Ryane Sickles is a public health advocate with a proven track record in addressing health disparities and advancing equity through wellness, education, and prevention. As the Director of Advocacy at YWCA Cincinnati, she works with a team on initiatives to address systemic inequities tied to the vital conditions for health and wellbeing. In this role, Ryane designs and implements evidence-based interventions, co-facilitates community training sessions to deepen understanding of systemic racism with a path toward liberation, and collaborates on policy advocacy to empower marginalized communities to seek change.
Her career has centered on reducing stigma, improving access to resources, and addressing social justice and public health challenges such as disease prevention, mental health, and substance use. She has worked with community organizations, health departments, and private agencies to create outreach initiatives that promote social justice and health equity. Additionally, she consults with Beacon Public Health to deliver virtual Health Equity training.
Ryane holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Social Justice, and a graduate certificate in Community-Engaged Research for Health. She is currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating on Health Equity and Social Justice to obtain her Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH). Her academic background and professional expertise position her to create sustainable, impactful change in underserved communities.
A first-of-its-kind Global Advocacy Toolkit equipping advocates across diverse international contexts with the strategies, frameworks, and tools they need to create lasting policy change worldwide.
Strategic Operations and Data Core Manager, Department of Emergency Medicine, Population Health and Health Services Program, The Ohio State University
🌎 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
David Spatholt is a strategic operations and data expert with over a decade of experience spanning clinical research, public health informatics, community development, and program management. He currently leads a team of five data analysts and project managers in the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University, overseeing a $7.5M grant-funded budget and complex electronic data capture systems, including REDCap. He holds a Master of Community Planning and a Master of Health Informatics from the University of Cincinnati and is pursuing an MBA at The Ohio State University. His background in community planning, affordable housing program management, and revolving loan fund administration provides a rare systems-level perspective on how land use, social determinants, and community infrastructure shape health outcomes.
Mr. Spatholt brings expertise in AI strategy, data analytics, workflow optimization, and implementation science to the BCPH Global Advocacy Toolkit project. His implementation science perspective, shaped by years of bridging evidence and operations in clinical and community settings, directly informs the toolkit’s practical usability and systems-thinking components. Mr. Spatholt’s work centers on translating complex data systems into actionable frameworks that advance equity-centered public health advocacy.
As the Data and Systems Coordination Lead, David supports the operational infrastructure of the project, ensuring that information gathering, review processes, and documentation remain coordinated and accessible across all phases.
Dr. Dominique (Dom) Chao, PsyD, is a first-generation immigrant and rehabilitation neuropsychologist who serves as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. They have built and now direct multiple innovative rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology service lines for individuals navigating illness, injury, and disability, expanding equitable access to care for those with complex medical and neurological conditions. Beyond clinical innovation, Dr. Chao has led statewide workforce development initiatives and developed asynchronous training curricula for rural providers, strengthening access to evidence-based, culturally responsive neuropsychiatric care for historically underserved communities. Nationally, they hold elected leadership roles within the American Psychological Association, where they advocate for systemic change in workforce equity, training standards, and culturally responsive clinical guidelines.
A dedicated scholar and national educator, Dr. Chao advances a vision of rehabilitation that centers dignity, autonomy, and full participation in community life. Through research and national education, they elevate sometimes-overlooked aspects of patient care, including intimacy, identity, and cognition, translating evidence into affirming, practical guidance that de-stigmatizes disability and advances meaningful quality-of-life outcomes. Equally dedicated to education, they teach and mentor the next generation of public health leaders, championing a biopsychosocial and culturally responsive approach to clinical care, and have strengthened equity in doctoral training by adapting curriculum to support disability access and launching new coursework examining neurobiological contributors to clinical presentation, broadening inclusion in health-professional education.
Evidence-based behavioral strategies for "chemo brain" delivered through compelling webinars and social media, bridging the gap between clinical research and the women who need it most.
Research Assistant, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)
🌎 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Sophia Cassim is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), where she conducts systematic clinical evidence reviews and comparative clinical effectiveness research to assess the accessibility, value, and price of prescription drugs. Her undergraduate studies at Northeastern University focused on public health, where she held multiple co-op and internship positions that brought together evidence, patient insights, and policy to drive change. At the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), she led a literature review assessing alternative response models for 911 behavioral health calls.
