NIH Rural Health Seminar

Sarah Young
Sarah Young is Deputy Director for the Policy Research Division in the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy where she supports FORHP’s policy analysis, research, and Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 response programs. Sarah’s past work in FORHP has included analyzing rural hospital and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) policy and coordinating the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program focused on improving CAH quality of care and operational efficiency. Sarah holds an MPH from Portland State University in Oregon. Sarah entered federal service in 2011 through the Presidential Management Fellows Program.

Rima Afifi, Ph.D.
Rima Afifi is a professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, and Director of the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health (PRC-RH), College of Public Health, University of Iowa. Rima engages in public health education, research and practice with the intent to advance health equity and social justice. She acts to promote social, organizational, community, and policy environments conducive to well-being. Rima applies community-engaged research and cultural humility to equalize power, voice, and self determination of communities experiencing marginalization; and emphasizes knowledge transfer of research to practice and policy. Rima’s specific areas of research and practice focus are mental health, refugee and immigrant well-being, tobacco control, and intervention evaluation.

Julie Fritz, Ph.D., PT, FAPTA
Julie Fritz is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, and the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Health at the University of Utah located in Salt Lake City. Her research has focused on examining nonpharmacologic treatments for individuals with spinal pain, including clinical trials and health services research. Currently, Dr. Fritz is leading projects funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including projects funded under the HEAL initiative addressing pain management and opioid use. She also leads a trial within the NIH-VA-DoD Pain Management Collaboratory investigating nonpharmacologic pain management in the Military Health System.

Tiffany Haynes, Ph.D.
Dr. Tiffany Haynes is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and mental health advocate who focuses on improving access to mental health services in underserved communities. Dr. Haynes is an associate professor in the Health Behavior and Health Education Department and the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS.) A renowned speaker and educator, Haynes seeks to improve our understanding of emotional health and decrease stigma through the sharing of personal stories.

Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak is performing the duties of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), officially having taken office on December 20, 2021. Dr. Tabak has served as the Principal Deputy Director and the Deputy Ethics Counselor of NIH since August 2010. He previously served as the Acting Principal Deputy Director of NIH (2009), and prior to that as Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) from 2000-2010.

Shannon Zenk, Ph.D., MPH, RN, FAAN
Dr. Sharon Zenk is Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). She joined NINR in September 2020, following a 14-year career as a faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing and Institute for Health Research and Policy. With a background in nursing and public health, Dr. Zenk’s research focuses on community environments as a social determinant of health and health inequities. She and her team conducted pioneering research on food deserts in the United States.

Monica Webb Hooper, Ph.D.
Dr. Monica Webb Hooper is Deputy Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. She works closely with the Director and leadership to oversee all aspects of the institute and to advance the mission of promoting the health of populations with health disparities and health equity.