2026 ACE Annual Meeting Poster PresentersUgboaku Elizabeth Chukwudi I have a medical degree (MBBS) from Imo State University, Nigeria, and a Master of Public Health with an Epidemiology Certificate from Wright State University, Ohio. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Business with a concentration in Healthcare Administration at the University of Cumberlands, Kentucky. The study I will be presenting at the 2026 ACE conference was inspired by my close work with people living with HIV during my clinical practice in Nigeria. I chose to conduct this study that not only focused on quantitative analysis and findings but also aimed to highlight the demographics and humanize the individuals involved. Over the years, I have worked with Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network (SOAR-Net) to conduct several pediatric research on topics ranging from autism, family’s social needs, medical expenses, parenting, and presented findings at national conferences. I am also the founder of BFF Compass; a soon-to-be launched platform focused on helping college students build meaningful social connections. I hope to contribute to strengthening their sense of belonging and navigate loneliness through peer connections and shared experiences. Kyle Colonna Ilce Ferreira da Silva Ilce Ferreira da Silva, PhD, is a Brazilian epidemiologist and Scientist Researcher at the National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca (ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil. Her research focuses on cancer epidemiology, environmental and genetic risk factors, cancer outcomes, and health disparities, with particular emphasis on populations exposed to social, environmental, and healthcare inequalities. Her work combines epidemiologic methods with population-based and clinical data to investigate determinants of cancer occurrence and survival. Her recent research includes studies of cervical cancer survival and the impact of delays in treatment initiation among women living in the Brazilian Western Amazon, addressing the challenges posed by geographic barriers and limited access to specialized oncology services. She also conducts research on genetic susceptibility to cancer, including the distribution of the GSTM1-null polymorphism and its potential association with cancer risk in Brazil's highly admixed population. At ENSP/Fiocruz, Dr. Silva is affiliated with the Department of Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods in Health and contributes to research and graduate education in epidemiology and public health. Her work aims to strengthen evidence on cancer determinants and outcomes and to contribute to more equitable approaches to cancer prevention and care in Brazil and other underserved populations." Moyinoluwa Oladoye
Moyinoluwa holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Master of Science in Immunity, Infection and Chronic Disease with Distinction from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, where he graduated as the Best Graduating Student of his cohort. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, with work spanning infectious diseases, diagnostics, and global health. His research interests span One Health surveillance, zoonotic disease epidemiology, and the integration of molecular diagnostics into public health frameworks. Beyond the laboratory, Moyinoluwa has led community health programs across Nigeria, contributed to global health research on Mpox, antimicrobial resistance, and vaccine equity. Moyinoluwa is a member of the American College of Epidemiology, the American Society for Microbiology, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a recipient of the 2023 FAO World Food Forum Transformative Research Challenge Award and the 2024 Commonwealth Shared Scholarship. At ACE 2026, he will present findings on Cryptosporidium prevalence and molecular detection in Texas Panhandle shelter dogs.
Junjie (Anderson) Lu
His research applies modern causal inference methods, including targeted maximum likelihood estimation, Super Learner, and multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA), to questions in perinatal health, pharmacoepidemiology, and health disparities among sexual and gender minority populations. He works primarily with large-scale electronic health record and cohort data, including Epic Cosmos, All of Us, and Add Health. Junjie holds an MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a medical degree with psychiatry training from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This background continues to shape his interest in bridging rigorous quantitative methods with traditional medicine and cross-cultural perspectives on population health. His work has appeared in JAMA Network Open, Archives of Sexual Behavior, and American Journal of Preventive Medicine, among other journals. He has also been recognized with a departmental teaching award across Stanford's epidemiology curriculum.
Roxann Seepersad
"I'm excited to present our research at the 2026 ACE Annual Meeting in Buffalo."
Dr. Rao specializes in a broad range of gastrointestinal and liver conditions, including GERD, IBD, IBS, dysphagia, liver disease, and colon cancer screening. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Rao serves as a medical expert in gastroenterology and hepatology matters. He provides independent medical record review, expert opinions, and deposition and trial testimony regarding standards of care, causation, gastrointestinal procedures, and complex GI disorders for both plaintiff and defense counsel.
His research focuses on the long-term health outcomes of head and neck cancer survivors. Specifically, he investigates the risk of radiation-induced strokes, explores medical regimens and drug repurposing to improve patient outcomes, and evaluates the utility of surveillance and screening strategies for ischemic stroke in this population. To address these clinical questions, Khaled works extensively with large healthcare databases, including SEER-Medicare linked data. He aims to provide clear, data-driven insights to help optimize post-treatment care and monitoring for cancer survivors.
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My name is Ugboaku Elizabeth Chukwudi, a physician, public health professional, and researcher, with a passion for improving healthcare access, well-being, and social connections.
Dr. Colonna is a senior epidemiologist with expertise in environmental health, risk and decision sciences, and exposure assessment. At Gradient, he leverages his multidisciplinary expertise to assess human health risks from environmental contaminants. He has contributed to systematic reviews and regulatory comments on exposures to various metals, solvents, and air pollutants. Before joining Gradient, Dr. Colonna was a doctoral student at Harvard University's School of Public Health, where he critically reviewed the literature regarding ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and mortality, analyzed the relationship between source apportioned PM2.5 and respiratory hospital visits in Kuwait, and assessed the performance of and designed COVID-19 forecasting models. Dr. Colonna also worked with the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design and Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology to assess environmental lead exposure and communicate local remediation efforts for low-income communities in West Philadelphia and Lancaster, PA. He has contributed to courses in risk assessment, exposure assessment, environmental health, and public health leadership.
