DISC Team and Community

Meet the Team

Gregory Aarons, Ph.D.
Co-Director
Professor, Psychiatry
Health Sciences gaarons@ucsd.edu

Borsika Rabin, Ph.D., M.P.H., Pharm.D.
Co-Director
Associate Professor
Public Health
Health Sciences barabin@ucsd.edu

Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Ph.D.
Director of Education and Training
Professor, Psychiatry
Health Sciences lbrookman@ucsd.edu

Nicole Stadnick, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Director of Dissemination and Evaluation
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Health Sciences nstadnic@health.ucsd.edu

DISC Management

Kera Swanson, M.P.H.
DISC Manager
knswanson@health.ucsd.edu

DISC currently offers undergraduate internships for course credit through the UC San Diego Family Medicine and Public Health Department (Course Number: FMPH199 and FMPH198). E-mail DISC Manager, Kera Swanson, for application instructions at knswanson@health.ucsd.edu.

Olivia Fang is currently a part of UCSD Extension's Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program. She is an alumni of UC Berkeley where she majored in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing. She is interested in psychiatry and wants to learn about the interdisciplinary nature of D&I research and how such research can guide and improve the implementation of interventions in healthcare.

Laura Sheckter is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Health Behavior and Health Policy. She hopes to learn how to help populations improve their overall well-being during her time at UCSD. More specifically, Laura is interested in learning about the process of writing D&I research and gaining the tools to apply that research through experiential learning.

DISC Consultation Team

Due to limited staff capacity, the DISC Consultation services are currently only available to those from ACTRI-affiliated institutions listed here.

To request DISC Consultations, please complete the Consultation Request Form. The form will ask questions about you and your D&I project. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The information that you share will be reviewed by the DISC Consultation team on a rolling basis. Please note that the DISC Consultation Team requires 7-10 business days to review and respond to consultation requests. Please review the Triage for Grant-related and Manuscript requests below for more detailed information about timeline and allowable requests. Consultations are not a guarantee for the consultant being able to serve as a Co-Investigator on the grant proposal. As part of our consultation services we provide resources, initial guidance for models, measures, and designs and we can make recommendations to connect you with others who could serve as Co-Investigators on your proposal, if needed.

Who can request a DISC Consultation?

Due to limited staff capacity, the DISC Consultation services are currently only available to those from UC San Diego ACTRI-affiliated institutions listed here. You must also be a current DISC Member to request DISC Consultation. To become a member, please join here.

Become a Member

Current D&I Science Center Consultation Team

Gregory Aarons

Dr. Gregory Aarons is a clinical and organizational psychologist, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego (UCSD), a faculty member in the UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Co-Director of the UCSD Dissemination and Implementation Science Center (DISC), and Director of the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC).

Erika Crable

Dr. Crable is a Postdoctoral Scholar and health services researcher. Her research focuses on improving the use of evidence in policymaking, and testing implementation strategies to promote access to evidence-based substance use treatment, mental health services, HIV prevention and treatment services for safety-net and justice-involved populations. She is also a fellow in the NIMH/NIDA-funded Implementation Research Institute and in the NIDA-funded Lifespan/Brown University Criminal Justice Research Training Program.

Lauren Brookman-Frazee

Dr. Brookman-Frazee is a Professor in the UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry, Director of Education and Training for the DISC, Associate Director of the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, and Co-Director of the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. Her research involves partnering with community leaders, therapists, and families to develop, test, and implement scalable psychosocial interventions in children’s mental health and developmental services.

Bonnie Kaiser

Dr. Bonnie Kaiser is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Anthropology and Global Health Program. Her research focuses on elucidating cultural models of mental health and illness and exploring their connections to care-seeking; developing and adapting measurement tools for cross-cultural research and interventions; improving cultural adaptation of global mental health interventions; and critically exploring concepts of trauma, risk, and resilience.

Margaret Crane

Margaret Crane is clinical psychology PhD candidate at Temple University. Her research, which is funded by an F31 and a department grant, examines strategies to disseminate evidence-based practices for youth mental health. Margaret also is a therapist at the Temple University Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic, and a clinical extern at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Jessica Montoya

Dr. Jessica Montoya’s research has focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of mobile health interventions to promote health behaviors (e.g., medication adherence and physical activity). She is also interested in understanding the neurologic impact of comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and addictions, among individuals aging with HIV.

