Program Directors and Academic Staff

Steven Foti is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Director of Graduate Studies. He received his PhD in Statistics Education in 2017 and his MS in Statistics in 2013, both from the University of Florida. Steven is originally from New York where he earned his BS in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Physics from Clarkson University. He teaches Biostatistics courses in literacy, methods, and data visualization to graduate students in public health and medicine. His experience and interests are in statistics education, statistical literacy, and assessment.

Dr. Benjamin Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health, which is where he also received his MPH and PhD in Public Health (One Health) training. His research experience and expertise include emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases, and viral respiratory pathogens with a strong focus on zoonotic viruses. He has laboratory experience at BSL-1 to BSL-3+ environments using serological and molecular diagnostic techniques. He has worked extensively in multiple countries on epidemiology studies looking at infectious disease transmission and persistence among humans, animals, and their environment. His current work focuses on the epidemiology of emerging infectious diseases among vulnerable populations with intense contact with animal reservoirs, as well as the characterization of antibiotic resistance in environmental reservoirs. In addition to his epidemiological research, Dr. Anderson has a strong passion for global health and scientific research capacity building. This includes the development of new collaborative international research networks and laboratory infrastructure.

Dr. Krishna Vaddiparti holds the position of Associate Professor of Epidemiology, specializing in social and psychiatric epidemiology. He earned both his Master of Philosophy and PhD in Psychiatric Social Work from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, India. Additionally, he obtained a Master’s degree in Psychiatric Epidemiology from Washington University in St. Louis. With over fifteen years of clinical experience in the field of mental health in India, Dr. Vaddiparti brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his academic role. Presently, within the Department of Epidemiology, Dr. Vaddiparti assumes a dual role as both a faculty member and the Director of the PhD Program in Epidemiology. Additionally, he maintains an affiliation with the Southern HIV/AIDS Research Consortium (SHARC) as a core faculty member. (For additional details about SHARC, please visit http://sharc-research.org/about/faculty/.)

Dr. Vaddiparti’s research interests encompass three main areas:

1. Examining the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and its connections to treatment engagement, substance use, and mental health.

2. Utilization of medical marijuana in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and associated sleep disturbances.

3. Investigating the adverse health and mental health effects resulting from exposure to trauma, particularly violence, victimization, and adverse childhood experiences.

His research efforts have taken him to various parts of India and Haiti, where he has conducted extensive cross-cultural international studies. These studies involved primary data collection and rigorous fieldwork. Notably, in India, he conducted pioneering epidemiological research on alcohol use problems and common mental disorders in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, marking the first such study in that area. In Haiti, Dr. Vaddiparti collaborated with colleagues from the Department of Epidemiology on the Haiti Health Study, focusing on mental health conditions such as depression, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress disorder, and the social determinants of health.

Mentoring plays a pivotal role in Dr. Vaddiparti’s academic journey, and he welcomes prospective students interested in pursuing doctoral work in Epidemiology to reach out to him directly. Beyond his academic pursuits, he finds relaxation and fulfillment in activities such as painting, photography, and spending quality time with his family.

Ara Jo, PhD, MS, is the Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions. Dr. Jo received her PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Florida. She, from South Korea, earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and in Exercise Science at Ewha Womans University, and a Master of Science in Sport Management at Florida State University. With her interdisciplinary educational background, her primary research interests focus on evidence-based prevention care model for chronic disease such as screening, physical activity and risk assessment in primary care setting. She is particularly interested in healthy body composition measurement and utilization in health care setting. She is also doing research about healthcare utilization outcomes in Florida.

Lindsey King, PhD, MPH, CHES®, CCRP, CTTS (she/her) is a clinical associate professor of public health in the Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy and the Dean’s Office at the University of Florida (UF) College of Public Health and Health Professions. She serves as program director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) program and program director of the PhD in public health (SBS concentration). She also serves as the immediate past caucus chair and former program chair of the American Public Health Association Family Violence Prevention Caucus (APHA FVPC). She previously served as the Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration coordinator for the SBS (campus and online) and public health practice (online) concentrations. Dr. King received her PhD in public health (SBS) from UF, her MPH from the University of South Florida (USF), and her Bachelor of Arts from UF. Dr. King has also served as a tobacco cessation facilitator through the Northeast Florida Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Gulfcoast North AHEC. Dr. King’s background includes research in behavioral oncology, clinical, epidemiology, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address disparities in maternal and child health (MCH), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed public health community initiatives, violence prevention, and sexual health. Dr. King’s primary interests include community-engaged research to identify strengths of communities and eliminate health disparities in underserved populations including racial and ethnic minority populations and sexual and gender minority populations.