2023 MedStAR Welcome Dinner
Pictured from left to right: Winter Forsyth, Abigail Melton, Nathaniel Lohman,
Jenni Ebersberger, Skye Holm, Taylor Buck and Karissa Tu
2023 MedStAR students
Taylor Buck (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Syphilis and Hep C testing in jail
Mentors: Julie Dombrowski, Sarah Leyde and Aynsley Duncan
Taylor is from Issaquah, WA. She attended the University of Notre Dame where she majored in Pre-Professional Science and minored in International Development Studies. Before coming to UWSOM, she enjoyed teaching middle school math as an AmeriCorps City Year member. Taylor also worked as a clinical research assistant with the University of Washington’s Department of Emergency Medicine where she recruited participants for various studies regarding firearm use and opioid use disorder. She hopes to learn more about continuity of care for individuals with substance use disorders. In her free time, Taylor loves to try new recipes, hike with her dogs, and root for Notre Dame’s football team.
Jenni Ebersberger (Powell, WY)
Research Project: Epidemiology of HCV among PWID in the Seattle Area
Mentors: Sara Glick, Shay Martinez and Russell Berg
My name is Jenni, and I am part of UWSOM’s E-22 class. Born and raised in Powell, WY, I first attended Northwest College in my hometown and then moved on to the University of Wyoming to complete my Bachelor of Science in Physiology as well as a Master of Science in Health Services Administration. I was a certified nursing assistant for about six years, spent a year and a half in Juneau, AK for AmeriCorps, and became a private pilot prior to medical school. During my time in Juneau, I became heavily involved with the local homeless shelter and addiction medicine has sparked my interest since. In my free time I explore new coffee spots, run and hike with my dog, Ellie, and try to get a plane in the air as often as I can.
Winter (Elizabeth) Forsyth (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Mapping a behavioral economics-informed intervention to promote linkage to HIV prevention and behavioral health services for people releasing from jails and prisons in Washington State
Mentors: Helen Jack, James Darnton and Joseph Merrill
Winter was born and raised in Boston, MA, and has lived in Olympia and Seattle, WA, for the last decade. She attended Seattle Central Community College and The Evergreen State College, where she studied public health and became a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. She worked as the Director of Patient Services at The Olympia Free Clinic for several years before entering medical school. She hopes to return to Olympia as an attending physician with the goal of improving local health services for people experiencing homelessness and substance dependence. Her research interests include HIV prevention, epidemiology of carceral systems, and meditation as medicine. She enjoys live music, meditation, every dog, and trying out too many hobbies.
Skye Holm (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Receptivity to telehealth services across subpopulations of substance using men who have sex with men (SU-MSM) and people who use opioids (PWUO) in high HIV-incidence cities in the Southeastern United States
Mentors: Mary Hatch and Matt Iles-Shih
Skye was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, living in different parts of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. She considers Camano Island, WA, her hometown. She studied Public Health as an undergraduate at the University of Washington and became very interested in the overlap between mental illness and substance use disorders among young adults experiencing homelessness in Seattle. Skye spent a few years working both as a shelter counselor and a medical scribe prior to applying to medical school. Her research interests include interventions to improve affordability and access to mental and behavioral healthcare. In her free time, Skye enjoys going for walks in nature, attending music festivals, watching crime documentaries with her partner, and making silly comedy skits with her younger siblings.
Nathaniel Lohman (Spokane, WA)
Research Project: Associations of alcohol and other substance use with risky sexual behavior, trauma, and abuse in the Anza Mapema cohort of MSM in Kenya
Mentors: Susan Graham, Elenore Bhatraju and Inderbir Gohalwar
Spokane foundation site’s resident “old-man” medical student, Nathaniel completed an MPH through UW’s Department of Global Health in 2014 and spent seven years supporting Mozambique’s HIV prevention and treatment program before starting medical school. He’s proud dad to a vivacious toddler with 22q deletion syndrome and lucky husband to a professionally trained actress and speech therapist in-training who continues to indulge his whims. Nathaniel brings a public health perspective to medical training and favors no-nonsense initiatives that address prevalent and challenging experience like substance dependency head-on through functional systems, individual agency, and human validation.
Abigail Melton (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Alcohol use disorder in transgender VA patients
Mentors: Emily Williams and Amy Kennedy
Abigail Melton grew up in Virginia and obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts in Anthropology from William & Mary. Her undergraduate studies focused on archaeology and osteology, where she assisted in a historical archaeology research lab and completed field studies in human evolution. Before medical school, she spent two years with AmeriCorps, in a primary care clinic in rural, western North Carolina. Here, she learned about the opioid epidemic in Appalachia and the roles of PCPs in under-resourced communities. She spends her free time with her partner and two cats and exploring her new home in Seattle.