Her senior thesis examined maternal health care, with a focus on uterine fibroids and their disproportionate prevalence among communities of color. In collaboration with two Boston-based organizations, she assessed the impact of uterine fibroids at the structural and community levels through a landscape review and a presentation to her peers. To deepen her experience in disseminating public health and science literature, Sophia participated in the 2026 BCPHR Editorial Fellowship. As a young woman of color, Sophia strives to uplift the voices of those who have been overlooked by the healthcare system. She plans to continue her education and pursue opportunities to build a more effective, transparent, and equitable healthcare system.
Sophia is creating the four infographics to be posted on social media to raise awareness of cancer-related cognitive impairment, taking the lead in translating the data into digestible, lay-friendly language for diverse audiences.
Ifeanyi Stanley Muoghalu is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health, a physician (MD), and holds two master’s degrees, one in International Health and another in Disaster Risk Management. He has more than ten years of experience in global public health, health systems strengthening, and epidemiology, including frontline work during the Ebola response.
Stanley is committed to advancing health equity through community-centered design, practical leadership, and innovation. He developed STARS (Student-led Training and Referral System), a peer-led, culturally responsive mental health program that increases mental health literacy and improves access to care among young Black adults. He has led national and subnational public health initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa in partnership with the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, the World Bank’s Global Financing Facility, and the World Health Organization. His work has strengthened malaria surveillance, maternal and child health programs, and data systems, thereby improving the quality of care and decision-making.
His research focuses on transformative leadership and data-driven strategies to advance health equity. A BU Emerging World Leaders Fellow, Stanley is recognized for his collaborative, human-centered approach to solving complex public health challenges.
A landmark webinar and panel series elevating African public health leaders and fostering cross-regional dialogue on equity, governance, and community-centered health, putting African voices on a global stage.
Director, Office of Multicultural Health Equity, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
CEO and Principal Consultant, Heyya Consulting, LLC
🌎 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Dr. Samia Hussein is a public health leader, educator, researcher, and health equity strategist with more than a decade of experience advancing culturally responsive and equitable public health systems. An Egyptian-born, U.S.-raised North African professional, she brings a cross-cultural perspective that bridges public health practice, research, policy, and community engagement across diverse populations. She currently serves as Director of the Office of Multicultural Health Equity within the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, where she leads statewide initiatives focused on health equity, workforce development, organizational change, and culturally responsive behavioral health services.
Dr. Hussein earned her Doctor of Public Health from Mercer University, concentrating in Diverse Populations and Health Equity, and was recognized as an ASTHO DELPH Scholar and Phi Kappa Phi member. Her research and professional interests include health equity, cultural responsiveness, workforce development, program evaluation, and strengthening the translation of evidence into public health practice. She has contributed to academic and practice-based scholarship and currently serves as a Reviewer for BCPHR, the peer-reviewed journal of the Boston Congress of Public Health. As an Egyptian and a member of the African diaspora, Dr. Hussein is particularly committed to elevating African perspectives within global public health scholarship and strengthening connections among researchers, practitioners, and communities across the continent and the diaspora.
Nicolle Ma‘s research has involved climate change, public health, COVID-19, HIV, and noncommunicable diseases. She is the nonprofit founder and CEO of Supply and Protect Healthcare Workers, startup founder and CEO of Compassionlit, and Co-Creator of the climate organization Reeforesting 4 Peace. Her Youth4Climate colleagues chose her to deliver a statement to the Italian Minister of Environment and the UN Development Programme. As a biomedical instructor, she teaches at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Hong Kong in the U.S., Hong Kong, and online, with some classes exclusively for students from Qatar and the UAE; the UAE Minister of Youth recognized the work and addressed her program. She has also served as a U.S. Delegate for the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Youth in Egypt and Azerbaijan.
Original, publishable research and advocacy work that puts health equity, disability inclusion, and community well-being at the center of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, work that will matter long after the closing ceremony.
Founder and Creative Director, The Dressmakers GH Ltd.
Board Member and Executive Committee Member, O Africa Ghana
🌎 Accra, Ghana
Nadia Akyaa Otoo is a Ghanaian social services professional, creative entrepreneur, and legal professional based in Ghana. She is the Founder and Creative Director of The Dressmakers GH Ltd. and serves as a Board Member and Executive Committee member of O Africa Ghana. Her work and interests span social development, gender equality, inclusive opportunities, entrepreneurship, law, and public policy.
