Meet the Team
RA AMIN
MARIALUZ CASTRO
NATAKI LEE
JANE LOLE
RENE MCCRAY
QUIANA MITCHEM
TIFFANY TYLER
LAURA SPAGNA
MYRON WARD
LAURA WORBY
Community Advisory Board
A group of local leaders, the Community Advisory Board members offer research insights and drive our community-centered work.
Roxanne Mirabal-Beltran
Principal Investigator
Roxanne Mirabal-Beltran, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing. Her research interests include reproductive health inequities, health literacy, and patient-provider communication. She is particularly interested in the use of Community-Based Participatory Research to facilitate access to health and health education in underserved and marginalized communities. She first moved to DC in 1995 and worked first at Zacchaeus Free Clinic and La Clinica del Pueblo and then subsequntly at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center as a women’s health registered nurse for 20 years.
Research Assistants
Our team is made up of both graduate and undergraduate students with backgrounds in health and health inequities.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Part of the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (GUROP), the Undergraduate Research Assistants share interests in research and equitable maternal healthcare in D.C.
Claire Auslander is a senior at Georgetown University studying Nursing. She is excited to engage her interests in family planning, maternal health disparities, and public health equity as a member of the research team! Outside of research, Claire is involved with Campus Ministry Student Forum, SNAG's legislative action group, h*yas for choice, and the Jewish students association. She also works as an interfaith engagement fellow with Campus Ministry. She is an aspiring nurse-midwife dedicated to advancing reproductive freedom through healthcare delivery, research, and advocacy.
Kiara Barillas is a junior at Georgetown University in the School of Nursing. With a keen interest in health equity and maternal health, Kiara is excited to begin her research journey, aiming to contribute valuable insights and advancements in these areas. On campus, she is involved in Jack Crew and SNAG’s legislative action group! After graduation, Kiara hopes to work in maternal health specifically in Spanish speaking populations to serve communities like her own.
Courtni Foster is a medical student at Georgetown University School of Medicine. In 2020, she graduated from Howard University - summa cum laude - with a Bachelor of Science in Biology along with minors in Chemistry and Health Education (Maternal and Child Health concentration). For two years post graduation, Courtni was a research technician in the Ishibashi Laboratory at Children’s National where she investigated the effects of cardiac surgery and anesthesia on the developing brain in pediatric populations. In her free time Courtni enjoys serving District residents through orgs like S.O.M.E. and Mamatoto Village, listening to live music and reading fiction.
My name is Marcella Ruano! I earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Quantitative Methodology from the University of Maryland, College Park, School of Education. My passion lies in improving healthcare education for underserved communities. I deeply admire the transformative work of Dr. RMB and am eager to contribute to her research team as a Research Coordinator. Additionally, I work as a Simulation Technician at the Georgetown University Simulation Center, which is dedicated to improving patient care and safety through innovative simulation-based education.
Tara A. Curtin is a sophomore in the Berkley School of Nursing also on the Pre-med track. My passion for healthcare drives my research into systemic disparities, with a particular focus in the reproductive/maternal health sect of medicine. I am committed to advancing health literacy and education, and am passionate about advocacy work, specifically for underserved communities and territories with lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare. Beyond my research interests, I serve on the executive board of the Women of Color society, take part in the Research Society, and am an active member of the Eating Society. I am a member of JAM music club, work as a Strategist with a local consulting company, and I am an employee of the Alumni House as a Student Engagement Specialist.
Maddy Zhang is a sophomore in the School of Nursing with a minor in Theology. Her interests center on health equity, patient advocacy, and the role of community-based research in advancing public health. At Georgetown, she is involved in SON Academic Council, Georgetown Cheerleading, Blue & Gray Tour Guide Society, and The Corp. After graduation, she hopes to work in an acute care setting, where she can provide direct patient care while continuing to advocate for health equity and access.
Daniela Grados Rojas is a junior at Georgetown University’s Berkeley School of Nursing. From Peru, Daniela is passionate about interacting with and uplifting the Hispanic community here in the U.S. Outside of school, she works as a research assistant at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, volunteers as a medical interpreter at a free clinic, and enjoys photography. After graduation, Daniela intends to work in pediatric critical care and hopes her bilingualism connects her to a vast patient population.
Study Mentors
Researchers from universities across the country offer their valuable insights and expertise.
LAURA LINNAN, at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina
LINDA GALLO, at San Diego State University
ALEJANDRA DE MENDOZA, at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University
Research Team Alumni
Meet a few research team alumni who have contributed to the project over the years.
