Faculty and Staff

Lucia Leone, PhD

Director
Lucia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo  School of Public Health and Health Professions.  As Director of the Community Health Interventions Lab, Lucia works with community and small business partners to develop and test sustainable interventions to increase access to healthy, local and affordable food. She has expertise in evaluating community-based interventions to increase access to healthy food in lower-income and underserved communities. 

Leah Vermont, MA

Assistant Director of Partnership and Outreach
Leah has experience in clinical and community-based research focusing on substance use, mental health, and health behaviors.  She is interested in the social determinants that drive health outcomes and disparities, as well as the evaluation of community-based initiatives. Leah is happiest backpacking in the mountains with her family. 

Anne Lally, PhD

Assistant Director of Research and Evaluation
Anne received her PhD in cultural anthropology from the University at Buffalo in 2017; her research engages multispecies ethnography in food systems, agricultural and rural anthropology, and landscape and identity in field sites located in Iceland and the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation in the Southern Tier of New York. Anne has worked previously as a research director in the private sector healthcare market, served as a research assistant on a NIH-funded alcohol intervention study at the UB Center for Social Research, and coordinated non-profit public health programs serving women and children in New Jersey. Her background working at a vegetable farm and market in rural New Jersey, along with her dissertational fieldwork conducted on dairy, horse, and sheep farms in Iceland, further informs her real-world perspective on food systems and desire to work towards increasing access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables in all communities. 

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Jill Tirabassi, MD, MPH

Faculty research collaborator
Jill is a K12 faculty scholar clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine a board-certified physician in both family medicine and preventive medicine and public health. Her research looks to improve health outcomes through understanding, assessing, and utilizing interventions in food and physical activity environments. She also practices clinically at the ECMC Family Medicine Center, teaching family medicine residents and medical students. She enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family. 


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Christina Kasprzak, PhD

PostDoctoral Associate
Christina is a post-doctoral associate and research assistant professor in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior (CHHB) at the University at Buffalo. She completed her PhD in the Fall of 2021 from CHHB. Prior to her doctoral work, she earned a Master of Science in Nutrition Science and worked in the public health nutrition field for nearly a decade. Her interest in designing and evaluating community-based interventions to improve the nutrition status of vulnerable populations is rooted in her years of experience as a nutritionist for the Federal nutrition assistance programs WIC and SNAP. Although a mixed methods researcher, she has a particular expertise in qualitative methods. The bulk of her research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile produce market intervention known as the Veggie Van model as well as understanding the impact of organizational factors on implementation of the model. She was awarded a 5-year K99/R00 grant through the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH). This research will involve understanding the decision-making process, individual level determinants, and environmental barriers to breastfeeding among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) women across different socioeconomic backgrounds. Findings will inform the systematic and community-engaged design of a tailored breastfeeding peer counselor program to improve breastfeeding outcomes. A native Buffalonian, Christina enjoys volunteering, hiking, concerts, spending time with her daughter, and of course anything related to food! 

Sue Arnold

Assistant Director of Operations
Sue Arnold joined the Veggie Van Study in November 2018.  She is responsible for post award administration which includes personnel and account management, subcontracts, and consultants agreements for this program.  Sue brings her previous experience with the University at Buffalo’s Center for Assistive Technology and the NSF Industry/University  Center for Biosurfaces to our project.

​Sam Lev

Community Partner Coordinator
Sam has experience working in food access and food system development. His work in southwest Virginia included launching and scaling a mobile produce market, leading a regional network of farmers markets offering SNAP incentives, opening a food hub, and operating a shared commercial kitchen. As a former pastry chef, Sam loves good food and believes in the power of food to bring people together and transform communities. When not working, Sam loves running, hiking, breadmaking, and exploring his new residence of Phoenix, AZ.
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Alicia Claudio, MPH

Research Manager
Alicia, a native of Buffalo, graduated with her MPH from the Department of Community Health and Health Behaviors in 2021. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Health and Wellness concentration from the University at Buffalo. Alicia's public health interests include addressing health disparities among low-income and underserved communities, with a focus on food access. As a research manager, she works on various projects such as the Veggie Van Study, the WIC Study, and the AHA Food is Medicine Study. In her free time, she enjoys farmer's markets, yoga, hiking, and music.

Katlyn Stoklosa, MS

Community Marketing CoordinatoR
Katlyn coordinates operations of The Veggie Van mobile campus market and supports research within the lab that addresses food access and security.  With experience in nutrition education, community nutrition, and small business marketing, she is driven to contribute to an equitable food system. Katlyn is a graduate of the dietetics program and adult education master’s program at Buffalo State University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University at Buffalo. Outside of work, Katlyn enjoys cooking, kayaking, going to concerts, and supporting a local alpaca farm.

​Angélica Tutasi, MPH

PhD Student
Angélica is a doctoral student in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. She is a public health and food science professional from Ecuador, holds an MPH from Columbia University, and has worked in the field of food policy and public health since 2011. Angelica developed and implemented interventions and policies to improve the nutritional status of low-income communities in her country, as well as, participated in several initiatives to combat overweight and obesity in Latin America. She is interested in being an active member of the Buffalo community, especially when it comes to healthy eating.

Research Assistants

 Grace McDowell

Graduate Research assistant
Grace recently graduated from the University at Buffalo for Public Health with a minor in American Sign Language. She is beginning her Master’s of Public Health this fall (2024). She will have a focus in Community Health and Health Behaviors. Her goal is to work on making things more equitable and accessible for all, primarily those with disabilities. In her free time, Grace is an advocate for women's healthcare rights, runs a club that creates adaptive fashion and helps execute large scale events all across campus. In her free time, she enjoys water sport activities, tending to her plants and doing anything outside.

 Seham Shariff

gRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
​Seham recently graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Public Health B.S. and minored in Health and Human Services. She is beginning her journey of joining the public health workforce specifically within the fields of Community Health and Health Behavior. Her goal is to find a career that addresses social determinants of health within lower income and minority communities. In her free time, Seham enjoys baking, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new places.

UB Veggie Van

Olivia LaSalle

Volunteer
Olivia is Class of 2025 at Binghampton University for Biology and Biological Anthropology. She anticipates beginning an MPH program concentration in community health and global health. She aims to work with food policy and availability in urban settings to improve nutritional status of communities. She is also interested in traveling to other countries to study health habits of different cultures. In her free time, she enjoys yoga classes, reading and spending time at the beach

Aaryaa Donthu

Volunteer
Aaryaa is class of 2025 studying Exercise Science and Nutrition at the University at Buffalo. She plans on continuing to get her Doctorate in Physical Therapy while continuing to study nutrition and working to improve availability in communities. In her free time, she likes to play sports, read and spend time with family and friends.
We also collaborate with partnering faculty on the Veggie Van Study.  To see all of our staff on the project, please click this link. 
We have many Alumni that have worked with our team.  To see the list of Alumni who have contributed to the Lab, please click here.