The people behind ConCERN
Our Team
Our team brings together expertise in medicine, sociology, public health, policy, data, and UX design. We combine research, lived experience, and thoughtful design to create tools that feel useful, relevant, and easy to use.
Main principal investigator
Dr. Pooja Lagisetty
University of Michigan associate professor and addiction medicine physician focused on improving treatment access and reducing stigma for people with opioid use disorder.
Main principal investigator
Dr. Erin Madden
Wayne State University professor and sociologist whose research centers on reducing stigma toward people who use drugs.
Co-investigator
Dr. Samara Jinks-Chang
Pediatrician and adolescent addiction specialist focused on family-centered care and recovery outcomes for youth with substance use disorders.
Colin Macleod
Colin Macleod, a database analyst in the Division of General Medicine at the University of Michigan, has been with the University since 2019, working with Dr. Lagisetty on data management and analysis for various research projects. He brings experience from prior roles at a nonprofit focused on educational quality and as a research assistant at Ball State University, where he earned his MA in Anthropology. Colin will serve as the data manager and primary analyst for this project.
Caroline Logue
Caroline earned her MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education and her BA in Public Policy from the University of Michigan. She is a Project Manager at the Ann Arbor VA’s Center for Clinical Management and Research (CCMR), where she manages federally funded research in collaboration with the University of Michigan, including this CDC-funded project. Her work with Drs. Pooja Lagisetty and Victoria Powell focuses on improving access and quality of care for people with chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Caroline is especially interested in the emotional and social dimensions of health and in translating evidence-based research into practice to meaningfully improve people’s lives.
Elvan Muratoglu
Elvan earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and now works as a Research Assistant on the ConCERN study. She is very interested in how substance use impacts the brain and behaviors and hopes to continue studying the impact of substance use in the future. In her free time, she loves watching horror movies and playing with her two cats.
Katie Grandinetti
Katie holds an MPH with a concentration in Health Behaviors and Health Education. She feels passionately about equitable care and access to treatment for everyone and feels fortunate to be part of a team that shares this commitment! As a project manager on both Dr. Lagisetty's and Dr. Dahlem's teams, she has had the opportunity to work on several projects focused on enhancing access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and fostering educational and compassionate care for individuals with OUD.
Taqwa Khalaff
Taqwa Khalaff holds a Master of Public Health from Wayne State University with a concentration in Population Health Practice. As a Research Coordinator on Dr. Madden’s team, she supports qualitative data analysis, community engagement, and intervention development.
Sarosh Manzar
Sarosh holds an MS in Information Science with a specialization in UX Research and Design from the University of Michigan. He is passionate about designing accessible and user-centered tools that make complex systems easier to navigate. As a UX Designer on Dr. Lagisetty’s team, he is contributing to the development of a digital health intervention that supports caregivers of individuals with opioid use disorder.
CO-INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Amy Bohnert
Dr. Amy Bohnert is a Professor at the University of Michigan with expertise in opioid and pain epidemiology, substance use disorder treatment, and clinical trials. Her research focuses on preventing opioid overdose, improving care for people with opioid use disorder, and developing interventions to support safer opioid use and engagement in evidence-based treatment. As a Co-Investigator on the ConCERN study, Dr. Bohnert provides expertise in study design, implementation, and analysis.
CO-INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Shawna Smith
Dr. Shawna Smith is an Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and an implementation scientist and health services researcher. Her research focuses on improving the adoption and implementation of evidence-based healthcare practices, particularly in behavioral health and other healthcare settings. As a Co-Investigator on the ConCERN study, Dr. Smith provides expertise in implementation science and evaluation, helping identify barriers and facilitators to the adoption, delivery, and long-term sustainability of the intervention.
CO-INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Gina Dahlem
Dr. Gina Dahlem is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, family nurse practitioner, and researcher with expertise in harm reduction, community-engaged research, and post-overdose interventions. Her work focuses on engaging people who use drugs and their communities in harm reduction and improving connections to care. As a Co-Investigator on the ConCERN study, Dr. Dahlem provides expertise in community partnerships, peer recovery programs, and strategies for engaging and supporting people affected by opioid use disorder.
CO-INVESTIGATOR
Dr. John Piette
Dr. John Piette is a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Director of the U-M Center for Managing Chronic Disease. His research focuses on developing and evaluating mobile health technologies to improve access to and quality of care for people with substance use disorders and other chronic conditions. As a Co-Investigator on the ConCERN study, Dr. Piette provides expertise in digital health interventions and supports the development of the study’s technology-based resources.
CO-INVESTIGATOR
Dr. James Henderson
Dr. James Henderson is a health services researcher and statistician at the University of Michigan with expertise in statistical design, health outcomes research, and the analysis of complex and dyadic data. He also serves as Assistant Director of the Michigan Program on Value Enhancement (MPrOVE). As a Co-Investigator on the ConCERN study, Dr. Henderson provides expertise in statistical analysis, data management, quality control, and research methodology.
Research, production, and design
ConCERN is also supported by research coordinators, data specialists, UX designers, and a production team working together to bring this intervention to life.
With your support, we hope to reduce opioid related harms by better supporting individuals and communities who have been affected by this crisis.
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