Lab Members

Stacy Tessler Lindau

MD, MAPP, Catherine Lindsay Dobson Professor, Director of the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine, Founder of Feed1st, Senior Advisor to the Provost

Stacy Tessler Lindau is the Catherine Lindsay Dobson Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.

She is also senior advisor to the provost at the University of Chicago. In this role, Dr. Lindau leads projects in the provost’s highest priority strategic domains, working closely with the vice provosts and the provost’s chief of staff as well as other administrative and faculty leaders.

Dr. Lindau’s research examines mechanisms through which social and sexual conditions relate to health across the life course, including the effects of cancer-related iatrogenesis on social and sexual functioning. Her CommunityRx program of social care research studies how and why connecting people to community-based assets drives health. This program has been funded by five institutes of the National Institutes of Health and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Dr. Lindau also leads the National Cancer Institute-funded Bionic Breast Project, a paradigm-shifting effort to preserve sensation and mitigate pain following mastectomy using a neuroprosthetic approach. She was founding co-principal investigator of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, an ongoing national, longitudinal biosocial study of U.S. adults. Her research has been published in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, JAMA, and the British Medical Journal and has been featured in the New York Times and other major media outlets.

Dr. Lindau is also a practicing gynecologist with expertise in supportive oncology and successful entrepreneur. She founded and directs the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine (PRISM) for Women and Girls with Cancer and Feed1st—a unique, healthcare-based food insecurity mitigation program. Her past leadership roles include director of research and innovation of the University of Chicago Medicine Urban Health Initiative; founding chair of the Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer, 501c3; founder and president of MAPSCorps, 501c3 (which joined Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy in 2023); and founder and chief innovation officer of NowPow, LLC (acquired by Unite USA, Inc. in 2021). She is founder and chief innovation officer of STEAMe, LLC, a technology platform to facilitate effective community-wide workforce development initiatives. She has also served as an elected member to the University of Chicago faculty senate and was an Academic Leadership Program Fellow with the Committee on Institutional Collaboration.

Stacy earned her BA from the University of Michigan Honors College with studies in political science and secondary education, her MD from Brown University, and her MAPP from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. She was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and served the program’s National Advisory Committee, an Irving B. Harris Fellow, and is an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. Before medicine, Stacy worked in broadcast journalism, including at Dow Jones & Company’s Wall Street Journal TV. She serves the board of directors and executive committee of RISE, 501c3, an organization dedicated to elimination of racism through sport. She is also an active emeritus member of the boards of the Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer and the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship.

Dr. Lindau is a storyteller, a 2023 Chicago Moth Story Slam winner and performed in the 2024 Chicago Grand Slam.

Emily Abramsohn

MPH, Director of Research

Emily Abramsohn is a passionate public health researcher with a focus on connecting patients and those who care for them to services in their community that they can use to address their basic resource needs. Ms. Abramsohn came to the Lindau Lab at the University of Chicago in 2009 for its cross-cutting research efforts in both women’s health and community health improvement. As the current Director of Research, Ms. Abramsohn provides strategic direction across the arc of the lab’s research projects, with a focus on protecting research subjects’ data, meaningful engagement with the community for whom this research serves, and mentorship of students and trainees. During her time in the Lab, she has been a Patient Educator, and has trained others to provide this education. Ms. Abramsohn received her BS in psychology from the University of Iowa and her Master’s in Public Health from San Diego State University.

Mariam Charles

MS, Senior Specialist

Mariam has a deep passion for reproductive and sexual health, and advocates for patient education so that individuals can make well-informed decisions that they’re comfortable with. With her love for multidisciplinary collaboration, she’s eager to support the Lindau Lab to improve the betterment of all. She joined the lab after receiving her M.S. in Reproductive Science and Medicine from Northwestern University. She also holds a B.S. in Genomics and Molecular Genetics with honors and a minor in Global Studies from Michigan State University. Throughout her career she’s conducted a wide range of research: from microbiology to clinical studies to public health to basic reproductive science research. Away from the lab, Mariam loves to run on Lakefront Trail, experiment with recipes and hopes to publish a cookbook one day! She also loves to host dinner parties and appreciates a good costume party with her loved ones!

