Naomi worked on a project entitled "Patient Activation: Prostate Cancer Screening" with her mentors, LDI Senior Fellow John H. Holmes, Ph.D., and Carmen Guerra, M.D..

Albert I. Chiwara
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2007
Major: Business (Concentration: Actuarial Sciences and Finance)

Albert worked with LDI Senior Fellow Daniel Polsky, Ph.D., on a project entitled "Predictors of Diabetes Control."

Kristal Elliston
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2007
Major: Enlgish with Pre-Med intent

Kristal has studied health issues involving health disparities, health literacy, and distrust of the health care system through her work with the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine in the General Internal Medicine Department. She worked with LDI Senior Fellow and Director of Research Katrina Armstrong, M.D., MSCE, to explore issues of health pertaining to racial representation in food advertisements.

Ernest (Ted) D. Gomez
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2008
Major: Bioengineering

Ted worked with LDI Senior Fellow Daniel Polsky, Ph.D., on a project entitled "Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a New Treatment for Heroin-Addicted Adolescents."

Courtnee A. Lundy
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2008
Major: Health and Societies (Concentration: Health Policy)

A native Philadelphian, Courtnee has interned in the pharmaceutical industry and gained experience in the Market Research field. Her recent work with the Annenberg Public Policy Center has greatly piqued her general interest in health research. Courtnee's particular interests lie in examining and addressing the health disparities present in minority adolescent populations that can be reduced through changes within the health care system. Courtnee worked with LDI Senior Fellow Chanita A. Hughes Halbert, Ph.D., on a project entitled "Smoking and Media Study: Reactions to Media Messages About Race, Genetics, and Smoking in African Americans." Courtnee was awarded First Place in the Penn Bioethics Journal's 2006 Awards For Excellence in Bioethics Writing for her article, Methods to Identify and Address the Ethical Issues Associated with Managed Care, which was published in the Winter 2006 issue of PBJ (2[2]:3-7, 2006).

Christine A. Mayor
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2006
Major: Nursing

Christine worked on the "Pennsylvania Autism and Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Project (PADDSP)" with mentors Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Ellen Giarelli, Ed.D.

Shelby E. Newland
University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2005
Major: Economics and Political Science ( Concentration: American Politics)

Shelby's interests involve health policy and health disparities within the Native American communities in the United States. She worked with Rosalyn J. Watts, Ed.D. and LDI Senior Fellow Eileen Lake, Ph.D., R.N., on the Summit on American Indian Health Care, a joint venture between Penn's Schools of Nursing and Medicine. Following observations and research surrounding the conference, Shelby worked with Carolyn C. Cannuscio, Ph.D., on a project researching the roles of cultural sensitivity and perspective on the state and culture of Native American health. Shelby is currently completed a Master's in Bioethics at Penn. She then plans to pursue a joint degree related to public policy and health. Shelby is a recipient of a 2006 Award for Excellence in Bioethics Writing (Second Place Prize), and her article, The Role of Bioethics in the International Prescription Drug Market, was published in the Penn Bioethics Journal (2[2]:8-12, 2006).

As a SUMR Scholar, Leonard worked on two projects; his mentors were LDI Senior Fellows Mark V. Pauly, Ph.D., and Jerry C. Johnson, M.D. Leonard hopes to gain admission to an M.D./Ph.D. program in Health Systems Analysis and contribute to the betterment of the U.S. health care system for all.