Amelia Mohabir (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: A survey of preferences for care delivery models for hepatitis C among primary care providers in WA State
Mentors: Judith Tsui and Jocelyn James
At age 15, Amelia was involuntarily committed to inpatient rehabilitation treatment for substance use. When Amelia was one year sober at age 16, she decided to pursue medicine as a pathway to help those struggling with substance use disorders. While working as an addiction counselor, Amelia realized that policy and research is where she can make the most impact. Amelia wrote healthcare policy at a non-profit behavioral health organization to better integrate behavioral and physical healthcare and has advocated for national healthcare policy improvements in Washington DC. Amelia believes that her purpose in life is to help those who are struggling with substance use disorders so they can achieve long-term recovery and use their perspective to further advocate for their community.
Karissa Tu (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Experiences of chronic pain and integrative treatment among Asian individuals: qualitative analysis
Mentors: Sebastian Tong, Sylvia Mollerstrom and Jared Klein
Karissa Tu went to Duke University, where she studied biology and documentary studies. “How” and “why” we tell stories has always been at the center of her approach to medicine. Before entering medical school, she spent a year working with Duke Community Health and another year working as a research associate on topics surrounding medical decision-making and healthcare costs. The intersection of these experiences has shaped her research interest in using community-based participatory and qualitative methods to explore and better understand patient-physician experiences and communication. Whenever she can, Karissa likes to take a moment to be creative, whether that’s writing or crafting or teaching herself photography.
2022 MedStAR class
Pictured: Back Row, left to right Ari Gross, Megan Yerton, Linh Le, and Sophie Morse
Front Row, left to right: Darcie Caldwell, Daniel Tolstrup, and Brian Lusby
2022 MedStAR 2022 MedStAR Students
Darcie Caldwell (Bozeman, MT)
Research Project: How does the treatment (e.g., number of visits, services provided) received by patients living in counties with and without a clinician with a DEA waiver to prescribe buprenorphine differ?
Mentors: Laura-Mae Baldwin & Sara Jackson
Darcie was raised in Montana and currently lives in Bozeman as part of UWSOM’s E21 class. She attended Williams College where she followed her passions for medicine and the humanities, double-majoring in Biology and English. Prior to medical school, she worked as an intern for the National Rural Health Association in Washington, D.C. and as a surgical support technician in Helena, Montana. Her research and clinical interests include rural health disparities, accessible treatment for those struggling with substance use, and end-of-life care.
Ariana Gross (Juneau, AK)
Research Project: Variations in pre-exposure prophylaxis outcomes among gender and sexually diverse United States Veterans who use drugs
Mentors: Emily Williams & Amy Kennedy
Originally from Juneau AK, Ariana attended Harvard University where she studied History of Medicine and Women and Gender Studies. Before starting medical school at UWSOM, she worked in community health, both as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Northwestern Zambia and as an Americorps Volunteer at a federally qualified health center in New York City. Ariana is passionate about harm reduction, destigmatizing drug use, and access to care for LGBT folks and women who use drugs. In her free time, she loves running in the mountains and scheming up new recipes.
Mylinh (Linh) Le (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Attitudes toward naloxone uptake for opioid overdose prevention in a national sample of substance-using people at high risk for HIV
Mentors: Mary Hatch and Elly Bhatraju
Linh Le is a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, WA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and French from Amherst College. Prior to starting medical school, Linh worked as a research assistant at the Medical Practice Evaluation Center in Boston, MA. In this role, she performed model-based analyses to evaluate the clinical outcomes, costs, and cost-effectiveness for preventing, managing, and treating HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Her current research interests include exploring the intersection of substance use disorders and their related co-morbidities, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, as well as effective means to prevent and treat these conditions.
Brian Lusby (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: A cross-cultural perspectives on of behavioral activation therapy
Mentors: Helen Jack and James Darnton
Originally from Vancouver, WA, Brian has called Seattle home for nearly 7 years. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a master’s in medical anthropology and from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s in biochemistry. Brian first began working in addiction medicine when he started as an EMT at a local shelter for people with substance use disorders early in his undergraduate career. His research interests include harm reduction strategies for substance use disorders and the role of social support networks in substance use treatments. In his free time, Brian enjoys baking challah, cooking for friends, photography, and spending time with his two cats.
Sophie Morse (Spokane, WA)
Research Project: Naloxone Distribution in the ED across UW Medicine: Program Evaluation of the UW Medicine response to Washington State Bill 5195
Mentors: Lauren Whiteside and Sarah Leyde
Originally from Boston and growing up in Zaragoza, Spain, Sophie moved to the Pacific Northwest and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with a minor in Bioethics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Since 2017, Sophie developed her career interests in the Emergency Department at Harborview Medical Center as a Research Assistant where she has been involved in numerous projects, including many about substance use disorder. In her free time, Sophie likes hiking and sewing quilts for pediatric or palliative care patients. She is thrilled to be part of the Medstar program as she is committed to incorporating addiction medicine in her practice as a future physician.