James Pittman

Dr. James Pittman earned his Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University, and his PhD in Social Work from Smith College School. He serves as the Associate Director for CESAMH's Education and Dissemination Unit and the Director for CESAMH's eScreening Core. He is the Lead Mental Health Social Worker and Section Chief for La Jolla Outpatient Mental Health Programs for the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Dr. Pittman is also an HS Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Borsika Rabin

Dr. Borsika Rabin is an Associate Professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, the Co-Director of the UC San Diego Dissemination and Implementation Science Center (DISC), and an Implementation Science (IS) expert on a number of large NIH and VA Center grants and research projects including the VA San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health and the Quadruple Aim QUERI Program (Denver VA).

Nicole Stadnick

Dr. Nicole Stadnick is an Assistant Professor and licensed psychologist at the University of California, San Diego. Her research aims to examine the effectiveness and implementation of evidence-based practices for children with mental health and developmental concerns served in community-based settings.

Kera Swanson

Ms. Kera Swanson is the DISC Manager and an Assistant Consultant. She graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2019 with an MPH. Kera has held research management positions with the VA's National Center for PTSD Dissemination Implementation and Training Division and UC Irvine. Kera has growing interest and experience in dissemination and implementation science and brings a unique skillset to the DISC offering clinical, research, and team management expertise.

Rajat Suri

Dr. Rajat Suri is a new Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
(PCCM) attending, who just finished his fellowship at UCLA and has joined the
team at University of California San Diego. He specializes in health policy,
pulmonary and critical care, and implementation science.

