Dr. Suzanne E Judd is the Director for the LHC.

She received her PhD from Emory University in 2008. Her dissertation included a clinical trial studying the effect of different forms of vitamin D on blood pressure. For this work, she was awarded a fellowship from The American Society of Nutrition. Dr. Judd also received an MPH in Epidemiology from Emory in 2005 and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1999. After several years in the pharmaceutical industry manufacturing FDA regulated products, she returned to school to pursue a research career. She is currently a program manager for the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS).

Dr. Hannon is the Deputy Director of the center

An associate professor in the department of Health Behavior, Dr. Hannon's interests include the cultural, political, and economic factors that shape society. His specific area of study examines the effects of legacy-based housing policy on neighborhood development and community empowerment. He studies how these effects arise from complex, hierarchical human networks and how they interface with health behavior and health outcomes. He has experience working with community institutions and policy makers to promote economic growth that creates positive health trajectories. He has received nearly one million dollars in grant funding to stimulate community engagement. His recent peer reviewed articles discuss innovative dissemination strategies and community empowerment. Dr. Hannon lives in Birmingham with his wife and two sons.

Ariann Nassel is the LHC's Director of Geospatial Data Visualization

Ariann is an expert in developing GIS applications to take public health projects and research to the next level. As a GIS Analyst, she has established herself as a leader within the industry. Her specialties include training and teaching GIS, working with census data, program development, data collection, and using GIS to analyze and evaluate public health programs. Ariann holds a MA in Geography from the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia) and a BA in Geography from Clark University (Worcester, MA).

Sean McMahon is the Program Manager for the LHC.

Sean graduated from UAB in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in public health. During his time as an undergrad at UAB, he was very active with community-focused student groups and participated in several service-learning courses. After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Timore-Leste, Sean returned to Birmingham to work with UAB's Office of Service Learning and Undergraduate Research as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Sean has worked with the LHC since March of 2019, and in 2022 he completed the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies program at UAB, focusing on global health and public management. Sean's passions lie in student empowerment, community engagement, and civic action to implement policies which protect and promote the public's health.

Kimberly Tsoukalas is the Program Coordinator for the LHC

Kimberly completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies at The University of Alabama, with a minor in Art History. She recently completed her Master of Arts in Communication Studies, also at The University of Alabama. In her academic work, she focuses on healthcare communication, studying cognitive bias in healthcare professionals and the ways in which intercultural competency impacts patient care. She resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. with her husband, Tony, and rescue dog, Rooney.
Kimberly plans to use her professional background in digital media, marketing, and university relations alongside her academic research to develop and expedite LHC's outreach campaigns and increase community involvement in health policy.

Dr. Dashauna Ballard is an IRACDA-MERIT Postdoctoral Fellow in the LHC

Hailing from Selma, Alabama, Dr. Ballard has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from The University of Alabama, a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Behavior from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion from The University of Alabama. Her doctoral dissertation, which focused on identifying factors contributing to bullying victimization in minority youth, was influenced by her previous work as a Public Health Educator and Science Teacher in an alternative setting. For her secondary teaching efforts, she won the school-level Alabama Teacher of the Year and Innovative Technology awards in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her current research interests include adolescent health, mental health, minority health, community-based participatory research, and health equity in underserved populations.