Introducing the inaugural CEHDR RISE fellows: from left to right, Karen Valladares (PhD in Environmental Health Sciences), Celina Phillipson (PhD in Environmental Health Sciences), and Lynora Garner (MPH - Community Health). These Wen Public Health graduate students are dedicated to transforming research into action through the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research (CEHDR). They collaborated closely with their mentors, Drs. Karen D. Lincoln and Bryan Gaines, to address issues such as pollution, discrimination, and health inequities throughout Southern California.

“One key feature of the CEHDR RISE fellowship program is that fellows work alongside our community partners and citizen scientists who are hired from the neighborhoods where we conduct our research. This collaboration involves all aspects of the project, from educational events and recruitment to disseminating findings back to the communities,” said Dr. Lincoln, the CEHDR director and a nationally recognized leader in health equity.

The work of the fellows encompasses environmental sampling, examining chronic stress and dementia in Black communities, researching PFAS exposure, and amplifying community voices through participatory research.

Leadership in action: Garland receives California Assembly award

Harwood Garland, MS, MA

PhD in Public Health student (Disease Prevention concentration)

U.S. Navy veteran Harwood Garland was honored for his leadership, scholarship, and mentorship when he received the Veteran of the Year award at a ceremony held on November 4 by the California Assembly. The event took place at Irvine Valley College and was hosted by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris.

Garland was one of three individuals recognized for their outstanding service to their country, community, and fellow veterans. He is a four-time Anteater, having earned his bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and a doctoral degree from UC Irvine.

Wajeeha Umer

PhD in Environmental Health Sciences candidate
(Environmental Toxicology  track)

Umer has been selected to receive the Distinguished Public Impact Fellow award for the 2025-26 academic year, awarded by UC Irvine's Graduate Division.

She is one of only 13 graduate students across the campus to receive this honor. Notably, Wajeeha has earned the highest distinction by accepting the title of Distinguished Public Impact Fellow.

Kalani Phillips, MPH

PhD in Public Health student
(Disease Prevention concentration)

Philips received the Dynamic Woman of the Year award for the 2025 calendar year. This awards ceremony celebrates and honors remarkable women and allies who serve as leaders and role models within our campus community, making a significant impact.

In addition, Philips has been named a 2025-26 Graduate Student Fellow for the UC Irvine Initiative to End Family Violence. This fellowship includes funding to support her research project, titled Beyond Mandates: Student Perspectives on Trust, Access, & Sexual & Reproductive Health in California Colleges & Universities.

Celina Morales, MPH

PhD candidate in Public Health (Global Health concentration)

Morales was awarded the University of California President's Dissertation Year Award for the 2025-26 academic year. She received the honor at the annual UC meeting alongside other awardees, Olga Jaime from the UCI School of Medicine and Natalia Gonzalez from UCI School of Social Sciences.

In addition to her award, she presented her dissertation research on early life adversity, healthcare, and cannabis use among diverse and vulnerable adults at the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Sciences Annual Meeting.

Bryan Zhang, PhD

Postdoc Scholar, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics (Liu Lab)

Zhang had his abstract accepted for presentation at the 2026 International Stroke Conference (ISC). His presentation, titled Associations between Dietary and Circulating B-Vitamins & Incident Stroke: Evidence from Two Large Prospective United States Cohorts, will be featured in the session Epidemiology, Risk Factors, & Prevention Oral Abstracts II.

The 2026 ISC, hosted by the American Heart Association, will take place in early February 2026 in New Orleans, LA.

Celina Phillipson

PhD in Environmental Health Sciences candidate
(Environmental Epidemiology track)

Phillipson has received several honors in recent months, including the Dr. Marian E. Swendseid & Dr. Isabelle F. Hunt Memorial Fellowship, as well as the H & Lee Charitable Foundation Scholarship. Along with her collaborator Nicole Celine, she presented their research at the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology and the International Society of Exposure Science. Their presentation was titled Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Additionally, the duo presented their work virtually at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry during the PFAS Multi-site Study Open House.

Christine T. Nguyen, MPH

PhD in Public Health candidate (Disease Prevention concentration)

Nguyen and her advisor, Dr. Sora Park Tanjasiri, recently published two papers focused on vaccinations. The first paper, titled Predictors of HPV & Hep B Vaccination Beliefs & Behaviors Among Vietnamese American Young Adults: Implications for Dual Vaccine Coverage, was published in the journal Acceptance & Hesitation in July. This cross-sectional study examined the beliefs, knowledge, and uptake of HPV and Hep B vaccines and how the constructs of the Health Belief Model relate to cancer vaccine intentions.

Juan Carlos Ruiz Malagon, MS, MA

PhD in Public Health student (Global Health Concentration)

Ruiz Malagon has been awarded the Climate Justice Initiative (CJI) Fellowship for the third consecutive year. The CJI program recruits and trains cohorts of PhD students and post-baccalaureate individuals to conduct community-based research in environmental science and geosciences.

Additionally, Ruiz Malagon served as a panelist at the XV International Congress on Migration & Mental Health, held in October and hosted by the University of San Francisco. He discussed one of his ongoing research topics, Farmworkers' Experiences with Social Inequities & Community Violence.