Current Graduate Students
Temitayo Okusanya, MCW PhD Candidate, Public & Community Health Program. Student lab leader.
My research focuses on improving patient outcomes and care experiences by addressing key organizational factors, the health workforce, and care delivery processes within health systems. I also leverage community-based participatory research, behavioral science, and user-centered design approaches to develop patient-centered health technologies and interventions. These approaches ensure that solutions are equitable, evidence-based, and tailored to enhance both the quality of care and the overall patient experience. My dissertation aims to explore the relationship between organizational culture and patient-provider communication in the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health service delivery, using a mixed-methods research approach.
Temitayo's publications can be viewed here.
Ana Mia Corujo, MD candidate, is an incoming family medicine resident from Puerto Rico with a strong commitment to community-centered, culturally responsive care. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she focused on health disparities, patient advocacy, and community engagement.
Ana Mia's work has been shaped by experiences in both academic medicine and community settings. As a post-baccalaureate research scholar at Mayo Clinic, she conducted regenerative neuroscience research and gained an appreciation for the scientific foundations of clinical care.
Her experiences in Puerto Rico, including post–Hurricane Maria education initiatives and COVID-19 response efforts in Loíza, Puerto Rico, have deeply informed her dedication to underserved communities. She has also been actively involved in a student-run clinic for uninsured patients, advocating for equitable access to care.
Her professional interests include preventive care, evidenced-based medicine, health equity, and serving Spanish-speaking communities. She is passionate about building long-term relationships with patients and addressing the social factors that impact health.
Post Doctoral Fellows
Chima Anyanwu, PhD
Dr. Anyanwu is a Postdoctoral research intern at the Center for Advancing
Population Science and in the Franco lab at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Dr. Anyanwu received his PhD in Public and Community Health from the Medical
College of Wisconsin. His research focuses on the impact of environmental
conditions on chronic diseases and the application of data science and GIS in
public health research. His current work focuses on lung cancer prevention and
access to lung cancer screening.
Summer Interns
Redson Machongo from Malawi in Africa, is a Ph.D. Student in Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Redson is passionate about advancing health equity in maternal and child health, his research interests focus on postpartum health disparities, particularly the effects of social determinants of health (SDoH) on postpartum sleep among Black mothers. His research utilizes secondary data analysis, including the All of Us Research Program dataset. Additionally, he is committed to exploring how substance use, intimate partner violence, and other factors influence maternal mental health through data-driven approaches. With experience in nursing and public health, Redson is dedicated to advancing equitable healthcare outcomes through research, community engagement, and evidence-based. Redson worked with Dr. Franco as part of the Milwaukee AHEC Community Health Internship (CHIP) program. Former Students & Fellows
Jean Mallett, DrPH, MBA, is a Program Director at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), where she leads initiatives that foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.
Dr. Mallett is passionate about advancing inclusive excellence, directing pathway programs, and providing students with opportunities for community engagement and volunteerism. Her work focuses on ensuring that learners not only have access to opportunities but also feel supported and heard in their academic journeys. A proud recipient of MCW's 2016 President’s Diversity and Inclusion Award and named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List in 2011, Dr. Mallett’s leadership and commitment to belonging have been widely recognized.
Dr. Mallett holds a Doctorate in Public Health from MCW and an MBA from Alverno College, in addition to a bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University. She has earned professional certifications in Nonprofit Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and in Bilingual Entrepreneurship from UWM’s School of Continuing Education. Her academic journey has been enriched through global educational experiences, including at the University of Puerto Rico (Recinto Rio Piedras), the University of Havana in Cuba through the Global Exchange People-to-People Program, and the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies and Beijing Institute of Technology.
