Meet the 2026-27 Public Health Advocacy Fellows
We are thrilled to welcome the ninth cohort of the Advocates for Better Health (ABH) Public Health Advocacy Fellowship!
Our 2026–27 Fellows recently gathered for an inspiring opening workshop, kicking off eight months of learning, connection, and hands-on advocacy. This year's interdisciplinary cohort brings together students from across the health professions, each with unique experiences, perspectives, and a shared commitment to building healthier communities.
Throughout the year, Fellows will develop their advocacy skills, connect with experienced mentors, and explore opportunities to create meaningful change on the issues they care about most.
We had an incredible time getting to know this group at our opening workshop, and we can't wait to see where their advocacy journeys take them!
Fellows and mentors at our 2026-27 Opening Workshop
Meet Our 2026-2027 Fellows
Get to know the students who make up this year's cohort and hear, in their own words, what inspires them to advocate for better health.
Anissa Basha
University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Hospital-based public health, health equity, and improving access to quality care for underserved patients
Mentor: Jake Woodruff, PharmD, DPLA
Why I advocate: “Public health advocacy matters to me because, through my experiences in a hospital setting, I’ve seen how factors outside of a patient’s care can affect their health. I want to learn how I can better advocate for patients and help connect them with the resources and care they need.”
Ayaantuu Usman
University of Minnesota Medical School | Third Year
Advocacy Interest: Tobacco cessation and cancer disparities
Mentor: Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP
Why I advocate: “Public health advocacy matters to me because my research in tobacco and cancer disparities have shown me how preventable exposures can disproportionately affect underserved communities. I am dedicated to advancing tobacco prevention, cessation and early screening especially among populations that face the greatest burden of disease. Through advocacy, I hope to address these disparities with culturally informed policies and community based prevention.”
Breanna Heisterkamp
University of Minnesota School of Nursing, PhD in Nursing Research | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Gender Based Violence
Mentor: Sarah Hoffman, PhD, MPH, MSN, RN
Why I advocate: “As a forensic nurse examiner and nurse leader in an evolving healthcare landscape, I know that the health of our patients and community is shaped long before a clinical encounter begins and far past it's end. My first year in the PhD program at the School of Nursing has affirmed that and deepened my commitment to effecting positive change where I have opportunity. During the course of this fellowship, I hope to gain skills and experience that will help me advocate at a systems-level for policies that promote holistic healing for survivors of violence and prevent future experiences of gender based violence.”
Cassidy Valade
University of Minnesota Medical School | First Year
Advocacy Interest: Healthcare access & Medicare for All
Mentor: Kathryn Freeman, MD
Why I advocate: “Advocacy, like medicine, is a lifelong practice, and I'm eager to build that practice alongside like-minded peers and a physician mentor who has built their own advocacy-driven career, especially as I am now beginning my medical education. Through this Fellowship, I hope to deepen my understanding of how we can expand and improve access to healthcare, including work on Medicare for All, so I can advocate for my community's collective health and wellbeing now and in the future.”
Elizabeth Harty
University of Minnesota Medical School | Third Year
Advocacy Interest: Advocating for better care for people living with HIV
Mentor: Calla Brown, MD
Why I advocate: “As a future physician I hope to have patients feel cared for and safe by advocating for them. This is a skill that is lifelong and can be developed through mentorship. I hope to learn more about legislative changes we contribute to as physicians and learn from others with advocacy experience.”
Emma Kellgren
University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Masters in Nursing | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Overcoming Social Determinants of Health within Healthcare for Immigrant or ESL Populations
Mentor: Abby Gold, PhD
Why I advocate: “Due to the infrastructural web of issues that affect immigrant populations, I am looking to explore how we can bridge the gap better between healthcare delivery and resources that will help individuals in their community, while making sure these materials are available in a multitude of languages. By easing the transition to access of resources, it will allow for smoother transition of care, more knowledge in the community about healthcare and safe housing, and technical skills such as applying for SNAP benefits when necessary or applying for health insurance. I am passionate about this project because it affects the daily reality of my chosen family.”
Greta Mellow
University of Minnesota Medical School | Third Year
Advocacy Interest: Pediatric mental health
Mentor: Daniel Hosker, MD
Why I advocate: “As I pursue a career combining pediatrics and psychiatry, I hope to be a physician who not only cares for individual patients, but also works to create healthier systems for entire communities. I believe that every child deserves access to the support that allows them to grow, adapt, and thrive.”
