Epidemiology Student Association (ESA)
About the Association
The Epidemiology Student Association, ESA, aims to promote the study and use of epidemiological theory and techniques of practice, as well as increase the awareness of occupational and educational opportunities, foster collaboration and comradery among our students and faculty, and promote professionalism in Epidemiology. Our voting membership consists of all students seeing an MS, PhD, MPH or MSCI in epidemiology at the University of Iowa.
Mission Statement
The Epidemiology Student Association, ESA, is intended to be a voice, an advocate, and a resource for students in the Epidemiology Department. We serve as a liaison between the students and the department, facilitating cooperation and understanding as we work together to create an excellent department and exceptional graduates.
2025-2026 Executive Board
Faith Elenwa
Director, PhD Representative
Faith is a second-year PhD student from Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. She received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Murray State University in 2019. She completed her MPH in Epidemiology at Texas A&M University in 2021. Faith’s research interests include cancer prevention and management and cancer health equity. She is a research assistant at the HCCC Population Research Core. Outside CPH, Faith is involved as a junior data analyst for the Upstream initiative and serves on a committee at ISAB. In her free time, she loves to travel and explore nature.
Lauren Johnson
MS Representative
Lauren is a second-year MS student from Tremont, IL. She earned her B.A. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Global Public Health from Monmouth College. Her primary research interests center on the intersection of maternal and child health and infectious diseases, with an emphasis on infection prevention. She currently works as a research assistant in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology under Dr. Jessica Tucker and volunteers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading a good book, watching movies (especially at the drive-in), and spending time with friends and family.
Chioma Okezie
MPH Representative
Chioma is a second-year MPH student from Nigeria. She earned her MBBS degree from Abia State University in 2018. Her research interests include clinical trial methodology, patient-centered outcomes, and global health. Prior to pursuing her MPH, she worked as a clinical trial manager, gaining extensive experience coordinating and overseeing clinical studies. She is currently a research assistant with Dr. Nichole Nidey’s group and Dr. Paul Romitti’s lab, where she contributes to projects at the intersection of maternal and child health, epidemiology, and public health research. After completing her MPH, Chioma plans to further her career in clinical and epidemiological research, applying her medical training to advance inclusive and evidence-based care.
Prithvi Raj Daliboyina
MPH Representative
Raj is a second-year MPH student in Epidemiology from Visakhapatnam, India. He earned his M.B.B.S. degree and has over five years of clinical experience in internal medicine, emergency care, and geriatrics before beginning his graduate studies at the University of Iowa. His academic interests include infectious disease epidemiology, biostatistics, and health disparities. At Iowa, Prithvi has worked as an Academic Research Assistant with the Institute for Public Health Practice, Research, and Policy under Dr. Anjali Deshpande, where he contributed to a project on diabetes and hypertension care in partnership with the Iowa Primary Care Association.
Katie Fuhrmeister
PhD Representative
Katie is a second-year PhD student in Epidemiology from Iowa City, IA. She earned her BA (International Studies), BS (Anthropology), MPH (Epidemiology), and certificate in Emerging Infectious Diseases from the University of Iowa. Katie is deeply interested in molecular epidemiology, particularly in understanding genetic interactions in disease states. Her focus is on how these interactions can be influenced and potentially rescued through genetic manipulation or pharmacological interventions. This interest stems from the potential to uncover novel therapeutic strategies that can mitigate or reverse the effects of genetic mutations, thereby improving patient outcomes and advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms. Katie works in the Wallrath laboratory at the Carver College of Medicine’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, where the team focuses on nuclear processes such as chromatin packaging, nuclear organization, pre-mRNA splicing, and gene expression. Her responsibilities have included managing a mouse colony for a project that characterizes the natural history of a pediatric patient mutation in the SNRNP200 gene. This involves propagating specific mouse strains and performing Electroretinography (ERG) assays to quantify rod-cone expression in the retina of the mouse eye. Additionally, former project responsibilities included Drosophila cytology quantification using immunohistochemistry and PCR. Outside of academics, she’s an avid reader and enjoy exploring the outdoors, especially aquatic environments.
Monthly Newsletters
2024 Monthly Newsletters
2025 Monthly Newsletters
Activities and Events
Fall 2025 Semester
September
- 1st: Labor Day (no classes)
- 5th: Monthly Coffee Gathering in Epi
- 8th (Monday): First ESA Meeting – (12:30 PM, room S402)
- Mentor/Mentee Pairings Released
- 1st Year Representative Elections (closes 9/16)
- 27th (Saturday): CPH Homecoming Pregame Breakfast (8:00-10:00 AM, CPH Atrium)
October
- 3rd: Monthly Coffee Gathering in Epi
- 13th (Monday) ESA Monthly Meeting (12:30 PM, room S402)
- How to get the most out of APHA
- Introduce 1st Year Rep
- TBD: Epi Apparel Design Contest
November
- 7h: Monthly Coffee Gathering in Epi
- 10th (Monday): ESA Monthly Meeting (12:30 PM, room C217)
- Faculty Speed Dating Event
- 10-14th: CPH Research Week
- 2nd – 5th: American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)
- TBD: ESA Leaf Raking Fundraiser (Saturday afternoon in November)
- 23rd – 30th: Thanksgiving Break (no classes)
December
- 5th: Monthly Coffee Gathering in Epi
- 12th (Friday): ESA Cross-departmental social (TBA)
- 12th (Friday): Last Day of Classes for Fall 2025 Semester
- 15th-19th: Finals Week