Nandi Dube graduated in 2024 from Georgetown with a degree in Psychology. She was excited to apply her interest in maternal health and racial health disparities as a Research Assistant. Outside of research, Nandi was involved in the Center for Social Justice and also works as a researcher in the Georgetown Medical School's Department of Psychiatry. She is now working as a full-time Research Assistant before obtaining a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Kelly Brinkman graduated in 2024 from Georgetown with a degree in Nursing. She is thrilled to be learning more about public health and health inequity while working as a member of the research team. Kelly is passionate about public health and serving others and hopes to eventually work as a humanitarian nurse. Kelly has now begun her nursing career as a registered nurse at the Edward Hines Veterans Association Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Kelsey Rondini graduated in 2024 from Georgetown with a degree in Biology. She was thrilled to be involved in community-based participatory research in DC while applying her interests in reproductive health and health equity. Kelsey now plans to continue conducting biomedical research as a postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Diseases Program.
John Katial graduated in 2025 from Georgetown University with an Interdisciplinary Studies degree titled "Human Health and Climate Science" on the pre-med track. Having studied health disparities in his degree and the interdisciplinarity of medicine, he has enjoyed exploring maternal health in Dr. MB's lab through an equitable, patient-centered lens. Beyond research, John is a Physics TA, Rangila dancer and pianist, residential assistant, and member of the Georgetown Prison and Justice Outreach Initiative.
Lara Fortuño graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences pursuing a major in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a minor in Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a concentration in Biotechnology and Global Health in 2025. After graduating, Lara hopes to pursue a career that combines interests in reproductive healthcare, healthcare inequity, and global health.
Zoe Rosales graduated from the Berkley School of Nursing in 2025. She is passionate about serving her hometown community of migrant farmworkers through research and healthcare. In her free time, Zoe enjoys cooking, working as a barista, and mentoring fellow FGLI (first-generation, low income) students. After graduation, Zoe hopes to gain clinical experience in maternal health and ultimately apply that knowledge to a career in public health policy and advocacy.
ROMA JHA is now a Senior at Georgetown University studying Healthcare Management and Policy. She is excited to be involved with community-based participatory research and is passionate about reproductive health justice! Outside of being a Research Assistant, she is involved with Georgetown's Moot Court team, Hoyas for Human Rights, and the International Relations Association. After college, she hopes to attend law school and apply her research skills to her work!
Isabel Stein is now a junior at Georgetown University studying Economics, Math, and Computer Science. She is particularly interested in health economics and is excited to contribute to impactful research concerning health disparities. Outside of research, Isabel is involved in club fencing, intramural soccer, Hoya Blue, and the Carroll Round Undergraduate Economic Research Conference. Isabel hopes to pursue a career that combines her interests in economics, health disparities, and inequity in Hispanic communities.
Pranathi Jammula is now a junior in the School of Health studying Human Science with a Justice & Peace Studies minor. As an aspiring physician, she is excited to contribute to impactful community-based research that combines her interests in advocacy and health. Outside of research, she hosts a WGTB radio show, tables for H*yas For Choice, works at Hoya Snaxa, tutors at the Alexandria City Jail, and teaches yoga classes.
JANE FALL-DICKSON Project Mentor July 2020 through May 2023.
IZZY SEDDON (Student Videographer/ Photographer; Research Assistant) is a 2024 graduate of the Clinical Nurse Leader Masters program at Georgetown University. Izzy conducted psychology research and worked on a biomedical research team while earning her undergraduate degree at Rollins College. However, after producing a documentary about the impacts of organic farming on human and environmental health during her study abroad experience in Vietnam, she went on to pursue a MFA in Film Production from Full Sail University. She spent three years working with over 20 non-profits in Central Florida to tell their stories through media before her passions for public health, research, and advocacy led her to nursing. She hopes to pave her own path and create digital content that elevates the work of both healthcare and filmmaking communities.
AISLINN TREJO was a junior at Georgetown University studying Biology on the pre-med track when she worked on our project.
SABREEN MOHAMMED was a senior at Georgetown University studying Global Health and Medical Humanities on the pre-med track when she worked with our project.
MAKAELA BOURNAZIAN (Research Assistant) was in her first year of the Clinical Nurse Leader Master's program at Georgetown University when she worked on our project.
KATE MONOGUE-RINES (Research Assistant) earned her BSN from Georgetown University in 2023. She joined our team from 2020-2023. Before coming to nursing, Kate was a professional ballerina with Oregon Ballet Theater from 2012-2019. A passion for healthcare, advocacy for vulnerable populations, and holistic medicine brought her to nursing. Since graduating from Georgetown University, Katherine is beginning her nursing career as a registered nurse at Dayton Children's pediatric intensive care unit in Dayton, Ohio.
AANYA AGARWAL was a senior majoring in Biology of Global Health when she joined the Mirabal-Beltran research team.
JOSEPH MULINGE (Research Assistant) was a Master's student in Global Health at Georgetown University, certified in the nursing and public health profession, when he joined our team.
JENNIFER MARTINEZ-SANCHEZ (Research Assistant) graduated from Georgetown University, where she studied Sociology, English, and Public Health in 2023. She was an invaluable member of our team in her last semester at Georgetown.