Name	Affiliation	Investigator Specialty Area
Matthew Aalsma	Indiana University	Adolescent, behavioral health, criminal justice
Gregory Aarons	University of California San Diego, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)	Leadership, organizational climate, organizational culture, EPIS Framework, scale-up strategies, scaling-out, measures, provider attitudes, community-academic partnerships, mixed-methods
Wael Al-Delaimy	University of California San Diego	Mental health, global health, epidemiology, public health
Tala Al-Rousan	University of California San Diego	Epidemiology, hypertension, aging, health disparities, Community-based research, Global health
Jennifer Anger	University of California System, VA San Diego, County Health Department	Health services research, urology, robotic surgery, transgender care
Heather Angier	Oregon Health & Science University	Primary care, preventive services, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, healthcare disparities
Robert Anthenelli	University of California San Diego	Addiction, alcohol use disorder, tobacco use disorder, substance use disorder, comorbidity, stress axis, sex differences
Elva Arredondo	San Diego State University	Health disparities research, chronic disease prevention, Latino health, multilevel interventions
Yuka Asada	University of Illinois Chicago	Nutrition, health policy, qualitative methods, school wellness policies, sugary beverage taxes, nutrition policy
Roman Ayele	Colorado University Anschutz	Implementation science, Adaptations, Qualitative research, Veterans health, Dementia, Health services research
Laura Balis	Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)	Physical activity, community, implementation science, low to middle income countries, policies, built environment
Miya Barnett	University of California Santa Barbara	Lay health workers, mental health disparities, consumer engagement, Latinx, Measuring adaptations, Fidelity measurement, Parenting
Angela Bazzi	University of California San Diego	HIV, substance use, injection drug use, sexual health, epidemiology, qualitative methods, mixed methods
Theresa Betancourt	Boston College	Implementation Science, Mental Health, Trauma, Early Childhood Development, Family Strengthening, Violence Reduction, Global Health, Public Health
Erika Borkoles	Griffith University	Implementation science, public health - political and social determinants of health, obesity, sport and exercise, qualitative methods, climate action
Maya Boustani	Loma Linda University	Mental health, youth, community, child, implementation, services research
Sarabeth Broder-Fingert	University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School	Pediatrics, Autism, Health Services, Public health, Mental health
Lauren Brookman-Frazee	University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital	Children's mental health services, community-partnered research, autism, early intervention services, hybrid implementation-effectiveness trials, provider training, implementation strategies, disparities
Alicia Bunger	Ohio State University	Organizations, Collaboration, Community-Engagement, Behavioral Health, Social Networks
Alan Card	University of California San Diego	Safety, Quality, Risk management, Patient safety, Improvement science, Intervention design, Toolkits, Burnout, Well-being, Organizational change
Morgen Chalmiers	University of California San Diego	Ethnography, qualitative methods, gender, reproductive health, sexual health
Erika Crable	University of California San Diego	D&I Frameworks, Models, Theories, Implementation Outcomes, Hybrid Designs, Substance use treatment, Justice-involved populations, Medicaid, Safety-net settings/populations, Health services research
Margaret Crane	Temple University	Dissemination, mental health literacy, evidence-based practices, child anxiety
Colin Depp	University of California San Diego	Mobile technology, Research training, Serious mental illness, Suicide prevention, Healthy aging
Kelsey Dickson	San Diego State University	Autism, executive functioning, mental health, youth
Parambir Dulai	University of California San Diego, VA San Diego	Inflammatory bowel disease, Disease monitoring, Comparative effectiveness
Andrea Duran	Columbia University	Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Implementation Science, Telehealth, Exercise Physiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity Prevention
Jessica Elia	University of California San Francisco	Chronic disease, physical therapy, physical function, telehealth, inflammatory bowel disease, rehabilitation, prehabilitation, prevention, post-operative care, patient-centered decision making
Mark Ettenhofer	University of California San Diego, VA San Diego	Traumatic brain injury, neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, technology development, eye tracking, aging, concussion, military
Danielle Fettes	University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital	Child welfare, implementation science, evaluation research, youth mental health & substance use, community-academic partnerships, medical sociology, child trauma, family violence
Karen Fortuna	Dartmouth University	Digital peer support, Community engagement, Mobile technologies, Patient engagement, older adults, Serious mental illness
Bryan Garner	RTI International
Maryam Gholami	University of California San Diego	Cancer prevention, Health behavior intervention, Health promotion, Chronic disease prevention, D&I
Marybel Gonzalez	University of California San Diego	Neurocognitive development, Bio-psycho-social models, Brain development, Adolescent substance use, Family relationships, Neighborhood environment
Rachel Haine-Schlagel	San Diego State University	Parent engagement in services, direct to consumer marketing/consumer pull interventions, provider training
Syed Usman Hamdani	Global Institute of Human Development, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Pakistan	Global Mental Health, Public Mental Health, Child and adolescent mental health, Task-shifting, Trans-diagnostic interventions, Health applications of technology, Scaling up mental health services in low resource settings
Taylor Harris	Greater Los Angeles VA	Homelessness, Housing, Mental Health, Substance use, Tobacco use, Community integration, Care coordination