Fareen Dhuka

CIH Fellow, Intern

Alongside her advocacy of accessible healthcare and voicing minority experiences, something Fareen values most in life is forming genuine relationships with others. She is a senior at the University of Chicago studying Neuroscience and Visual Arts who loves to intertwine her passions for medicine and digital media. Fareen joined the lab as a 2022 Metcalf intern working on web development and content creation for the Lindau Lab sites, media outlets, and newsletters. As the token Gen Z recruit, her tech experience includes producing videos on substance cessation for Comer Children’s Hospital and developing websites for organizations such as Women Working Wonders nonprofit and the St. John’s student newspaper: Review Online. She has also served as a Leukemia Student Researcher at MD Anderson in the Texas Medical Center and adores the third graders she teaches with Aga Khan Education Board. Fareen’s dream retirement hustle is wedding planning, partly to continue creating wax seal calligraphy invitations, but also to serve her aspirations of dabbling in photographing engagements and producing wedding videos with her new beau: Adobe Premiere Pro.

Claire Fendrick

MPH, Feed1st Management Specialist

Claire believes that everyone, no matter their circumstances, should have access to healthy food. She is a public health professional that is passionate about food justice and anti-hunger work, looking to learn more about how to make healthy eating more accessible to all. She holds a B.A. in Community and Global Public Health from the University of Michigan, and an MPH in Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences from Emory University. Since graduating, Claire has worked both behind-the-scenes and in the community tackling food justice issues – including food waste, food insecurity, and nutritional education. Outside of work, you can find her baking, thrifting, playing volleyball, or trying out new coffee shops!

Charlie Fuller

Research Specialist

Charlie creates spaces and structures that celebrate queer people, connection, and pleasure. They joined the Lindau Lab at the University of Chicago as a Research Assistant in September 2019. With a background in LGBTQ health research and sexuality education, Charlie also brings tools from their work as a teacher and artist to the Lab’s community health projects. They hold a BA with honors in Gender & Sexuality Studies and English from the University of Chicago. Outside of the Lab, Charlie cooks large meals in a small kitchen and pretends to be a good sport about losing board games.

Mellissa Grana

Research Specialist

Mellissa is a well-rounded scientist with an extensive background in basic science, public health, and clinical research. She graduated from The University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 2016 with a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a focus on medicine. Since graduating, she has been in several labs within the Chicagoland area but settled down with the Lindau Lab in Spring of 2020. During her time in the lab, she has contributed to nearly all areas of our research from recruitment and data collection to literature review and trial design. Outside of her work, Mellissa enjoys an active lifestyle by weight training and by spending time outside travelling to naturally scenic places.

Julia Kaper

Intern

Julia is passionate about all things women’s health and accessible healthcare. She is a rising 4th year student at the University of Chicago pursuing a B.S. in Biological Science with a minor in Health and Society. She joined the lab as a CIH Fellow during the summer of 2023 and has continued to work as an intern supporting the Bionic Breast Project since. Outside of the lab, Julia volunteers at the Comer Children’s Hospital as a Playroom Volunteer and works as a Student Visit Coordinator in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at UChicago. In her free time, you can find Julia running along the lake, trying out new recipes, and spending a lot of time outside!

Su Lee

PhD, Data Analyst

Su is a prevention scientist specializing in health and research methodologies. During her graduate training in prevention science, she explored the dynamics of parent-child relationships and their significant impact on children’s health. Her research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors that can promote optimal health outcomes across different groups. Building on this foundation, her goal is to design prevention programs that enhance health for all communities. In her postdoctoral work at Northwestern University, she focused on how health systems can improve health outcomes for pregnant women and their newborns. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys long walks, bike rides, and hiking when the weather is favorable. She also enjoys camping in the summer, experimenting with new recipes, and exploring new places.

Jen Makelarski

PhD, MPH, Analyst Team Lead

Jen is an epidemiologist. Her most recent work focuses on assessing and addressing basic and other needs. She was the lead epidemiologist on the development and evaluation of the CommunityRx intervention, a resource referral intervention that provides personalized information about health-promoting community resources to people during regular clinical care. She is especially interested in interventions to reduce food insecurity and played a lead role in the establishment of Feed1st, a hospital-based food pantry program. To best solve these social justice issues, Jen hopes to continue to emphasize the value of understanding the mechanisms by which such interventions work in order to maximize their impact, but also pair traditional epidemiologic methods with system science methodologies to better assess the impact of clinical and public health interventions.

