulch Farm/Green Dragon Temple, a branch of the San Francisco Zen Center. She worked for several years in climate tech before making a career transition into clinical psychology.

 Education:

Yale University

B.A. Ethics, Politics & Economics, 2019 

Chiara Sforza - Research Assistant

Chiara Sforza is a post-baccalaureate research assistant who graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology (with a focus in Medical Anthropology) in May 2025. She joined CESAR as a research assistant in Fall of 2024. She also formed part of the Honors Global Challenges and Solutions program where she learned about global issues and data science. Additionally, she volunteered at the Help Center at UMD, where she received training in counseling. She will pursue a Master of Science in Clinical Social Work in Fall 2026. One day she may pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests include mental health, substance use, and comorbidities.

Education:
University of Maryland, College Park
MD B.A. Psychology & Anthropology