Ché Ross (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Prescribed opioids and neurocognitive status among American Indian populations
Mentors: Judith Tsui and Jared Klein
Ché Ross is originally from Columbia, Maryland and is a member of the Ani-Tsalagi Onaselagi Northeastern Band of Cherokee and Lenape. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. He has also worked in several fields as a Physician Assistant before attending the University of Washington School of Medicine including Neurosurgery, Primary Care, and Corrections. He is interested in the relationship of cognition and long term prescribed opioid use, especially in rural healthcare and Native American populations. Outside of his studies, he enjoys cooking, catching up on movies, and trying all the seafood Seattle has to offer.
Daniel Tolstrup (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Behavioral and biological correlates of harmful and hazardous alcohol use in female sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya
Mentors: Susan Graham and Jocelyn James
Daniel is originally from Oregon City, Oregon and has lived in Seattle since 2014. He attended Seattle Pacific University where he majored in Physiology and minored in Bioethics and Humanities. Prior to medical school, Daniel worked at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He is interested in working as a primary care physician with underserved populations, particularly people experiencing houselessness and LGBTQ+ populations. Daniel lives with his partner and his dog, Scooby. He enjoys the outdoors, food, and spending time with the people he cares about.
Megan Yerton (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Characterizing medications, mental health diagnoses, and behavioral health services in primary care patients with methamphetamine use disorder.
Mentors: Kevin Hallgren and Matt Iles-Shih
Megan Yerton is from Puyallup, Washington. She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, concentrating in neurobiology with a secondary in global health and health policy. Before medical school, Megan worked at the Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and volunteered at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Her interests include investigating social determinants of health and caring for underserved populations. She loves to spend her free time hiking, crafting, and hanging out with her partner, two dogs, and ferret in Oak Harbor.
2021 MedStAR Students
Alanna Martinez (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Descriptive Analysis of U-TEST
Mentors: Joanne Stekler & Jared Klein
Alanna Martinez lives in Seattle, WA with her partner and their 3 daughters. She received her undergraduate training at the University of Washington, where she majored in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and minored in Diversity Studies. As a future physician, Alanna is committed to making healthcare more equitable and accessible as means to eliminating health disparities.
Anita Samuel (Anchorage, AK)
Research Project: Putting Safer Drinking into Context: Associations Between Drinking Contexts and the Use of Alcohol-Related Protective Behavioral Strategies Among College Students
Mentors: Anne Fairlie & Sylvia Mollerstrom
Originally from Clifton, NJ, Anita has called Anchorage, AK home for the past 10 years. She graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She was first exposed to addiction medicine while working as an ED scribe and volunteering at a local transitional living facility. She is interested in the relationship between substance use and environmental factors, rural healthcare, and improving access to mental health resources. Outside of medicine, she enjoys writing, hiking, and cross-country skiing.
Dane Patey (Laramie, WY)
Research Project: Psychometric Analysis on Substance Use Questionnaires delivered through
Telemedicine
Mentors: Kevin Hallgren & Sara Jackson
After being raised in the bitter winds of Casper, Wyoming, Dane somehow developed an affinity for shorts, and chooses to wear them whenever possible. Dane attended Casper College before transferring to the University of Wyoming to finish a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He pursued several interests in arts and communications before returning to obtain a Master of Science also in mathematics. During his graduate studies, Dane worked through Americorps at the Laramie Downtown Clinic, which shifted his pursuit toward medicine. Dane spends any spare time continually trying to master a few hobbies such as playing guitar, baking and painting. Despite what he has been told by most everyone he meets, and vehemently by his father, Dane still thinks he is just hilarious.
Danielle Ervin (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Clinical outcomes of a medical management intervention for patients who inject drugs and have Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in St. Petersburg, Russia
Mentors: Emily Williams & Elenore Bhatraju
Danielle Ervin is from Cincinnati, Ohio where they first developed a passion for working with underserved populations while studying human rights and social justice literature. They see implementation science as a means to cultivate dignity and justice in healthcare for marginalized people, especially for those suffering from the co-occurring issues that arise with substance use disorder. In centering those closest to the harm of being underserved by the medical community we find processes to improve health care for everyone. Danielle’s prior research experience spans the humanities and clinical spheres.
Katie Salow (Spokane, WA)
Research Project: Disparities in King Count Syringe Service Program Use
Mentors: Sara Glick & Matt Iles-Shih
Katie is an incoming second year medical student at UWSOM. She is originally from Southern California where she attended UCLA, majoring in Psychobiology and minoring in Global Health. Before starting medical school, Katie worked in research at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. Her research interests include diagnosing and treating infectious diseases and harm reduction strategies for people who use drugs. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, crafting, and hiking around the Pacific Northwest.