Nadia is contributing research on the representation and inclusivity of women in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, developing graphics and visual materials, and helping to identify Native American tribes and the Olympic and Paralympic venues located on their lands.
Dr. Daisy Le is a tenured Associate Professor in Health Disparities and Oncology at The George Washington University, where she directs the I-CHARM Research Lab (Innovations in Community Health Advocacy, Research, and Messaging). She holds her primary faculty appointment at the GW School of Nursing, with a secondary appointment at the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Rooted in her lived experience as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and as someone who has long lived in communities historically excluded from systems of care, Dr. Le is a behavioral and community health scientist working at the intersection of health disparities, cancer prevention, communication, and digital health equity. Her work dismantles barriers to cancer screening and sexual health services through culturally responsive, community-led strategies informed by human-centered design and implementation science.
She is the Principal Investigator of MySHARE (My Self-sampling for HPV Awareness, Results, and Empowerment), a multi-phase, community-engaged cervical cancer prevention initiative co-developed with local partners. MySHARE integrates HPV self-sampling and health information technology to reach individuals who are rarely or never screened, including women living with HIV. Funded by the NIH National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society, MySHARE and other initiatives advance rigorous yet relational public health approaches that rebuild trust and foster systemic change.
Dr. Le has published widely, secured national funding, and received numerous awards and recognition spanning research, teaching, and service, including recognition as an NCI EIAP Scholar and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Emerging Scholar, the AVBCC 40 Under 40 in Cancer Award, GW Cancer Center Junior Faculty Research and Community Impact Awards, and the GWSON Graduate Student Mentorship Faculty Award; her leadership is reflected in numerous special interest working groups, steering committees, and editorial boards. She is committed to cross-sector collaborations, transdisciplinary mentorship, and the development of public health interventions that are culturally grounded, equitable, and sustainable. Dr. Le’s work exemplifies a model of public health that treats communities with dignity, leverages innovation to address disparities, and advances health equity for lasting impact.
Dr. Daisy Le is a 2026 World Delegate bringing her expertise and vision to the Boston Congress of Public Health's global initiative. Sub-delegate recruitment details will be announced shortly; stay tuned for opportunities to join her team.
PhD Student, School of Nursing, The George Washington University
Doctoral Researcher, I-CHARM Research Lab; Global Health Consultant and Partner, hera (Right to Health and Development)
Justine Jensen, MA, RN, is a global health researcher, nurse, and PhD student in Nursing at the George Washington University. Her work focuses on health equity in sexual and reproductive health, with particular interest in how health systems and service-delivery models shape access to and engagement with care among structurally underserved populations. She is a doctoral researcher with GW’s I-CHARM Research Lab and a global health consultant and partner at hera (Right to Health and Development), where she contributes to research, evaluation, and health-systems projects internationally. Her work spans U.S. and global settings and has included research in maternal and newborn health, sexual and reproductive health, community-based health services, and equitable access to preventive care.
Dr. Saravanan Thangarajan is a clinician-scientist and global-health strategist advancing a new architecture of equity in an age of climate disruption. As Faculty Affiliate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Visiting Scientist at Ariadne Labs, he designs AI-driven and digital delivery models that move care from hospitals to homes, building scalable systems for rural, humanitarian, and post-disaster settings.
His leadership spans continents and sectors. In India, he modernized Tamil Nadu’s digital-health infrastructure for over 11 million people, scaled the national Tele-Health Mission managing 12 million cases, and built the 108 Emergency Medical Service Network that trained 5,500 paramedics and lowered maternal-child mortality by 1.1 percent. In Vietnam, he led the national integration of climate-health education for 12,000 medical students through collaborations with the WHO and World Bank. In the United States, he contributes to the NSF-MITRE Federal AI Data Science Working Group, shaping frameworks for AI ethics and digital equity.
Dr. Thangarajan serves on expert advisory committees of the World Health Organization, Wellcome Trust, and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, advancing global strategies that connect climate finance, mental-health resilience, and reproductive-health equity. He defines resilience not as endurance but as design, building intelligent, inclusive, and adaptive health systems that can think, learn, and endure in a warming world.
A dynamic podcast series bringing together real-world stories, expert voices, and evidence-based insights to reframe how we think about stress, resilience, and health, reaching audiences far beyond academic journals.
Sub-delegate positions are open. Sign up to be a 2026 World Sub-Delegate.