Dr. Moyinoluwa Oladoye is a PhD student in One Health Sciences at the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTU-SVM), Amarillo, Texas. His doctoral research focuses on the molecular epidemiology and point-of-care diagnostics of zoonotic enteric protozoa across companion animals, shelter animals, horses, and livestock in the Texas Panhandle.
Junjie Lu is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is a 2026 ACE Scholar and a Stanford Graduate Fellowship (SGF) recipient, one of the university's highest academic honors.
Roxann Seepersad is a Supervising Epidemiologist at County of Monterey Health Department. Roxann has over fifteen years of dedicated public health service. Her current work includes surveillance and evaluation of community-based violence prevention interventions, neighborhood safety, and environmental design. She leads evaluation for multiple public health initiatives examining the equity implications of culturally tailored education, outreach, and harm-reduction campaigns. Her current empirical work investigates structural and neighborhood-level social determinants of health shape population health trajectories, risk exposures, and behavioral outcomes. An engaged scholar and an active associate member of the American College of Epidemiology, dedicated to translating equity-centered data to sustainable public health practice. 
Thales is a physician who graduated from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), Brazil. During his undergraduate studies, he spent three years as an undergraduate research fellow, contributing to the longitudinal cohort study on the use of hospital emergency departments by the population of Pelotas, which he will present at the poster session of the 2026 ACE Annual Meeting. Since graduating, he has worked in emergency medicine. Thales is currently a Master's student in the Graduate Program in Biotechnology at UFPel, affiliated with the Cellular and Molecular Oncology Research Group (GPO), where his research interests include molecular biology, medical genetics, and genetic epidemiology.
Timothy Crawford is an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Departments of Family Medicine and Population and Public Health Sciences at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine. He is an epidemiologist and applied biostatistician by training. His research lies at the intersection of chronic disease, social determinants of health, and engagement in health care, specifically among people living with HIV. His work leverages existing clinical cohort data to identify behavioral, social, and structural factors that can be targeted through specific interventions to improve health related outcomes.
Xuewen Pei is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University at Buffalo. Her research interests are in environmental epidemiology, with a focus on the health effects of air pollution and heavy metal exposures. Her work examines how environmental exposures affect population health and contribute to health disparities.
Xingjian Zhang is a Ph.D. student in Biostatistics at the University at Buffalo. His research interests center on theoretical and computational statistics, with an emphasis on non-parametric methods, ROC curve analysis, and statistical estimation. His methodological work focuses on developing robust hypothesis testing procedures and data evaluation tools for complex observational studies. At the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) Annual Meeting, he presents an evaluation examining whether specific observational data can be reliably utilized for climate change health impact assessments.
Dr. Qin Rao is a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist based in New York City. He earned his degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University, a Master of Science from Yale University, and his medical degree from SUNY Downstate. He completed his Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Samantha Chapin is an Epidemiology Fellow in the Rollins Epidemiology Fellowship Program at Emory University. She is currently assigned as a fellow with the Coastal Health District in Savannah, Georgia, where her tasks include notifiable disease case investigation, disease prevention and education, quality improvement, etc. She recently obtained her Master of Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology from the University of Georgia. Her research interests include how environmental hazards and public health emergencies impact community health.
Khaled Algrni is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Eastern Virginia Medical School and a Bachelor's degree in Laboratory Medicine. His background in clinical laboratory science and public health informs his current research in chronic disease epidemiology and cancer survivorship.
Zai-Lin Sheu, MD, MS, is a physician by training and an MPH candidate in Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston. Her research bridges clinical medicine and cancer epidemiology, leveraging large-scale population data to evaluate risk dynamics, screening behaviors, and prognostic outcomes in chronic diseases. At ACE 2026, she will present findings from national population surveys and clinical databases evaluating cancer screening behavior and outcomes.
Dr. Rolando F. Trejos is an epidemiologist who applies causal inference and longitudinal data analysis to evaluate the complex interplay among clinical, behavioral, environmental, and genetic determinants of disease across the lifecourse, with a focus on developing and evaluating contextually relevant interventions for populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of disease and disease-related risk factors.
Joseph M. Crane, BSN, RN, is a senior Doctor of Nursing Practice–Family Nurse Practitioner student and Research Assistant at the University at Buffalo School of Nursing. With nearly a decade of critical care nursing experience, he brings a clinically grounded perspective to epidemiologic and interdisciplinary research.
Akeem A. Bakare, DVM, MVPH, is a doctoral candidate in Epidemiology in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati, where he is an NIH P20 Predoctoral Scholar with the Cincinnati Center for Climate Health (C4Health). His dissertation research, based in the PREVAIL birth cohort, examines how neighborhood deprivation and climate-related exposures — ambient temperature, urban heat islands, precipitation, and combined sewer overflow events — shape the development of antimicrobial resistance in the infant gut across the first year of life. Trained as a veterinarian at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, he has interests in antimicrobial resistance, climate health, and One Health.