Allison Harvey	University of California Berkeley	Mental illness, sleep and circadian problems/disorders, community mental health
Sarah Haynes	University of California Davis	Epidemiology, telehealth, mixed methods, chronic disease management, adherence, telemonitoring, telemedicine
Eric Hekler	University of California San Diego	Behavior change, human-centered design, research methods, adaptive interventions, self-study, N-of-1 research methods, Small Data, Precision Health, community-driven design
Charlotte Hobbs	Rady Children's Hospital	Genomics, precision medicine, rare disease, pediatrics, neonatology
Cole Hooley	BYU	Scale-up, Mental health services
Samantha Hurst	University of California San Diego	Qualitative methods, mixed methods research design, vulnerable populations, cross-cultural theory, community-based participator research, academic-community partnerships
Kathryn Hyzak	Ohio State University, County Health Department	Health promotion, Health services research, Traumatic brain injury, Behavioral Health, Mixed methods research
Cheedy Jaja	University of Southern Florida	Sickle cell disease, Pharmacogenetics, Implementation science, Global health, health systems building
Allison Jobin	California State University San Marcos	Autism spectrum disorder, parent-mediated interventions, evidence-based practice for ASD, community-based effectiveness, treatment individualization
Lisa Juckett	Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center	Geriatrics, Physical rehabilitation, Home- and community-based services, Implementation frameworks, Fall prevention, Scoping review methodology
Bonnie Kaiser	University of California San Diego	Global mental health, Global implementation science, Task shifting, Adaptation, Qualitative research, Mixed methods, Haiti, Kenya, Anthropology
Patrick De Marie Katoto	County Health Department	Epidemiology, Tuberculosis, HIV, COVID-19, Air pollution, Tropical medicine, Quantitative skill
Bo-Kyung (Elizabeth) Kim	University of Southern California	Juvenile justice, mental, emotional, behavioral health, school-to-prison pipeline, services research, quantitative methods, trauma and resilience
Gwendolyn Lawson	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	Mental health, children, school, teacher, ADHD, socioeconomic status, teacher consultation, implementation, behavioral interventions
Daisy Le	George Washington University	Cancer Prevention and Control, Health Disparities, Tobacco Prevention and Control, HPV and Cervical Cancer, MHealth and Digital Technology, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Underserved Populations, Team Science, Mixed Methods Research, Women Living with HIV
Susan Lee	University of California San Diego	Long COVID, inflammatory arthritis, autoimmune connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout, osteoarthritis
Rebecca Lengnick-Hall	Washington University in St. Louis	organizations, bridging factors, qualitative
Teresa Lind	University of California San Diego	Child maltreatment, early adversity, preventative interventions, EBP sustainment, parenting
Teresa Lind	San Diego State University	Trauma, child development, early experiences, implementation science
Laurie Lindamer	VA San Diego	Mental health, evidence-based interventions, implementation
Sarah Linke	University of California San Diego	Physical activity promotion, health promotion, health systems implementation, behavioral medicine, clinical psychology
Nadia Liyanage-Don	Columbia University	Health behaviors, Preventive medicine, psychological distress, Healthcare disparities, Remote patient monitoring, Telemedicine, Cardiovascular disease
Kate Lovero	Columbia University	Global mental health, adolescent mental health, implementation science
Rebecka Lundgren	University of California San Diego	Social norms, gender, adolescence, sexual and reproductive health, scale up, adaptation, prevention of gender-based violence, male engagement
Katelyn Luu	University of California San Diego	Empathy, inquisitive, detailed, basic epidemiology, basic statistics, remote research
Patricia Maritim	University of Zambia- School of Public Health	Implementation Science, Neglected tropical diseases, Sexual and Reproductive health, Health equity
Kassandra Martinez	University of California San Diego, San Diego State University, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)	Autism Spectrum Disorder, Community Based Participatory Research, Children's Mental Health Services, Disparities, Access to Care, Integrated Care
Gabriella McLoughlin	Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC), Washington University in St. Louis
Charles Meliska	University of California San Diego, County Health Department	Mixed methods, qualitative, school wellness, physical activity, obesity prevention, organizational capacity, nutrition, food insecurity, implementation science, translational research
Laura Milko	University of North Carolina	clinical, depression, research
Sheila Mody	University of California San Diego, County Health Department	Genomic, Sequencing, Screening, Precision, Medicine, Genetic, Testing, Clinical, Actionability
Jessica Montoya	University of California San Diego	Contraception
Ann Marie Moraitis	University of Utah	HIV, substance use disorders, aging, physical activity, everyday functioning, mobile health, adherence
Frances Nedjat-Haiem	San Diego State University	Young adult, Cancer, Survivorship, Physical activity, Exercise physiology, Wellbeing, Symptom science
Frances Nedjat-Haiem	San Diego State University, County Health Department	Palliative Care, Social Justice, Health Services Research, End of Life Care, Medical or Health Social Work, Oncology/Cancer Care, Chronic Disease Management, Patient Navigation, Veterans
Jesse Nodora	University of California San Diego, County Health Department	Cancer Prevention, Cancer Disparities, Cancer Screening, Women's Bladder Health, Underserved Populations, Multilevel Interventions, Multicultural Research, Community-based Research, Public Health Evidence Based Practice
Elizabeth Painter	BroderickHaight Consulting	ASD, DD, ADHD, ID
Lawrence Palinkas	University of Southern California, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)	Implementation science, mental health services, health services research, health policy, community engaged research, social determinants of health