Harper O'Neill
University of Minnesota Medical School | Fourth Year
Advocacy Interest: Compassionate healthcare for individuals who are or have been unhoused and those who use(d) substances; rebuilding trust and re-engaging community
Mentor: Ryan Kelly, MD
Why I advocate: “I hope to learn from people doing ongoing advocacy work within healthcare, particularly around coalition-building to create spaces for care outside the traditional four walls of hospitals and clinics. I hope to learn how to better advocate for, alongside, and in service of people with lived experience – translating advocacy into policy change at the regional, county, and state level that reflects what these communities ask for: care and resources that start with trust and relationship, not punishment.”
Jack McGuire
University of Minnesota Medical School MD/PhD Program | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Adolescent Mental Health, Mobile Crisis Mental Health
Mentor: Alison Warford, MD
Why I advocate: “Clean, controlled experiments lay the groundwork for innovation, but true progress requires community-level integration. Advocacy is the key mechanism that turns raw scientific discovery into practical, trusted medical care that is accessible and useful to all of the people it could possibly benefit.”
Jasmine Shakya Chapman
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry Dual Degree Dental Hygiene + Dental Therapy | Third Year
Advocacy Interest: Mouth - Body connection/ Integration of medicine and dentistry
Mentor: Deb Jacobi, RDH, MA
Why I advocate: “Public health advocacy matters to me because I believe everyone deserves access to quality, preventive care and the knowledge to understand the connection between oral and overall health. Through the fellowship, I hope to strengthen my advocacy, leadership, and policy skills while learning how dental therapists can expand access to preventive and restorative oral health services.”
Madi Wall
University of Minnesota School of Dentistry | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Food Justice & Periodontal Health
Mentor: Eileen Crespo, MD
Why I advocate: “Oral health often gets left out of broader health equity conversations, so I want to learn how to communicate its importance in ways that resonate with policymakers, community partners, and the public. This fellowship will help me develop the advocacy tools to make oral health more visible in public health spaces, while also allowing me to pursue one of my passion projects.”
Maggie Eckerstorfer
University of Minnesota Medical School | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Community Health Center Financing & Medicaid Changes
Mentor: Tessa Trepp-Wetjen, MPA
Why I advocate: “Being a public health advocate to me means sharing my mission to expand healthcare access through community-centered efforts. Through the ABH Fellowship I am excited to learn how to engage with current stakeholders and future collaborators.”
Miriam Valley
University of Minnesota Medical School | Fourth Year
Advocacy Interest: Reproductive justice
Mentor: Alex Harsha Bangura, MD
Why I advocate: “Public health advocacy has always been central to how I conceptualize ways in which we can fix our broken healthcare system. I obtained a MPH in public health administration and policy at UMN prior to starting medical school and am looking forward to recentering advocacy in professional life through this fellowship, sharpening my skills and learning alongside my interprofessional colleagues in the cohort.”
Mohammed A Mashal
University of Minnesota Medical School MD/PhD Program | Third Year
Advocacy Interest: The MENA health data gap: the structural absence of Middle Eastern and North African communities from federal health categorization, and its downstream effects on research funding, clinical trial representation, and public health programming
Mentor: Mosi Bennett, MD
Why I advocate: “As a Palestinian MD/PhD student training in neuroscience, I see every day how data shapes what gets funded, studied, and treated. My community, Arab Americans, is classified as "white" in federal health surveillance, which means the health burdens we carry go unmeasured and unaddressed. I hope to gain the advocacy skills to translate scientific training into the kind of pressure that actually changes what a federal data collection form looks like.”
Rahma Farah
University of Minnesota Medical School | Second Year
Advocacy Interest: Chronic Disease Management
Mentor: Elizabeth Stranges, MD
Why I advocate: “Public health advocacy matters to me because I’ve seen how things like access to care, health education, culture, and trust can shape a person’s health. I’m especially interested in understanding how we can address health disparities, including the barriers that make managing chronic conditions more difficult for some communities. Through this Fellowship, I hope to build practical skills in legislative advocacy, community organizing, and working with others to turn these concerns into meaningful change that I can carry into my future as a physician.”
Supporting the Next Generation of Health Advocates
The ABH Public Health Advocacy Fellowship is made possible through the generosity of our donors, mentors, and community partners. Your support helps emerging health professionals build the skills, relationships, and confidence to become advocates for healthier, more equitable communities.
Support the next generation of advocates for better health and donate to the ABH Fellowship today!