Our Students
Student Handbook
Student Handbook
Khadijah Bland
Khadijah Bland joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2020. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Chemistry from Wesley College with a minor in Math and a certificate in Informatics. My research interests include patient outcomes and health disparities particularly within minority and underserved communities.
Ming-Ting Yang
Ming-Ting Yang joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2020. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Physical Therapy from National Taiwan University. Prior to joining the doctoral program, Ming-Ting worked at the Population Health Research Center at National Taiwan University School of Public Health to assist in evaluating the hospitalization experiences and unmet discharge needs from patient-and-family centered care perspectives. He was also a practicing Physical Therapist providing home and community-based services (HCBS). For his doctoral research, Ming-Ting aims to investigate the outcomes and quality of HCBS, and the impacts of relevant policies on the stakeholders.
Wenhan Guo
Wenhan Guo (Wenhan_Guo@URMC.Rochester.edu) joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2019. He received a BA and a MA in Health Policy from Nanjing Medical University, and earned a MS in Biostatistics from Columbia University. His research interests include long-term care and post-acute care, end of life quality of care, health finance, and health disparities. Wenhan loves travelling, basketball, cooking, and kayaking on Finger Lakes.
Aaron Bloschichak
Aaron Bloschichak joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2022. He received his B.S. in Neuroscience from Muhlenberg College and M.P.H. from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Prior to joining the doctoral program, he worked as a research assistant at the Health Care Cost Institute and as a research analyst at ECRI. His background includes evaluating health care spending trends in both Medicare and privately insured individuals, writing and editing systematic reviews to inform clinical guidelines, and using data visualization tools to inform policy and future research. His research interests include outcomes research for aging populations, unwarranted variation in spending and utilization, and health policy. When not in the office, Aaron enjoys hiking, skiing, and watching the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies.
Zijing Cheng
Zijing Cheng (AKA. Flora) joined the HSR & Policy Ph.D. program in 2020. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Policy, Financial Economics, and Mathematics from the University of Rochester in 2018; and a Master of Science degree in Global Health and Population from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2020. Her research interests include health economics, health financing, the use of technology in the improvement of health outcomes, and the quality of care for aging and vulnerable populations.
Porooshat Dadgostar
Porooshat Dadgostar joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2020. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology-Physiology from the University of Washington and her Master of Public Health from George Washington University. She is continuing her education by studying health services research to learn the methodologies to define complex problems in public health dynamically, identify the factors influencing the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations, and disentangle the complexities of health systems.
Espérance Mutoniwase
Espérance Mutoniwase joined the HSRP Ph.D. program in 2021. She completed her undergraduate studies in philosophy at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include health care management, health economics, health disparities, and health care ethics. Espérance loves the outdoors and is a yoga enthusiast.
Teraisa Chloros
Teraisa Chloros joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2013. He earned a Bachelor's in Medical Informatics with a concentration in psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology. She continued her education at the University of Rochester and earned a Master's in Medical Informatics with a concentration in public health. Teraisa’s research interests include the electronic medical record, patient portal utilization and patient outcomes. She plans to investigate how technology in the medical field affects patient behavior.
Ruonan Ding
Ruonan Ding received her Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California San Diego and earned a Master of Science degree at the University of Southern California. She then worked at a biotechnology company where she focused on supporting health economics and outcome research (HEOR) as well as real-world evidence (RWE). Currently, her research interests include health economics, decision modeling, health disparities, and healthcare utilization.
Claire Louise Herrman
Claire Louise Herrman started the HSR & Policy Ph.D. Program in 2022. She currently holds a bachelors in nursing, an MPH with a concentration in public health practice, and maintains an active RN licensure in New York and Texas. In her career thus far, she has managed vaccine programs, worked in opioid overdose response, taught clinical public health nursing, and collaborated on disaster management plans. Most recently, she helped manage the COVID-19 vaccination programs and epidemiological response at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Her research interest is the intersection of climate change and public health with an emphasis on preparedness and environmental health behaviors.
Tianwen Huan
Tianwen Huan joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2018. She completed her undergraduate studies in Public Administration at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China, and received a master degree in Administration Management from Fudan University in China, as well as a M.S. in Statistical Practice in Boston University. Her current research interests include health economics, health disparity and statistical modeling, etc. In her spare time, Tianwen enjoys hiking and traveling.
Yusheng Jia
Yusheng Jia joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2023. She earned her Bachelor of Management from Fudan University and followed it with a Master of Science in Global Health and Population from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Prior to coming to Rochester, Yusheng worked as a business consultant and subsequently as a research assistant in the fields of economic evaluation and health equity research. Her research interests include health economics, health disparities, and policy evaluation, particularly concerning disabled and aging populations.
Deniz Naghibi
Deniz Naghibi (deniz_naghibi@urmc.rochester.edu) joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2022. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Her research interests include systematic reviews, health disparities, socioeconomic determinants of health, and health economics. She likes hiking, traveling, and going on new adventures with friends.
Zhi Pan
Zhi Pan earned her Master of Science in biostatistics from Columbia University. After graduation, she worked for the Prevention Center and Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of Pennsylvania, and also received her MPH degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests focus on improving quality and outcomes of healthcare. Outside of work, she enjoys music, reading, swimming, and cooking.
Alex Torbuck
Alex Torbuck joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2021. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of East Anglia and a Master of Science degree in Health Economics from the University of York. His research interests are health economics, preventative policy and tobacco.
Yunna Xie
Yunna Xie joined the HSR & Policy PhD program in 2015. She received her Bachelor's degree in Dentistry from West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, and Master of Science degree in Health Economics from Heidelberg University. Yunna's research interests are focused mainly on application of machine learning especially deep learning in healthcare, physician decision making, and implementation of new clinical interventions.