Meghan McKinnell (Anchorage, AK)
Research Project: Investigating ethno-racial differences in mental health indicators and the effect of COVID-19 related stress on University Students in Singapore
Mentors: Cari McCarty & James Darnton
Meghan was born and raised in Alaska, where she continues her studies as a member of the Anchorage UWSOM E20 Class. During her undergrad education, she double-majored in Biology and English. Meghan is a member of her local Mycological Society: when she isn’t studying, she’s taking slow walks through the woods looking for interesting fungi. She is thrilled to be part of the MedStAR program, through which she hopes to better care for the underserved populations in her community.
Nicki Mostofi (Spokane, WA)
Research Project: Impact of harm reduction treatment for alcohol on concurrent substance use among individuals experiencing homelessness and alcohol use disorder
Mentors: Susan Collins & Joseph Merrill
Nicki is a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine — her alma mater, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health-Global Health. Prior to medical school, she worked as a scribe in emergency and outpatient settings, as well as engaging in clinical and public health research. Her public health background drives her medical interests, as she aims to pursue a career serving underserved populations, specifically individuals experiencing homelessness and/or who use drugs. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her dog, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.
2020 MedStAR Students
Anh Nguyen (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use among Persons Living with HIV in Western Washington
Mentors: Susan Graham & Judith Tsui
Anh is from Sacramento, California. She worked as a social worker before medical school and worked directly with individuals with substance use disorders and addiction problems. She hopes to make a difference for this underserved population through her participation in the MedStAR program and her future career as a physician.
Arianna Lee (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Random urine drug test monitoring effects on buprenorphine treatment outcomes
Mentors: Jared Klein & Sylvia Mollerstrom
Arianna is an E-19 medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine Seattle Foundations site and a MedStAR student. As a first-generation medical student, she is devoted to providing care to underserved minority communities and eliminating health disparities. Her research focuses on methods to eliminate barriers to healthcare and improving healthcare quality for underserved populations. She has received the UW School of Medicine Service Award and will continue to help mentor underrepresented students who wish to become physicians.
Clare Einberger (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Alcohol use trends among college students
Mentors: Christine Lee & Matt Iles-Shih
Clare grew up in Seattle before getting her BS in Psychology at Northeastern University in Boston. She is now a member of the UWSOM E19 class at the Seattle site. She is interested in the relationship between substance use and mental health, and how providers can better care at the intersection of Addiction Medicine and Psychiatry.
Dan Stephens (Moscow, ID)
Research Project: Peer recovery specialist service for patients who initiate buprenorphine in the hospital
Mentors: Joe Merrill & Jared Klein
Dan graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Exercise Science & Health. Outside of studying medicine, he enjoy exercise and watching college football.
Eden Altwies (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Substance use and mental health comorbidities among patients in a low-barrier HIV clinic
Mentors: Julie Dombrowski & Elenore Bhatraju
Eden is a medical student at her Alma mater, the University of Washington, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Prior to medical school, she worked as an emergency department scribe and a medical assistant in an urgent care and family practice clinic in her hometown of North Bend, Washington. In her free time, she enjoys biking, crafting, gardening, and trying out new recipes. She looks forward to learning more about addiction medicine and pursuing a career that promotes the health of marginalized populations.
Lauren Nguyen (Seattle, WA)
Research Project: Linkage to outpatient follow-up treatment among patients who are initiated on buprenorphine in the emergency department
Mentors: Lauren Whiteside & Sara Lydes
Lauren is an incoming 2nd year medical student at the UWSOM. She grew up in Lynnwood, WA and completed her bachelor’s degree at Bowdoin College. Since returning to Seattle, she has become passionate about serving our unhoused population and those who are most marginalized. Outside of school and medicine, she enjoys connecting with family and friends, getting outside, and more recently, puzzling!
Mary Geist (Anchorage, AK)
Research Project: Timing of hepatitis C treatment initiation and retention in office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine: a retrospective cohort study
Mentors: Leisha Nolen & Jocelyn James
Mary received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in French for Business at Boise State University. Prior to starting medical school, she worked as a medical assistant for a Medication Assisted Treatment program in Wasilla, Alaska which furthered my desire to work in Addiction medicine. Her goal as a future physician is to work within my community, bettering lives by providing treatment with a positive attitude in psychological and medicinal aspects.
Zoë Kratina-Hathaway (Bozeman, MT)
Research Project: Methamphetamine and illicit opioid use among patient initiated on buprenorphine
Mentors: Judith Tsui & Jamie Darton
Zoë was born and raised in Montana where she gained an appreciation for outdoors. She went to Northern Arizona University where she received a fine arts degree in ceramics. After graduating, she became interested in medicine and is currently a student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is interested in pursuing a career in psychiatry and hopes to work with disadvantaged populations in her future in medicine.