Tania Mendoza

Clinical Research Analyst

Tania seeks to connect all people to quality health care. She joined the Lindau Lab in August 2021 as a Research Assistant after graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences. Prior to joining, Tania worked as a research assistant at UC Santa Barbara for projects that aimed to improve the psychosocial adjustment in children with cognitive or behavioral issues. As a PRISM patient educator, her hope is to help patients feel empowered and supported. When she grows up, she’d like to get her PhD in Clinical Psychology to continue working with women and girls as a licensed psychologist and health researcher. Outside of the lab, Tania loves to try out new fitness studios around the city, playing with her cat, thrifting home decor, and browsing sustainable fashion labels online.

El Pinkerton

MPH, Clinical Research Project Manager

El is a trained epidemiologist and project manager of the NIH-funded Bionic Breast Project, which takes a neural stimulation approach to restoring breast sensation after mastectomy. She joined the Lindau Lab at the University of Chicago in 2019, and brings obsessive curiosity and a meticulously organized GCal to her work as a clinical research project manager. El holds an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and a BS in Biology from Loyola University Chicago. Outside of her work with the Lab, she’s passionate about speculative fiction, natural landscaping, and Alexander Ovechkin’s ongoing effort to beat Wayne Gretzky’s 30-year goalscoring record in the NHL.

Ife Ojewuyi

MPH, Research Project Manager

Ife is a public health professional passionate about advocating for quality healthcare by supporting community-engaged research and health intervention programs globally and domestically. Before joining the lab in 2023, she was an Infection Control Lead for the Contact Tracing Program at the University of Chicago. She has a background working with diverse populations in refugee case management, sleep and circadian science research, infectious disease education, and clinic administration. She holds a B.S. in Natural Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh and an MPH in Global Health Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation from George Washington University.

Delaney Romanchick

Clinical Research Assistant

Delaney has a strong interest in sexual health, particularly in relation to understanding how chronic illness and psychosocial factors affect sexual function throughout the life course. In addition, she is interested in medical ethics and education, especially as they relate to issues of sexual health. Delaney is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, where she received a B.A. in the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine (HIPS) with a focus on medical ethics. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, spending time by the lakefront, and binge-watching reality TV.

Eva Shiu

MPH, Senior Clinical Trials Manager

Eva is thrilled to work at the intersection of women’s health and public health. She joined the Lindau Lab in 2019 as a Clinical Trials Manager. Eva has a BA in International Studies from the University of Illinois and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. Her responsibilities include launching clinical trials, designing data collection databases, and overseeing recruitment, enrollment, and retention for longitudinal studies. Outside of the lab, she spends time with her family and likes to browse “best of” food lists dreaming about her next meal.

Victoria Winslow

MPH, Data Analyst

Victoria is passionate about finding data-driven solutions to improve the health of all people. She has special interests in using machine learning and data visualization to deliver clear, accessible insights into health. She holds a B.S. in Biology from North Central College, an MPH in Biostatistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently a PhD candidate in epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She joined the lab as a data analyst in 2020. During her free time, you can find her running on the 606, entertaining her two cats, and checking out new vegetarian restaurants.

Jie Zhao

PhD, BM, Associate Director of Operations, Feed1st Manager

Jie is passionate about finding solutions to bridge the gaps in health care access through collaboration, innovation and empowerment. Jie joined the lab in February 2022 as Assistant Director of Operations and Strategy, became Associate Director of Research Operations and Strategy in April 2023, and currently leads the operations team of the lab. Her efforts are focused on lab operations, strategic planning and seeking funding opportunities for Feed1st, Bionic Breast and other innovative programs of the Lab. Jie also serves as the Manager of Feed1st, leading efforts on operational improvement, program expansion and fundraising for the program. Jie has extensive experience in operations, fundraising and communicating scientific message to the general public. Prior to joining the Lindau Lab, Jie worked as an executive consultant at the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group and as the director of operations at the National Foundation for Cancer Research. She has a BM (Bachelor of Medicine) from the China Medical University and a PhD in cell and microbiology from the Catholic University of America. Jie loves singing, playing piano and guitar and writing ancient Chinese poems.