Barbara Parry	University of California San Diego, VA San Diego, County Health Department	Mood disorders, Women’s health, Circadian rhythms, Sleep, Light treatment, Endocrine, Melatonin, Premenstrual syndrome, Peripartum, Menopause
Monica Perez Jolles	University of Southern California	Federally Qualified Health Centers, Patient-centered care, ACE state policy, complex health interventions, health services research, health disparities
Rebecca Phillips	Ohio State University	Context-Process-Outcome Evaluation, Health & Human Service Systems, Occupational Health & Well-Being, Participatory Action Research, Multi-level Theory-based Implementation
Bobbi Pineda	University of Southern California	NICU, Preterm, Therapy, Access, Intervention, Uptake, Sensory, Development, Outcomes, Environment
James Pittman	University of California San Diego, VA San Diego	electronic screening, mental health, PTSD, trauma, social work
Byron Powell	Washington University in St. Louis	Mental Health Services Research, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Qualitative Research, Mixed Methods Research, Implementation Research, Implementation Strategies, Theories and Frameworks
Borsika Rabin	University of California San Diego, VA San Diego, County Health Department	Dissemination, implementation, adaptation, pragmatic measurement, designing for dissemination and implementation
Sally Rafie	University of California San Diego	contraception, pharmacists, pharmacy, community pharmacy, emergency contraception, medication abortion, family planning
Serena Rajabiun	County Health Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell	HIV/AIDS, community health workers, health services research, cost, social determinants of health
Hanna Reich de Paredes	Depression Research Center	Mental health, Depression, Migration, Transcultural psychology, Psychotherapy, Implementation, Digital health, Ecological momentary assessment, Measurement equivalence, Health care utilization
Sarah Rojas	University of California San Diego	HIV, Prep, HCV, trans, LGBT, health disparities
Laurel Sarfan	University of California San Diego	Transdiagnostic treatments/mechanisms, Sleep and circadian dysfunction, Anxiety disorders, Treatment evaluation, Cognitive and behavioral therapies
Cynthia Schairer	University of California San Diego	Qualitative research, community and stakeholder engagement, technology, public health, ethics
Melody Schiaffino	San Diego State University	HSR, Systems and data science, Organizational Theory, Health disparities, Cancer and aging
Gregory Seibert	University of California San Diego, County Health Department	Self-Regulation, Dyadic Regulation, Burnout, Open Dialogue, Behavioral Interventions, Addiction
Rebecca Selove	Tennessee State University	Psychology, Public health, Implementation science
Argentina Servin	University of California San Diego	Adolescent health, Sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, STIs, Gender-based violence, Gender Equity and Health, Migrant Health, Female sex workers
Marisa Sklar	University of California San Diego, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)	Mental health, integrated primary care, Research design, Psychometrics, Quantitative methods, Qualitative methods, Mixed methods, Quasi experimental design
David Sleet	San Diego State University	Injury, prevention, accidents, behavioral science, health promotion, disease prevention, drowning, concussion, traffic injury
David Sommerfeld	University of California San Diego	Behavioral health services, intervention development, intervention implementation, treatment engagement strategies, community-based collaborative research, evaluation
Dara Sorkin	University of California Irvine	health disparities, social support, behavioral health, health promotion, social network
Nicole Stadnick	University of California San Diego	implementation science, mental health services, community academic partnerships, integrated care, cross-system implementation, autism, pediatrics, evidence-based practice
Irene Su	University of California San Diego	Reproductive health, Cancer survivorship, Reproductive epidemiology, Clinical trials, Infertility
Jessica Suhrheinrich	San Diego State University
Rajat Suri	University of California San Diego
Asma Taha	California State University Fullerton	Children, Disability, Quality of life, Global health
Ming Tai-Seale	University of California San Diego	Learning health system, patient experience, practice of medicine, physician wellness, chronic disease management, population health, patient engagement, shared decision making, technology, innovation
Jonathan Tobin	Rockefeller University	PBRN, practice-based research network, community engaged research, comparative effectiveness research, implementation science, cardiovascular epidemiology, primary care
Kiyomi Tsuyuki	University of California San Diego	HIV, Substance use, Violence, Mental Health, STIs, Youth, Racial and ethnic disparities, Brazil, HIV testing
Pamela Valera	County Health Department, Rutgers University	Cancer health disparities, smoking cessation, criminal justice, men, misinformation, COVID-19, substance abuse, sexual and gender minority groups, HIV
Jennifer Velloza	University of Washington	Global mental health, HIV prevention, adolescents and young adults, Sub-Saharan Africa, implementation science frameworks, CFIR, hybrid trials, pragmatic trials, mHealth
Gabriel Wardi	University of California San Diego	Sepsis, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, machine learning, critical care, emergency medicine, resuscitation
Paul Watson	Global Action Research Center	Community, Engagement, Community Facilitation, Participatory Action Research, Data Collection, Empirical Knowledge, Community Consensus, Bi-directional Learning, Theory of Change, Appreciative Inquiry
Douglas Ziedonis	University of New Mexico	Addiction, Tobacco, Mental Illness, Schizophrenia, Psychosocial interventions, Organizational Change, Mindfulness, Obesity, Opioids, Wellness

* This information was obtained from the DISC Annual Survey

The DISC publishes a DISC Data Dashboard highlighting the number of DISC Consultations to date, Twitter followers, and DISC Membership count.

DISC Data-102022

DISC Team and Community

Executive Leadership Team

Meet the Team

DISC Management

DISC Trainees