Trainees
Predoctoral Trainees
Katherine Copp, MPH
Katie is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota and a Graduate Scholar in the Institute on the Environment’s 2022-2023 Agriculture/Climate cohort at the University of Minnesota. Katie holds a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of Vermont and a BS from Saint Michael’s College. Her research focuses on the intersection of nutrition and cardiovascular disease. She is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt in process improvement and has previously worked in quality improvement for pediatric healthcare.
Ethan Cannon, MPH
Ethan will be starting his PhD in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Ethan holds a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota and a BS in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University. He is passionate about improving population health through research on modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and is specifically interested in investigating the role of dietary components and patterns.
Alex Rodriguez, MPH
Alex is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Alex holds a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from Emory University and a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago. His research focuses on the relationship between cardiovascular disease and comorbid mental health conditions. He is passionate about promoting wellbeing and independence in older adults, which translates to research projects focused on discovering relationships between cardiovascular health, dementia, and psychosocial wellbeing.
Ryan Avenido, MPH
Ryan is a PhD student in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Ryan holds a Master’s of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. He is interested in both the impact of physical activity and genetic factors on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Furthermore, he is interested in applying his research towards improving CVD prevention strategies.
Postdoctoral Trainees
Meghan Crimmins, PhD
Dr. Crimmins received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences with a specialization in Cell Biology and Physiology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Her research focuses on the relationship between breastfeeding and cardiovascular health outcomes and risk factors in both mothers and infants, with particular attention to the role of maternal lifestyle factors. She is especially interested in how breastfeeding and human milk consumption affect infants with congenital heart disease.
