Laili Boozary, PhD
Laili began her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the HPRC in February 2023. She earned her PhD in Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology from The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus in 2022, where her research targeted reward processing (AKA the basal ganglia), including dopaminergic and other monoamine involvement. Dr. Boozary’s primary research interest is to understand the intersection of tobacco-use/addiction, health disparities, and neuroscience. Her work at the HPRC will focus on understanding tobacco-related health disparities from a neural perspective in order to inform treatment strategies for populations that have a hard time quitting.
Gautham Chengizkhan, PhD
Gautham embarked on his journey as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, in February 2024. Gautham earned his Ph.D. in endocrine oncology from the Department of Endocrinology at the University of Madras, India. Gautham's academic journey has been marked by a fervent dedication to understanding the intricacies of cellular mechanisms. At present, under Prof. Lurdes Queimado’s mentorship, Gautham, investigates the impacts of e-cigarette aerosols on human cells and explores the effects of cannabinoids and cannabis on inflammation, DNA damage, and stemness, employing in vitro models and samples from community volunteers to understand mechanisms influencing cancer risk and therapy outcomes. This comprehensive investigation not only seeks to unveil the underlying mechanisms but also aims to shed light on patient outcomes, underscoring Gautham’s commitment to translational research. Our research is prepared to make a significant contribution to our comprehension of the intricate interplay among environmental exposures, cellular responses, and human health.
Mayilvanan Chinnaiyan, PhD
Mayil began his role as a Research Associate in 2018, later advancing to the role of Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, in January 2021. During his PhD in Biomedical Sciences-Endocrinology at the University of Madras, India, he focused on investigating the complex molecular mechanisms underlying GLUT4 translocation in type-2 diabetes, employing an animal model. Currently, under the mentorship of Dr. Lurdes Queimado, Mayil directs his research efforts towards unraveling cellular and molecular toxicology associated with the diverse use of tobacco products, encompassing combustible tobacco and electronic cigarettes. Beyond this focus, his research interests extend to exploring vape topography, assessing the impact of e-cigarette aerosols on tissue culture, and studying the effects of cannabis on oral inflammation and DNA damage. Our findings geared towards improving public health outcomes by addressing the harmful effects of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and cannabis use on both individual and population levels.
Adele Hammoudi, PhD
Adele Hammoudi earned her PhD in Cellular and molecular biology from Paris-Est Creteil University (UPEC), Creteil, France, on 24th January 2024. Dr. Hammoudi’s PhD thesis focused on the structural basis for the development of an innovative HIV-1 vaccine designed to amplify humoral responses through the targeting of Langerhans cells (type of dendritic cells). Before her PhD, she earned an IDEX scholarship to perform her Master II degree in bio-health engineering at Grenoble Alpes University (UGA), Grenoble, France, she earned her degree in July 2020. She previously obtained her Master I and Bachelor’s degree in animal biology from the Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon (2015-2019). Her current focuses is on assessing the impact of external factors (e.g., tobacco, e-cigarettes, cannabis) on inflammation and DNA damage.
Gaurav Kumar, PhD
Gaurav Kumar joined the Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) team in August 2024 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He earned his PhD in Health Promotion from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he focused on physical activity among cancer survivors using a mixed-methods approach. In addition to his PhD, he holds a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) with a major in Epidemiology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His research focuses on health promotion among diverse communities, cancer care, management, and behavior change research. His work aims to address health disparities and promote equitable health practices.
Jeremy Langford, PhD
Jeremy began his fellowship at the HPRC in January 2024 after earning his PhD in Psychology: Behavior Analysis from West Virginia University. He is interested in developing mobile-based interventions to promote health-related behaviors (e.g., smoking cessation, drug abstinence, physical activity) by investigating the behavior-environment relations that influence sustained behavior change. His research focuses on using behavioral principles to identify the conditions in which efforts to promote health behaviors are most needed and most likely to be successful. In his work, Jeremy aims to integrate this knowledge into mobile technology platforms, leveraging the capabilities of digital tools to collect individual data and deliver tailor-made interventions.
Evaniya Shakya, PhD
Evaniya began her role as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the HPRC in October 2024. She completed her PhD in Nutritional Sciences and Clinical and Translational Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. Evaniya uses epidemiological research methods to study maternal and child health and nutrition. Her dissertation focused on evaluating a program assessing multisectoral interventions aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition in rural Niger. Dr. Shakya’s work at the HPRC will involve understanding the impact of exposures such as nutrition, climate change, and heat stress on maternal and infant epigenomes, as well as other health outcomes.
Sulfath Thottungal Parambil , PhD
Sulfath Thottungal Parambil began her role as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, in October 2024. She received her Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the University of Kerala, India, in 2024. Her doctoral thesis focused on evaluating the translational potential of atypical signaling molecules in triple-negative breast cancer and how they are conducive to an aggressive phenotype. She is keenly interested in the intricacies of cellular signaling and how cells are rewiring and reconnecting the pathways and translating into oncogenic sustenance. Under the supervision of Prof. Lurdes Queimado, she will be investigating the molecular mechanism of cancer cell stemness and therapeutic resistance in response to e-cigarette and cannabis use. Besides, her research will focus on transcriptome reprograming in tobacco/cannabis-associated neoplastic or malignant settings. Our investigations will shed light on the hitherto unknown underlying science of neoplastic progression in response to persistent vaping and cannabis exposure and will also provide insights into better therapeutic opportunities for managing drug resistance in cancer patients.
Sarah Tonkin, PhD
Sarah started as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the HPRC in August 2022. Sarah earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from The State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Tonkin's research seeks to identify psychological treatment mechanisms for smoking cessation and address treatment disparities by examining how these processes vary in populations that tend to benefit less from smoking interventions. To answer these questions, Sarah uses a translational approach that examines laboratory and “real-world” measurement of behavior, affect, and cognition. Her work at HPRC will integrate EMA, psychophysiology, and behavioral tasks to assess mechanisms and disparities.